Advanced Chord Fingering

In the world of classical guitar, playing bass notes with your fretting hand’s thumb is considered bad technical practice. For contemporary guitarists, this rule does not apply. Thanks to Jimi Hendrix, who implemented and popularised this technique with great effect, it is now common practice and used by many guitarist such as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and John Mayer.

Having the addition of your thumb allows for some advantages depending on the number of strings your shape contains:

1. 5 string shapes provide an alternative fingering for Position 1 E shape barre chords.
2. 4 string shapes allow room for unused fingers to add extra ornamentation on top of existing chords.

Tip

Playing bass notes with your thumb works best with Position 1 chords (E shape) and slash chords.

Triads (5 string shapes)

Major

Emaj

1

3

2

T

Fmaj

1

1

1

2

4

3

T

F♯maj

2

1

1

2

4

3

T

G♭maj

2

1

1

2

4

3

T

Gmaj

3

1

1

2

4

3

T

G♯maj

4

1

1

2

4

3

T

A♭maj

4

1

1

2

4

3

T

Amaj

5

1

1

2

4

3

T

A♯maj

6

1

1

2

4

3

T

B♭maj

6

1

1

2

4

3

T

Bmaj

7

1

1

2

4

3

T

Cmaj

8

1

1

2

4

3

T

C♯maj

9

1

1

2

4

3

T

D♭maj

9

1

1

2

4

3

T

Dmaj

10

1

1

2

4

3

T

D♯maj

11

1

1

2

4

3

T

E♭maj

11

1

1

2

4

3

T

Minor

Emin

3

2

T

Fmin

1

1

1

1

4

3

T

F♯min

2

1

1

1

4

3

T

G♭min

2

1

1

1

4

3

T

Gmin

3

1

1

1

4

3

T

G♯min

4

1

1

1

4

3

T

A♭min

4

1

1

1

4

3

T

Amin

5

1

1

1

4

3

T

A♯min

6

1

1

1

4

3

T

B♭min

6

1

1

1

4

3

T

Bmin

7

1

1

1

4

3

T

Cmin

8

1

1

1

4

3

T

C♯min

9

1

1

1

4

3

T

D♭min

9

1

1

1

4

3

T

Dmin

10

1

1

1

4

3

T

D♯min

11

1

1

1

4

3

T

E♭min

11

1

1

1

4

3

T

Triads (4 string shapes)

