Beginners Lute and Viol Chords — G Tuning Open Position Chords (First Three Frets Plus Nut Or Open Strings)
Beginners Lute and Viol Chords — G tuning open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)
Black diamonds are root tones. Open strings tuning: G C F A D G Grayed tones are optional. White filled tones behind the nut are open string tones (to be included in chord). X ed strings at the nut are muted or not played.
Large numbers inside chord dots are fingering numbers: 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger Standard 6 string Lute and Viol tuning pattern 4 = little finger 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th T = thumb G G G G G G Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
1 1 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 2 2 3 2 3 142 3
3 4
R5R35R R5R 35 R R 5 73 7R R5R 3 7R R5735R R5R36R
C C C C C C Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
1 1 2 1
1 2 2 2 3 3 2 1 3 1 1 1
3 3 2
5R5R35 5R5R 35 5R5 735 5R5 7 355R5735 5R5R36
F F F F F F Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X X X X X 1 1 1 1
T 2 2 1 1 2
3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3
3 5R5R3 5R5R 3 5R5 73 5R5 7 3 5R573 5R563
Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com © 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 1
Beginners Lute and Viol Chords (G tuning continued) open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)
A /B A /B A /B A /B A /B A /B Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X 1 1 2 1 1 1 1
2 see barre chord 2 see barre chord 2 3 2
3 4 3 4 4 3 4 2 3 33 3 4 R35R3R R 35R5R R35R5 7 R 7 35 R R 35R37 R35R36 5 D /E D /E D /E D /E D /E D /E Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X X X X X 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 see barre chord 2 2
3 4 3 4 3 1 2 3 3 4 4 3 4 5 R35R5 R 35R5 R3 7R 3 R 7 35 R3573 R36R3 G /A G /A G /A G /A G /A G /A Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X X X X X 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 2 2
2 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 4 see barre chord see barre chord see barre chord see barre chord
5R35R 5R 35 R 5 73 5 R 5 7 35 R 3R357 3R36R
D D D D D D Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X 1 1 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 2 4 2 3 1 1 243
3 3 3 5R35R5 5R 35R5 5 735R5 5 7 35R5 R5735 R36R5
Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com © 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 2
Beginners Lute and Viol Chords (G tuning continued)
Movable Barre chords
Root on String One (low G) Major minorDom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Dom 7/6
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 4
R5R35R R5R 35 R R5 73 5 R R5 7 35 R R5735R R5 73 6 R
* Root on String Two Major minorDom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6 X X X X X X 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 R5R35 5 R5R 35 5 R5 73 5 5 R5 7 35 5 R5735 5 R5R36
bonus movable voicing in Viol/Lute tuning — more Root on String Two
Major minorDom 7 minor 7 Major 9 Major 6/9 X X X 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 2 1 1 1
3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 233 3 2 3 3 3
5 R35R5 5 R 35R55 735R5 5 7 35R5 573695 R3695
* Low 5th (grayed tone) is always optional. If used, simply barre across all 6 strings with your index finger.
The roots (lowest black diamonds) of these barre chord voicings can be aligned to any fret- line to produce the desired letter named chord.
Memorize the letter names and locations (fret number) of the notes on strings one and two, low G and C in this tuning (first twelve frets). Consult the Lute/Viol Fretboard Note Speller.
Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com © 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 3
Viola da Gamba or Lute G tuning [4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 4th] Fretboard Notes Spelled
Nut = open strings Fret 0
Nut Fret # 0 G C F A D G
1 G /A C /D F /G A /B D /E G /A
2 A D G B E A
3 A /B D /E G /A C F A /B
4 B E A C /D F /G B
5 C F A /B D G C
6 C /D F /G B D /E G /A C /D
7 D G C E A D
8 D /E G /A C /D F A /B D /E
9 E A D F /G B E
10 F A /B D /E G C F
11 F /G B E G /A C /D F /G
octave GCFAD G fret 12
Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com © 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 4