Beginners Vihuela Chords 5 strings or courses

[also called "Guitarra de Golpe" by Mariachi]

open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)
Tuning = A D G B E [ 4th 4th 3rd 4rd ]
Black diamonds are root tones.
for "Golpe" B and E are an octave lower than usual
Grayed tones are optional.
White filled tones behind the nut are open string tones (to be included in chord).
X ed strings at the nut are muted or not played.

Large numbers inside chord dots are fingering numbers:

1 = index finger
2 = middle finger
3 = ring finger
4 = little finger
T = thumb
E E E E E E
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1 2 1

2 3 2 3 2 1 2 3 2 3 4

4 3

5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 7 R 5 R 3 7 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 R 3 6 R

A A A A A A
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1
2 1 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 1 1 1 1

R 5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 R 3 6

D D D D D D
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1 1

1 2 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 2
3 3

5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 6 3

Basic 5 string Vihuela Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 1

 Beginners Vihuela Chords 5 strings or courses (continued)
open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)

G G G G G G
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1 2

1 2 2 1 2
3 4 4 4 4

3 5 R 3 R 3 5 3 5 R 3 5 R 3 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 3 7 3 5 R 3 6
5
C C C C C C
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X
1 1 2 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 3
4 3 4 3 4 1 2 3 3 4

4 4
R 3 5 R 3 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 7 R 3 R 7 3 5 R 3 7 R 3 R 3 6 R 3

F F F F F F
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 4 3 4 3 3 3 3 4

5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 3 R 3 5 7 3 R 3 6 R

B B B B B B
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X X X
1

1 1 2 3 4 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2

2 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 1 1 1 1

5 R 3 5 5 R 3 5 R 3 7 R 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 5 R 3 6

Basic 5 string Vihuela Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 2

 Beginners Vihuela Chords 5 strings or courses (continued)

Movable Barre chords

Root on String Two (D)

Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Dom 7/6

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 3 2

3 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 4

5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 6 R

Root on String One (Low A)

Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 3 3

R 5 R 3 5 R 5 R 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 7 3 5 R 5 R 3 6

The roots (lowest black diamonds) of these barre chord voicings can be aligned to any fret-
line to produce the desired letter named chord.

For example: the Major barre chord shape that looks like the open position E Major chord
(top row, root on string two or low D) can be played at the first fret for an F Major chord, or
at the third fret for a G Major chord. Likewise, the Major barre chord shape that looks like
the open position A Major chord (second row, root on string one or A) can be played on the
second fret for B Major or on the third fret for C Major.

This principle applies to all barre chords, Major, minor, seventh, etc. That's the beauty of
barre chords, they're movable and universal.

Memorize the letter names and locations (fret number) of the notes on strings one and two,
low A and D (first twelve frets). Consult the 5 string Vihuela or Guitarra de Golpe Fretboard
Note Speller.

Basic 5 string Vihuela Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 3

 Vihuela or Guitarra de Golpe
5 course or 5 string
Fretboard note Speller
Nut = open strings Fret 0

Nut
Fret # 0 A D G B E

1 A/B D/E G/A C F

2 B E A C/D F/G

3 C F A/B D G

4 C/D F/G B D/E G/A

5 D G C E A

6 D/E G/A C/D F A/B

7 E A D F/G B

8 F A/B D/E G C

9 F/G B E G/A C/D

10 G C F A D

11 G/A C/D F/G A/B D/E

octave
fret 12 A D G B E

Basic 5 string Vihuela Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 4