1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
C/E means “C with E in the bass”: play a C major chord and make E the lowest note. Because E is already in the chord (its major third), this is the first inversion of C.
The notes, low to high, are E, C, G. The library above opens on C/E with 14 shapes that keep E at the bottom; tap one to hear it.
| Note | Degree | Interval from C | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | root | 0 |
| E | 3 (bass) | major third | 4 |
| G | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.
032010xx2013035050032xxxx755xxxxx988With the major third in the bass, C/E sounds lighter and less final than plain C: good in the middle of a phrase, not at its end.
In C major, F – C/E – Dm walks the bass down step by step (F, E, D) while the chords on top change. Played the other way, Dm – C/E – F, the bass climbs.
When a chord sheet writes C/E, play the chord on top and let E be the lowest string you strum; if you play with a bass player, the bass plays E.
E, C, G: the root, major third, fifth.
Open position: 032010 (low string first), rated Beginner.
No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.