Major

Emaj

1

2

T

Fmaj

1

1

1

2

3

T

F♯maj

2

1

1

2

3

T

G♭maj

2

1

1

2

3

T

Gmaj

3

1

1

2

3

T

G♯maj

4

1

1

2

3

T

A♭maj

4

1

1

2

3

T

Amaj

5

1

1

2

3

T

A♯maj

6

1

1

2

3

T

B♭maj

6

1

1

2

3

T

Bmaj

7

1

1

2

3

T

Cmaj

8

1

1

2

3

T

C♯maj

9

1

1

2

3

T

D♭maj

9

1

1

2

3

T

Dmaj

10

1

1

2

3

T

D♯maj

11

1

1

2

3

T

E♭maj

11

1

1

2

3

T

Minor

Emin

2

T

Fmin

1

1

1

1

3

T

F♯min

2

1

1

1

3

T

G♭min

2

1

1

1

3

T

Gmin

3

1

1

1

3

T

G♯min

4

1

1

1

3

T

A♭min

4

1

1

1

3

T

Amin

5

1

1

1

3

T

A♯min

6

1

1

1

3

T

B♭min

6

1

1

1

3

T

Bmin

7

1

1

1

3

T

Cmin

8

1

1

1

3

T

C♯min

9

1

1

1

3

T

D♭min

9

1

1

1

3

T

Dmin

10

1

1

1

3

T

D♯min

11

1

1

1

3

T

E♭min

11

1

1

1

3

T

Suspensions

Sus 4

Esus4

3

2

T

Fsus4

1

1

1

4

3

T

F♯sus4

2

1

1

4

3

T

G♭sus4

2

1

1

4

3

T

Gsus4

3

1

1

4

3

T

G♯sus4

4

1

1

4

3

T

A♭sus4

4

1

1

4

3

T

Asus4

5

1

1

4

3

T

A♯sus4

6

1

1

4

3

T

B♭sus4

6

1

1

4

3

T

Bsus4

7

1

1

4

3

T

Csus4

8

1

1

4

3

T

C♯sus4

9

1

1

4

3

T

D♭sus4

9

1

1

4

3

T

Dsus4

10

1

1

4

3

T

D♯sus4

11

1

1

4

3

T

E♭sus4

11

1

1

4

3

T

Additions

Add 2

Eadd2

3

1

2

T

Fadd2

1

4

1

2

3

T

F♯add2

2

4

1

2

3

T

G♭add2

2

4

1

2

3

T

Gadd2

3

4

1

2

3

T

G♯add2

4

4

1

2

3

T

A♭add2

4

4

1

2

3

T

Aadd2

5

4

1

2

3

T

A♯add2

6

4

1

2

3

T

B♭add2

6

4

1

2

3

T

Badd2

7

4

1

2

3

T

Cadd2

8

4

1

2

3

T

C♯add2

9

4

1

2

3

T

D♭add2

9

4

1

2

3

T

Dadd2

10

4

1

2

3

T

D♯add2

11

4

1

2

3

T

E♭add2

11

4

1

2

3

T

Sixths

Major 6

Emaj6

3

1

2

T

Fmaj6

1

1

4

2

3

T

F♯maj6

2

1

4

2

3

T

G♭maj6

2

1

4

2

3

T

Gmaj6

3

1

4

2

3

T

G♯maj6

4

1

4

2

3

T

A♭maj6

4

1

4

2

3

T

Amaj6

5

1

4

2

3

T

A♯maj6

6

1

4

2

3

T

B♭maj6

6

1

4

2

3

T

Bmaj6

7

1

4

2

3

T

Cmaj6

8

1

4

2

3

T

C♯maj6

9

1

4

2

3

T

D♭maj6

9

1

4

2

3

T

Dmaj6

10

1

4

2

3

T

D♯maj6

11

1

4

2

3

T

E♭maj6

11

1

4

2

3

T

Sevenths

Major 7

Emaj7

2

1

T

Fmaj7

1

1

1

3

2

T

F♯maj7

2

1

1

3

2

T

G♭maj7

2

1

1

3

2

T

Gmaj7

3

1

1

3

2

T

G♯maj7

4

1

1

3

2

T

A♭maj7

4

1

1

3

2

T

Amaj7

5

1

1

3

2

T

A♯maj7

6

1

1

3

2

T

B♭maj7

6

1

1

3

2

T

Bmaj7

7

1

1

3

2

T

Cmaj7

8

1

1

3

2

T

C♯maj7

9

1

1

3

2

T

D♭maj7

9

1

1

3

2

T

Dmaj7

10

1

1

3

2

T

D♯maj7

11

1

1

3

2

T

E♭maj7

11

1

1

3

2

T

Minor 7

Emin7

T

Fmin7

1

1

1

1

1

T

F♯min7

2

1

1

1

1

T

G♭min7

2

1

1

1

1

T

Gmin7

3

1

1

1

1

T

G♯min7

4

1

1

1

1

T

A♭min7

4

1

1

1

1

T

Amin7

5

1

1

1

1

T

A♯min7

6

1

1

1

1

T

B♭min7

6

1

1

1

1

T

Bmin7

7

1

1

1

1

T

Cmin7

8

1

1

1

1

T

C♯min7

9

1

1

1

1

T

D♭min7

9

1

1

1

1

T

Dmin7

10

1

1

1

1

T

D♯min7

11

1

1

1

1

T

E♭min7

11

1

1

1

1

T

Dominant 7

Edom7

1

T

Fdom7

1

1

1

2

1

T

F♯dom7

2

1

1

2

1

T

G♭dom7

2

1

1

2

1

T

Gdom7

3

1

1

2

1

T

G♯dom7

4

1

1

2

1

T

A♭dom7

4

1

1

2

1

T

Adom7

5

1

1

2

1

T

A♯dom7

6

1

1

2

1

T

B♭dom7

6

1

1

2

1

T

Bdom7

7

1

1

2

1

T

Cdom7

8

1

1

2

1

T

C♯dom7

9

1

1

2

1

T

D♭dom7

9

1

1

2

1

T

Ddom7

10

1

1

2

1

T

D♯dom7

11

1

1

2

1

T

E♭dom7

11

1

1

2

1

T

Ninths

Major 9

Emaj9

2

2

1

T

Fmaj9

1

3

1

3

2

T

F♯maj9

2

3

1

3

2

T

G♭maj9

2

3

1

3

2

T

Gmaj9

3

3

1

3

2

T

G♯maj9

4

3

1

3

2

T

A♭maj9

4

3

1

3

2

T

Amaj9

5

3

1

3

2

T

A♯maj9

6

3

1

3

2

T

B♭maj9

6

3

1

3

2

T

Bmaj9

7

3

1

3

2

T

Cmaj9

8

3

1

3

2

T

C♯maj9

9

3

1

3

2

T

D♭maj9

9

3

1

3

2

T

Dmaj9

10

3

1

3

2

T

D♯maj9

11

3

1

3

2

T

E♭maj9

11

3

1

3

2

T

Minor 9

Emin9

2

T

Fmin9

1

3

1

1

1

T

F♯min9

2

3

1

1

1

T

G♭min9

2

3

1

1

1

T

Gmin9

3

3

1

1

1

T

G♯min9

4

3

1

1

1

T

A♭min9

4

3

1

1

1

T

Amin9

5

3

1

1

1

T

A♯min9

6

3

1

1

1

T

B♭min9

6

3

1

1

1

T

Bmin9

7

3

1

1

1

T

Cmin9

8

3

1

1

1

T

C♯min9

9

3

1

1

1

T

D♭min9

9

3

1

1

1

T

Dmin9

10

3

1

1

1

T

D♯min9

11

3

1

1

1

T

E♭min9

11

3

1

1

1

T

Dominant 9

Edom9

2

1

T

Fdom9

1

3

1

2

1

T

F♯dom9

2

3

1

2

1

T

G♭dom9

2

3

1

2

1

T

Gdom9

3

3

1

2

1

T

G♯dom9

4

3

1

2

1

T

A♭dom9

4

3

1

2

1

T

Adom9

5

3

1

2

1

T

A♯dom9

6

3

1

2

1

T

B♭dom9

6

3

1

2

1

T

Bdom9

7

3

1

2

1

T

Cdom9

8

3

1

2

1

T

C♯dom9

9

3

1

2

1

T

D♭dom9

9

3

1

2

1

T

Ddom9

10

3

1

2

1

T

D♯dom9

11

3

1

2

1

T

E♭dom9

11

3

1

2

1

T