How to Play and Build Major Chords Across the Guitar Fretboard

Updated 2023
Estimated time to read: 4 minutes

In this lesson we will break out of playing chords in open position (the first 4 frets) and discover triads (the 3 main notes that define a chord) and full chords across the guitar fretboard. Then we will look at how major chords are built using a major third interval and a minor third interval.

Sections:

• A Major Triad on the E String

• A Major Triad on the A String

• A Major Triad on the D String

• A Major Triad on the G String

• Triad Intervals - Major Thirds vs Minor Thirds

• Triad Intervals - Order of Thirds

• Wrapping it up

The examples in this lesson will use the A Major Chord, which include the notes: A, C#, and E, but you can follow these techniques for all other major chords as well. To jump straight to the description on building major chords instead of playing them, skip ahead to the Triad Intervals - Order of Thirds section below.

A Major Triad on the E String

To play an A Major Triad starting on the E string, we start with the A note on the 5th fret and play a C# note on the A string 4th fret and an E note on the D string 2nd fret.

To play a full chord across all 6 strings, we need to add more of the same notes (A, C#, and E) within reaching distance on the remaining strings. Adding to the triad, we end up with this voicing for the A Major Chord. You may recognize this chord shape as a G major chord with the option of using a capo on the second fret.

Of course, there are a number of ways to reorder the notes of the A Major Chord, but the examples here are based on the first 3 notes of the triad being played together on adjacent strings.

A Major Triad on the A String

To play an A Major Triad starting on the A string, we start with the A note on the A string 12th fret and play a C# note on the D string 11th fret and an E note on the G string 9th fret.

To play a full chord across 5 strings, we need to add more of the same notes (A, C#, and E) within reaching distance on the remaining strings. Adding to the triad, we end up with this voicing for the A Major Chord.

You may recognize this chord shape as a C major chord with the option of using a capo on the ninth fret.

A Major Triad on the D String

To play an A Major Triad starting on the D string, we start with the A note on the D string 7th fret and play a C# note on the G string 6th fret and an E note on the B string 5th fret.

To play a full chord across 4 strings, we need to add more of the same notes (A, C#, and E) within reaching distance on the remaining strings. Adding to the triad, we end up with this voicing for the A Major Chord.

You may recognize this chord shape as a modified E major chord shape with the option of using a capo on the 5th fret. In this example we are only adding strings after the triad, but chord voicings can include between 3 to 6 strings and the order of the notes in the chord can be rearranged as needed.

A Major Triad on the G String

To play an A Major Triad starting on the G string, we start with the A note on the G string 2nd fret and play a C# note on the B string 2nd fret and an E note on the high e string (open string).

Playing a chord across 3 strings is really just the base triad since we are playing each note once. Since a triad is still a chord, we will call it a voicing for the A Major Chord. You may recognize this chord shape as a modified A Major Chord shape in open position, using the nut (fret 0) as the capo.

In this example we are only using the strings of the triad, but chord voicings can include between 3 to 6 strings and the order of the notes in the chord can be rearranged as needed.

Triad Intervals - Major Thirds vs Minor Thirds

If you aren’t familiar with playing thirds on guitar or would like more information on the difference between major third intervals and minor third intervals, read this post: An Introduction to Guitar Intervals.

Triad Intervals - Order of Thirds

We started this lesson by playing triads (the 3 main notes that make up a chord), as well as the full chord repeating those 3 notes to include most, if not all, of the available strings.

We need 2 third intervals combined to make a major triad, but how do we know which order to play the major and minor thirds in?

To build a major chord we need the starting root note, which is going to match the letter name of the chord. For example, an A chord starts on the A note and a Bb (B flat) chord starts on Bb (B flat). Next, we need to go up from the starting note a major third. So from A on the E string 5th fret, we go to C# on the A string 4th fret.

The first third interval of a chord (from the root note) is how we know whether the chord will be major or minor. In this case, going up a major third interval means the chord quality is also major.

From the C# on the A string 4th fret, we go up a minor third to get the 3rd note in the triad, E, which is on the D string 2nd fret.

Now we know exactly what 3 notes are in the A Major Chord, A, C#, and E. We also know how to build a major chord using thirds. First we go up a major third and then up a minor third.

Wrapping it up

When you play the triads before playing the full chords, do chords make more sense now? This is a great way to not only develop a better understanding of the notes in each chord, but also expand your chord voicings and go beyond the first 4 frets.