6 String Freedom

Part 10: Connect the neck without losing the music · Lesson 090 / 117

Connect the C and A form families

Today’s one thing

Find their shared C-major ingredients near the lower neck.

Open C is x32010. The neighbouring A-shaped C can be played x35553. Its sounded notes are C, G, C, E and G. Both grips contain only C, E and G.

The A-string C at fret 3 is a shared root landmark. In the A-shaped form, another C appears at G-string fret 5. Locate those roots before trying to strum the whole grip.

For a smaller fragment, use G5, B5 and high E3: C–E–G. This is the compact root-position triad you already learned. Recognising an old musical object inside the new map is the point.

Play an arpeggio in one area, then another. Name the chord tones and do not add scale runs yet. A clear root-third-fifth map provides a useful skeleton for later melodies.

Hear it

C Voicings

Audio file

Four-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.

A concrete example

A-shaped C x35553: A3=C, D5=G, G5=C, B5=E, high E3=G.

C form chordC formEADGBe×A form chordA formEADGBe×
All diagrams sound C major. Form names describe the movable pattern, not a new chord. These are landmarks, not a requirement to hold every complete grip.

Fretboard view

High E (string 1) is the top line, matching guitar tablature. Select a note to hear it.

Root / tonicChord toneTargetChanged / colour noteOther note
A-shaped C, x35553
The A-shaped C grip includes C–G–C–E–G.
Guitar fretboard diagram: A-shaped C, x35553. High E string on top, frets 3 to 5. Notes C, G, C, E, G.
The A-string fret-3 C is shared with the open C form.
Play notes from a larger button list

One small map at a time. Hear the notes, then play the example without looking.

Try it, slowly

  1. Find the shared A-string root C.
  2. Play the compact C–E–G fragment.
  3. Alternate it with open C, naming the common chord ingredients.

Check one idea

What makes x35553 C major rather than A major?

Show the explanation

Its actual notes C, E and G form a C-major triad. A describes the shape family, not the sounding root.

A good place to stop

You can connect two neighbouring form families through named chord tones.

Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.