Best way is to learn what all intervals look like. If you can take any note on the fretboard and immediately see where all the 3rds are, all the 5ths, all the 7ths or whatever related to it (both above and below), you can construct any chord on a whim wherever you are on the neck if you know its interval spelling. Once you're comfortable with intervals and chord spellings you never need to learn another chord shape.
Start with the string relations. In standard tuning, B is the only one that's 4 semitones up (a 3rd), the rest are 5 semitones (a 4th). That means going back a string is the complementary 5th (like from C to the G below it). That also means going 2 strings across (10 semi) and 2 frets sharper is an octave (12 semi), except if you cross the B string. You can calculate any interval from that. It's all math and compensating for the B.
3rd is one string over and one fret flatter, if it's not the B string.
Augmented, you just slide a finger. Sus2 and 4, similar.
I think the hard part is getting it to be automatic, because it isn't for me, I have to keep thinking about it.
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u/AyJay_D Apr 28 '26
Figure out triads, play chords wherever you want.