Getting stuck on the same chords

[stolenlogic]

I keep getting stuck playing the same chords, its so frustrating.
I hate playing the same ones, but nothing else sounds that great to me at this point. I slowly progress, but how do you just mix it up all together?

[musicegbdf]

OK to start with learn the shapes for 9ths and 13ths. Now when you would usually use a 7th try one of these instead. They are really 7th chords with a bit of colour added.

Also try making up your own chords. I can also recommend the Truefire course called fingerboard breakthrough. This really teaches you how chords are created so you make your own and how to fit them together.

http://truefire.com/jazz-guitar-less...-breakthrough/

[bj]

Try adding different open strings and see what works. I have recently come up with a good picky Cmaj9
0
0
7
5
3
x
and a rich-sounding Bbsus2#11 that works really well in the key of F or Dminor
0
6
5
8
8
6 (Thumb)

[beed84]

Watch a couple of Joe Pass instructional DVDs...

[sambostar]

Doublestops!

[mellowsun]

Guitarist magazine has a section each month where they look at different variations on vanilla open-position chords. Very useful if you are getting a stuck in a rut with the usual Aminor, Eminor etc shapes.

Otherwise, learn your inversions, triads and arpeggios. Learn the CAGED system. Also, as bj says, experiment with open strings.

[frankus]

or try an alternate tuning to get your ears listening to lovely sounds..

often times as a beginning guitarist I'd struggle to hear the beauty of a new chord over the pain of my straining fingers.

[colski]

Hard to say without knowing what you're playing already, but a good place to start is to learn good ol' A B C D E F and G major in the standard "cowboy" shapes. Then the "in between" versions, sharps and flats.
Then the minors.
Then the 7ths.
Then the major 7ths.
Then learn a version of each with the root on the 6th, 5th and 4th strings.

Any half decent chordbook should have this info in some form or other.

Sounds like a lot of work... it is, kind of, but hopefully along the way you will learn about how the chords are constructed, how each is a subtly changed version of it's neighbour, and how stringing them together more musically and efficiently relies on knowing as many options as possible.

Then 6ths...
9ths...
11ths...
13ths...
Altered...
Diminished...
Half diminished...
It's never ending really.
But that's a GOOD thing.

[barney.]

triads...triads and more triads...start with maj and minor.. different inversions...spread triads ect...then add the flavour...so for example take a C maj Triad...then add a B note for maj7 sound....Bb for a dom 7 sound ....A for a 6th sound ....Bb and D for a 9th ect...do this on all the triads and you wont be in a rut anymore...take your favourites and add them to what you already know..

[JAYJO]

Learn a bit of theory. ie How to build chords,start with triads. learn how to play diatonically starting from different chord shapes. Try the book Ted Greene Modern Chord Progressions.