kid rock Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Listen this may seem like a really stupid question but does anyone know how many guitar chords there are? I have googled this question but without any real luck. it must be well into the hundreds i guess....
A String Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 With all of the voicings and inversions...tons! I know there was a book called "1001 Guitar Chords". I've never actually sat down and tried to figure out the number... Hal Leonard has a book called "Incredible Chord Finder : Easy-to-Use Guide to Over 1,100 Guitar Chords". EDIT: I just found a book on Amazon called "The Ultimate Guitar Chord Big Book: Over 10,000 Chords by Don Latarski and Aaron Stang" Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music
Guitarzan Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 i have a 20 foot cord. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will
caprae Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Just guessing here that there really isn't 10,000 plus different chords, but its the multitude of ways to play each chord. Example, in BTO's Blue Collar there is an E7 chord, but the two ways I knew of playing E7 just didn't sound right. I asked a Classical/Jazz guitarist and he showed my the standard C7 shape moved up to the 5th fret. Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren.
caprae Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Originally posted by Guitarzan: i have a 20 foot cord. Zan, you behave now. This is a new guy. but then again you have Lava, Monster, Fender, Planet Waves, DiMarzio, Horizon, Hosa, Live Wire, Mogami, Stage Magic, American Cable Company, AP Audio, Dunlop, Guyatone, George L's, Pro Co, Shure... Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren.
Hardtail Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 I don't know how many there are but Alice Bowie only knew 3 of them. My mamma talka to me try to tell me how to live... dah dah dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah...
caprae Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 ??How'd this get here?? Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren.
Guitarzan Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Originally posted by Hard Tail: I don't know how many there are but Alice Bowie only knew 3 of them. My mamma talka to me try to tell me how to live... dah dah dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah... i actually took the time to figure that out once. i am a sick puppy. as for the original question. there must be a specific amount of chords if you don't count all the positions and inversions. just counting all the various chords, someone must know. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will
caprae Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Originally posted by Guitarzan: as for the original question. there must be a specific amount of chords if you don't count all the positions and inversions. just counting all the various chords, someone must know. Where are the mathematicians in this group? Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren.
Hardtail Posted June 24, 2006 Posted June 24, 2006 Originally posted by Guitarzan: Originally posted by Hard Tail: I don't know how many there are but Alice Bowie only knew 3 of them. My mamma talka to me try to tell me how to live... dah dah dah, dah dah dah, dah dah dah... i actually took the time to figure that out once. i am a sick puppy. as for the original question. there must be a specific amount of chords if you don't count all the positions and inversions. just counting all the various chords, someone must know. I think I took a stab at just about every tune on the "Up In Smoke" soundtrack.
pollock Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by Guitarzan: i have a 20 foot cord. lol --------------------- how many chords? a lot how many variations? An infinite amount my band: http://www.blujavu.com www.myspace.com/blujavu
Durockrolly Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Just one!!! With variations!!! Fernando If you can't say it in 12 bars... then it can't be said!
