The Steel Guitar Forum

I've retuned an old classic guitar to open D and I need a Chart or diagram showing all the chords but I can't seem to find one on the internet can someone give me a link and/or advice?
Thanks,
Paul

Thanks Brooks, but the image is too small for me to see clearly, but I had an epiphany since I created the post. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't an open tuning just tuning to a chord where when played open gives you that chord and then subsequent chords are made by the steel on the frets from 1 to 12? If that is true then I could make my own charts! But I wonder how minor chords are made for the steel guitar?

The main way I play minor chords is to find locations where the 1st and flatted third notes are available and only play those two notes. You can also play the 1st and 5th notes and no 3rd. As long as someone in the band (usually the guitar player) hits that minor third, using just the 1 and 5 can work. The same if you can find a location where the flatted 3rd and 5th are available. I prefer playing either the 1 or 5 with the flatted 3rd. Of course, those rule out the ability to strum full minor chords.

Thanks Richard. I'm a noobie and not real clear on what 3rd and 5th are. I think it means the 3rd or the 5th note up or down from the root? So what do you think? Am I right about the chords relationship to open tuning?

This page provides a reasonably straightforward explanation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville_Number_System

I think you'll also find that with lap steel, all that "boring" music theory stuff that you never bothered with as a kid, all of a sudden becomes VERY useful!

Major chords use the 1st 3rd and 5th note of the major scale
For example C D E F G A B C is the c scale ( white notes on a piano) so a c major chord is C E G...

A minor chord has a flatted 3rd (Eb) in this case so a c minor chord is made up of C Eb and G Your open tuning is D so it has a major chord D F# and A you nee to find an F note to make a D minor chord... not possible without slanting the bar or leaving out the root or the 5th note.

That is why many steel guitarists use a 6th tuning that has a major triad and a minor triad at each fret marker.

By adding a B note to your D major tuning you will have a D6th chord (D major and B minor) If this is not plain enough for you to understand, you are in for a good amount of time studying and perhaps taking lessons to learn chord theory. Almost all modern music uses repeating chord progressions and this is the very least amount of music theory every steel guitarist needs to play music. You have to know scales, all Major, minor chords and gradually learn extended chords (7ths, minor 7ths, 9ths etc.

Thanks Dom! I am indeed looking forward to learning or re-learning a good bit of music theory. I am already remembering some of it. It's great fun!

Thank you and the rest for helping!
Paul