A new version if this lesson is available with my Beginner Grade 3 Course!

Easy C Chord Variations All Beginners Should Know

Discover new C chord sounds on your guitar!

The C chord Shape is one of my favorites, but when you run into a C chord in a song - you don't have to play just the regular C! You can lift off different fingers, add in others to give it much more flavor!

Hopefully - you've checked out the D shape from the previous lesson. A lot of those same principles will apply when you're exploring the C shape.

In this lesson - I'll show you some common variations for the C chord on your guitar. There are some super-tasty variations that you can do with minimal effort! So have loads of fun exploring your C shape - and remember to put it into practice. :)

🚨 Log in to your account to access the chord diagram downloads in the resource section. It shows diagrams for most of the chord variations in the video - which will be a helpful way to visualize them.

How To Explore C Chord Shapes On Guitar

The best way to explore chord shapes is by using your ears. If a chord variation sounds bad - no biggie! You just might not play it again! It's as simple as that. :) Think of this as a trial and error process. Exploring your guitar is a crucial part of the advancing beginners' learning process.

And - don't worry about the key for now - we'll get to that later in your guitar journey. There's no need to get too technical yet. Exploration is more about mucking around on your guitar and experiencing new sounds!

💡 Interested in exploring the chord and scale relationship? Check out my Folk Fingerstyle module.

Common C Chord Shape Variations

Let's check out the different ways you can vary this chord to add some interest to your guitar playing. For most of these -you'll quickly play these chords by dabbing on and off the strings.

C major 7 - To play this one, lift off your first finger.
C sus 2 - Quickly try lifting off your second finger - sounds quite lovely right? :)
Lift your third finger - this one sounds best if you do it quickly! If you leave it off too long, you're changing the scale of the note.
We've got one finger free in here. Drop your little finger down on the third fret of the thinnest string - it ends up doubling as an open G chord.
C add 9 - this one is lovely sounding!

If you practice variations enough - you'll start coming up with new ones on your own! That's the point of this whole learning exploration.

🔑 You want to get to a place where you're fearless on your fretboard - and you want that to happen instinctively. So try not to overthink it! The only way to get there is through practice. Keep at it! :)

Next lesson - we'll onto the G Shape Explorer.