Does anyone know how to play a C2 chord? I have that in several pieces of music. I play with a keyboardist and I've been just playing C. I can hear the difference and I don't care for it. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Terrie: To play a "C2" chord you have a choice between adding a "D" to the triad (sometimes called "C-add9") or omitting the third (e) and replacing it with a "d" (sometimes called "Sus2") .

In the following diagrams, the six digits represent the fret to be stopped on each of the six strings starting at the left with the Low E string (closest to your chin of you are a standard-issue right-hander.) "x" means "don't play this string".

For C2 = C(add 9) play this:

x32030

For C2 = C(sus2) bar on the 3rd fret and play this:

x35533

Hope this helps!

jack from Guitar Vacation Retreats
http://www.guitar-vacation-retreats.com

Hello again jack_gvr, the cadd9 barre works for me...I like strumming alternately with the Gm barre....thank you !  Oh, triads....does that mean the chords are three finger chords...that's a guess...thinking I'm not right...and shouldn't guess !

Happy New Year,

GuitarZen

GuitarZen wrote:

Hello again jack_gvr, the cadd9 barre works for me...I like strumming alternately with the Gm barre....thank you !  Oh, triads....does that mean the chords are three finger chords...that's a guess...thinking I'm not right...and shouldn't guess !

Happy New Year,

GuitarZen

Howdy GuitarZen & happy new year - sorry I haven't been around in a while -

"Triad" - that's a technical term meaning a chord with 3 tones - but some of the tones can be duplicates, so you can play them on 4, 5 or 6 strings. Chords are constructed from scales like this: a C Major scale, for example, has the notes C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C.  From this scale are constructed seven triads.
A triad may be constructed on each tone of the scale.

First here's the scale for reference:
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
------------------------------------(0)--(1)---(3)-------
----------------------0---1--(3)-------------------
---------------0--2---------
----0--2---3-----------------
-3-------------------------
--------------------------

I'm going to give each of these triads in 2 forms: the simple three-tone version, with a fingering, and then a 5-or-6 tone version with duplicate notes and the fingering. You will observe that there is one triad built on each tone of the scale, and that they contain only notes from the scale.

C major triad: C - E - G
x320xx
C major triad: G - C - E - G - C - E
332010

D minor triad: D - F - A
x532xx
D Minor triad: A - D - A - D - F
x00231

E minor triad: E - G - B
xx200x
E minor triad: E - B - E - G - B - E
022000

F major triad: F - A - C
xx321x
F major triad: F - C - F - A - C - F
133211

G major triad: G - B - D
xx543x
G major triad: G - B - D - G - B -G
320003

A minor triad: A - C - E
xxx210
A minor triad: E - A - E - A - C - E
002210 (sounds better x02210)

B diminished triad (that's different from a B diminished 7th, which is the usual diminished chord)
B - D - F
xxx431
B diminished triad (you won't ever use this, it's just theoretical)
B - D - B - D - F
x20431

The diminished triads aren't worth much for practical purposes.
Almost always you will use either a half-diminished seventh (Bm7b5)
B - F - A - D
x2323x
or a full diminished 7th (Bo)
B - F - Ab - D - F
x23131 (bar 1st fret) or you can play
B - D - Ab - B - F
x20101

All the chords above are triads. Chords are not triads if they have upper extensions (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th).
There are also augmented triads:
C - E - G#
x321xx
or C - E - G# - C - E
x32110

Was that more than you really wanted to know? Sorry!

All the best - Jack from GVR

Not at all Jack from GVR and Happy New Year to you too ! I've been working pretty hard these past few weeks and I darn near fully understand and can play everything you presented on 'triads' from my simple, looking at it now, faltingly, almost in error asked question. You've helped me a lot and I know that those that look in and find these threads are able to do so as well so hey, keep up this good work..it's what I came here for and who knows, with help from you and OTM, one day I'll be able to help someone too ! Thanks very much Jack.

GuitarZen

P.S. Both you and OTM have
cleared up a lot of questions
for me by pointing out
'duplicated tones'.