Part 2

Introducing Chords

The five string banjo uses frets to produce notes in  the twelve step system.
The pitch of fretted notes is shown below

A Major chord consists of three notes taken from the major scale, they are
the first, third and fifth note of that scale:-
To get the notes from a C major scale C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C

they are:- (1st)C,(3rd)E,(5th)G

Similarly to obtain a G major chord
The G major scale is G,A,B,C,D,E,F#,G
The G major chord is(1st)G,(3rd)B,(5th)D

The  banjo with its five strings has two more notes than are required for
the basic major triad chord so two additional notes are available to be played
which results in a duplication of two notes.

open strings on the banjo are tuned to a G major chord:-

5th string (G), 4th string (D) 3rd string (G), 2nd string (B)1st string (D)

The third string is the root this major chord position.

If a complete chord shape is moved one fret at a time it moves one semitone in pitch
in the pattern previously used:-
C,  C#,  D,  Eb ,E, F, F#,  G, G#,  A , Bb,  B

Thus the open string pattern chord is moved "up" (away from the nut and towards the
bridge shortening the string length) two frets it moves from G through G sharp up to
the pitch of A major

G,  G#,  A,  Bb  ,B, C,  C#,  D, Eb,  E, F, F#
Similarly if moved "up" three frets it produces the chord of Bflat major

G, G#, A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, F, F# 
S Similarly
if moved "up" five frets it produces the chord of C major

This index finger bar shape can be held at any fret position to produce a major chord. Remember an open chord is Gmajor and each fret up changes the pitch by one semitone in the twelve tone system :- G, G#, A, Bb, B, C, C# , D, Eb, E, F, F# , G These rules are used when using your capo to bar across the strings so if the capo is say at the fourth fret the open chord sounds in the pitch of B major

Major to minor

A Minor chord consists of three notes, they are :-
the first, flattened third and fifth note of that scale:-
Working out in G
Notes from a G major scale G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G
(remember the major triad is:- (1st)G,(3rd)B,(5th)D )

The MINOR triad becomes  (1st)G,  (flatterned3rd) Bflat,  (5th)D
 G minor triad:-  G       Bb       D

Bar Chord Major to Minor Shapes

This major bar chord is made by placing the first finger across the first four strings NOTE: that the pitch of the third string will indicate the Major chord name and that the second string is the third interval on the major scale so to change this chord form to a minor shape just flatten the second string one semitone

Three and four note versions of the minor chord are shown. (For some picking you would not pick the fourth string so you won't need to fret it!). So learn the rule to change this Major chord form to a Minor just drop the second string one fret