There is always a moment when you feel you want to add something to your chords. Maybe you’ve been playing the same songs for a while and wonder if there is a way to play the same chord progression in different ways.

Now, if you are a beginner, the chances are that you still don’t have the technique and music theory tools to understand how to make chords more interesting.

In reality, though, there is a straightforward trick that helped me discover new chords without necessarily knowing the type of chord I was playing.

You’ll need three things!

• You have to identify the bass note of the chords.
• You need to know the notes of the scale related to the key you are in.
• You have to know the notes on the fretboard.

So the trick is simple. We are going to play these four chords (Am – C – G – F) with all the notes of the A minor scale.

We can start with the note A and play the A minor, C major, G major, and F major bass note with the note A.

Now, the note A functions differently based on the chord we are playing.

For the A minor chord, the note A is just the root note. For the C major chord, the note A is the major six. For the G major the note A is the major 9th. And for the F major the note A is the major 3rd.

Each note of the scale will give you a different color.

We will try them all!

Enjoy this lesson.