Name That Chord, Chimp!

So, by now most of you have seen the chimp holding its fingers in the F Major 7 chord position, right? If not, the photo has been doing the rounds on Facebook this week and currently has 1,298 shares, and counting. So, if you haven’t, and you’re reading this blog post, you have now – look left!

One of the great things about playing the guitar is that chord shapes are moveable, and when one shape can create a lovely sounding chord when played in the open position, e.g. A minor, when you place this chord shape further up the neck, say, move just one fret higher, it sounds dissonant and pretty ghastly – try it!

Having read the comments, many people have argued what chord the chimp is playing, I have created my Top 5 chords that the chimp COULD be playing in the photo – just for fun. Feel free to add your ideas and suggestions in the comments section of this blog.

A Major 7

The voicing for the F Major 7 chord, as suggested in the chimp photo, is a moveable shape that can be shifted up and down the neck.

I have chosen to illustrate an A Major 7 because it is more easily accessible then the F Major 7 (move the shape to fret 12) and has the additional open A string root note.

Am/G

The chord could be interpreted as an Am/G chord; that’s an A minor with a G in the bass.

If the chimp was being lazy with his fingers (placing his third finger over the top of his second finger), he could very well be strumming this great passing chord!

C6

The C6 chord has a similar fingering to the Am/G chord, and therefore the same sloppy 2nd and 3rd fingers.

This chord lends itself to R&B, Jazz and Soul music.

A Augmented

The A Augmented chord is a rather dissonant chord and is usually used sparingly (as the V chord).

We would have to see the next photo to find out if the chimp resolved the A Augmented chord to the D Major 7 chord for a perfect cadence (V-I).

We’d have ourselves a pretty Jazzy chimp!

Em(Maj9)

The James Bond chord!

The Em(Maj9) chord is immortalised as the ‘Bond’ chord from the instantly recognisable Bond theme tune.

I think it would take one very cool chimp to play this chord!

Check out Vic Flick performing the James Bond Theme at an Oscars Academy event in late 2012.

The Music of Bond: The First 50 Years