Bejeeber Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Originally posted by kid rock: How many guitar chords are there? Too many darnit....wayyyy too many . Just a pinch between the geek and chum
Tone Taster Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 It seems infinite, but when you are talking 12 notes and three or more notes played simultaneously, it has to be finite, but there sure are alot The guitar grimoire does a good job of explaining it in the chords and voicings book
miroslav Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Depends on the song... miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
pollock Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Well heres what I could come up with for now: A chord is a combination of three or more notes that blend harmoniously when sounded together. Ignoring the harmoniously, this means any note, could be combined with any other notes to form a 3, 4, 5, or 6-note chord. (On a 6-string guitar) Since there are 12 different notes, # of 3-note chords = 1,720 (12x12x12) # of 4-note chords = 19,018 (12x12x12x11) + 10 # of 5-note chords = 209,198 (12x12x12x11x11) + (10x11) # of 6-note chords = 2,301,178 (12x12x12x11x11x11) + (10x11x11) This is skewed however, because according to this, F A C E, is a different chord than A C E F, which isnt true, its just an inversion of the chord. This also means that E E E , is a chord. Which idk, is it? Who cares? So for this sake, we will say E-E-E is NOT a chord. A chord must be made up of 3 different notes. Therefore, the numbers change: # of 3-note chords = 1,320 (12x11x10) # of 4-note chords = 13,200 (12x11x10) x 10 # of 5-note chords = 132,000 (12x11x10) x 100 # of 6-note chords = 1,320,000 (12x11x10) x 1000 12p3 is another way of writing 12x11x10. This is called permutation . In permutation, order is not relevant. Therefore, we must switch the calculations to combination to get rid of the inversion problem. 12c3 is (12x11x10) / (1x2x3) # of 3-note chords = 220 (12c3) # of 4-note chords = 2,200 (12c3) x 10 # of 5-note chords = 22,000 (12c3) x 100 # of 6-note chords = 222,000 (12c3) x 1000 Now, according to these calculations, 246,420 chords. Of course, not all these chords are blended harmoniously. Right now I dont know how to differ the harmonious from the non-harmonious but I will think about it. To find out the number of variations, we must look at a fretboard. A six-string, 21-fret guitar has 132 frets. (6x22) (Counting open as a fret) Of the 132, there are: (In standard tuning) 12 Es spanning 4 octaves 12 Bs spanning 4 octaves 10 Ds spanning 3 octaves 10 D#s, spanning 3 octaves And 11 of the rest, spanning 4 octaves each. Hmmm someone else figure this out Im too lazy and tired to go on. * Remember, this would all change for a different tuning, different instruments, more strings, ect. There is an infinite number of musical variations of chords. As long as the pitch changes, its a new variation. And pitch is infinite. Okay, somebody correct me. my band: http://www.blujavu.com www.myspace.com/blujavu
Bbach1 Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 I look at it much more simply. That's because I have a simple mind. Chord progressions each key: 1,3,5 2,4,6 3,5,7 4,6,8 5,7,9 6,8,10 7,9,11 8,10,12 8 chords x number of keys = total 12 Maj and 12 min keys = 24 x 8 = 192 chords everything else is a variation. learn 192 chords and learn how to change them to diminished, augmented, 7ths, 9ths, etc etc etc and you have a bunch of chords to work with. So to my little world, all I need is 192 chords. Actually, all I need is 96 because it is easy to change a maj to a minor chord. So 96 is my answer. That's the total number of chords. bbach Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
Tone Taster Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Pollock, awesome job. I forgot all that stuff when i was all hot on it in stats class I guess we should say chords in standard tuning only 6 strings, 21 frets and 4 available fingers (not counting tapped chords) but then there's the barring . . .
pollock Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 I think I may have messed up somehow. I just have the feeling. Its quite a difficult problem. I have to look it over again when I have the time. Originally posted by Durockrolly: Just one!!! With variations!!! This probably makes more since than my explanation my band: http://www.blujavu.com www.myspace.com/blujavu
A String Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 Yours takes into account all of the note combinations, that may sound like crap, but still technically qualify as chords. Craig Stringnetwork on Facebook String Network Forum My Music
mdrs Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 "....the simple things you see are all complicated. I look pretty young, but I'm just back dated, yea." There are some pretty cool chords on that one. I can play 'em, but, I don't know what they are called..... Don "There once was a note, Pure and Easy. Playing so free, like a breath rippling by." http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=574296 http://www.myspace.com/imdrs
Shoes Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by caprae: [QB] Just guessing here that there really isn't 10,000 plus different chords, but its the multitude of ways to play each chord. 10,000 indeed that would be completely absurd! I settled for a mere 7,488 being rational of mind and short of memory. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/pek63/7488.jpg There's an entire chapter dedicated to what can only be described as terriblyfirkinawfullsoundingchordsmeantonlyforscaringoffcats. juss kiddin' I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder.
Big Red 67 Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 Originally posted by mdrs: "....the simple things you see are all complicated. I look pretty young, but I'm just back dated, yea." There are some pretty cool chords on that one. I can play 'em, but, I don't know what they are called..... I used to think that was, "but I just pregnated you". Big Red's Ride Blog
Rampdog Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 Pollack....You have waaaay toooo much time on your hands..... If it ain't fun...why do it...? http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=778394&content=music
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