Who this is for
Anyone who knows major and minor triads and wants to read chord charts, songbooks and lead sheets. Already read chord symbols fluently, including slash chords? Test out on Day 5.
Best done after: Triads & Inversions. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Most popular music is written as a **lead sheet**: a melody (or just lyrics) with chord symbols above. The symbols are a shorthand: a letter and a few characters that tell you which notes to play. Reading them is the quickest route to playing songs.
The tricky part is that **symbols are not standardised**: the same chord can be written three ways (Cmaj7, CM7, CΔ7). This program teaches the logic of the shorthand (root, quality, extension, bass note) and the alternatives you will meet, so no chart surprises you.
What you will be able to do
- Root and quality: C, Cm, C7
- Seventh chord symbols: maj7, m7, m7♭5, dim7
- add, sus and 6 chords
- Slash chords and what the bass note means
- Power chords
- Reading lead sheet conventions
The 5-day plan
- Root and quality. Read a basic chord symbol: C, Cm, C7, Cdim and Caug.
- Writing symbols, and the alternatives. Name a chord from its notes, and recognise the other ways it is written.
- Sevenths, sixths, add and sus. Read m7♭5, dim7, 6, add9, sus2 and sus4 symbols.
- Slash chords and power chords. Read slash chords like C/E and G/B, and power chords like A5.
- Reading a lead sheet. Read a lead sheet: chord changes, repeats, and the notation shortcuts.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Chord Shapes on Guitar and Ukulele: The 5-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
What does a capital letter on its own mean?
A major triad on that note: C is C E G. A letter followed by m means minor: Cm is C E♭ G.
Are Cmaj7, CM7 and CΔ7 the same?
Yes: three common ways of writing a major seventh chord (C E G B). Charts differ, so learn all of them. A lowercase "m" is minor, a capital "M" is major.
What does C/E mean?
A C chord with E in the bass. The bass note replaces the usual root: C/E is C major in first inversion.
What is a power chord?
A chord of only the root and the fifth, written with a 5: A5, E5. No third means it is neither major nor minor; that is why it works so well with distortion.
What does N.C. mean?
"No chord": stop playing the harmony for that bar or section, usually leaving only the melody or the drums.