How to: Use Decoder: Chord Compass for Guitar

Noisy Clan on 07/29/2024

How-to-Use-Decoder-Chord-Compass-for-Guitar Noisy Clan

Our Decoder: Chord Compass is about to launch. So we thought we would give you a quick guide on what you can expect (and some handy tricks you can use to elevate your playing)!

What is Decoder: Chord Compass for Guitar?

Designed in our office in Edinburgh, Chord Compass shows all 60 major chords in 5 positions on the neck. Learn to modify these into 1000's of playable chords! Chord Compass’ sliding visualiser is the ultimate tool for navigating the fretboard. Break away from open chords and build confidence playing in any position. Move the slider to instantly find and play any major chord, including triads, using the CAGED system. It will help you build chords, create unique accompaniments and figure out chord voicings from your favourite songs. To learn more about the CAGED system, click here.

What to expect:

Connecting Shapes

Chord Compass shows you where to play any major chord, in any position on the fretboard, using just five basic chord shapes: C, A, G, E and D. These chord shapes connect along the fretboard. The Chord Compass instantly visualises where the different chord positions and notes appear on the guitar neck.

As an example, the first chord position for C uses the open C chord we are all familiar with. This shape has roots on the A and B strings.

The second chord position for C connects on the root note on the 3rd fret of the A string. It uses the A-shape. This shape extends to the 5th fret where the next root is located.

Continuing to move along the fretboard the Chord Compass connects all the possible ways to play a chord across the entire fretboard.

Numbers (Intervals)

Decoder Chord Compass shows you the chord intervals to expose the common structures within each shape. This will boost your playing more than anything else. You will be able instantly identify the root, 3rd and 5th intervals of major chords and build your understanding of how chords are structured.

Example from the Chord Compass book:

Find F in the root selector window on Chord Compass. The F chord can be played using any of the CAGED shapes. In the example below, the A-shape is highlighted. This means we can play an F chord using the A-shape.

To play the full chord, we need to barre the fret to the left of the shape marker, which in this case is the 8th fret. Use your index finger to do this.