C Chord Essentials: Why One String Doesn’t Join the Party
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Introduction
OK. We are talking about major C chord here.
Through the time being I was always wondering why the 6th string (low E) is noted as muted. The E note is the part of the Major C chord triade: C-E-G. So, what is wrong with the low E note? Why not to play it if it’s the legal part of the C chord?
I’m not sure about you, but I was wondering for years and could not find the answer.
C chord 6th string is muted. Here Is Why.
I don’t now, maybe I was too lazy to find an answer. Or maybe this is a sort of the question that you might be calling “second level” question. It’s not really important, and you like “Ok. I don’t have time for this stuff now. I will figure it out some time later.”
And it goes for years and years. The question is popping up time by time. And every time you say to yourself the same: “Ok. Next time.”
Until today. I just realized 2 things:
- I’m old enough, and it might not be “Next time” one day.
- Now we have such things like AI chatbots. So you don’t need to spend your precious time on Google looking for the right answer.
In my case it was Claude.ai. Just look what a wonderful answer I got fron Claude.ai:
My prompt:
“Why the default major C chord notation is always suggests the 6th string to be muted while it is the E note which is a part of the major C chord?”
And the answer was:
“You’ve raised an interesting question about chord voicing and guitar technique. Let me break this down:
- You’re correct that E is part of the C major chord (C-E-G).
- The low E on the 6th string is indeed the same note as the E in the C chord.
- However, there are a few reasons why the 6th string is often muted in a standard C chord:
a) Chord inversion: The standard C chord on guitar is typically played in root position, with C as the lowest note. Including the low E would create a 2nd inversion chord (G-C-E), which can sound less stable.
b) Tonal clarity: Muting the 6th string helps emphasize the root note (C on the 5th string) as the bass, providing a clearer, more defined chord sound.
c) Ease of playing: For beginners especially, it’s often easier to strum across all strings while muting the 6th than to precisely hit only 5 strings.
d) Avoiding muddiness: In some contexts, especially with distortion or in a band setting, including the low E can make the chord sound muddy or unclear. - It’s worth noting that in some situations, especially in fingerstyle or when you want a fuller sound, you might choose to include the 6th string E.
- Advanced players often use different voicings of the C chord that do include the low E, depending on the musical context.
Remember, while the “standard” notation suggests muting the 6th string, this is more of a guideline than a strict rule. As you progress, you’ll learn when it’s appropriate to include or exclude certain notes in your chord voicings.”
Ain’t that nice to have that kind of a companion by your side? So, you can educate yourself any time you want on any question you have in mind!
You can try it by yourself!
