Chord diagram
A small grid printed above a song showing strings, frets and the finger positions used to form a particular chord shape.
The chord diagram is a picture of the fretboard rather than a musical notation: vertical lines stand for the strings, horizontal lines for the frets, and dots for the fingers, with small marks indicating which strings are played open or left silent. It is the fastest way to communicate a shape to a beginner but the slowest way to communicate rhythm or voicing, which is why printed songbooks pair diagrams with rhythm slashes or standard notation. Reading one fluently at sight takes practice because it shows an entire hand position in a glance.
Example: A songbook page with a small fretboard grid above the lyrics, showing where to put each finger for the chord, uses a chord diagram.
See also
Related
- PageChord
- PageBarre chord
- PageOpen chord
- PageAccidental
- PageBar
- PageBend notation
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley