Originally Posted by: Julian VickersHi, I'm not sure why it's important for these chords to be exactly three strings, but here's a few common three string chords that I use in jazz reasonably often:

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----5-----------6------------5--------------------------
----4-----------4------------3--------------------------
----5-----------5------------5--------------------------
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The first is D7, the second is Dmajor7, and the third is Dminor7. Bear in mind that these chords are all missing the 5th.
To make them into 4 note chords, I would usually play this:

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----5-----------5------------5--------------------------
----5-----------6------------5--------------------------
----4-----------4------------3--------------------------
----5-----------5------------5--------------------------
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D9, Dmajor9, Dminor9

I'm sure I haven't answered your question properly, but those chords are good to learn anyway, I use them every day!

Well, it doesn't have to be 3 strings, but it's just easier to remember that way. Like for the Cmaj I showed previously, you can slide that structure up and down the fretboard and it would be _maj. Like Dmaj, D#maj, etc. I was wondering if there were any other tricks to more complicated chords, such as Cadd9, haha. Or like slash chords which are always tricky.

Oh side question, can you make up slash chords? Like D/C or G/Eb? Or does it have to be part of the root note? Kinda of confused. Thanks again though, guys!