Beginners Lute and Viol Chords D tuning (bass viol)

open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)

Black diamonds are root tones. Open strings tuning: D G C E A D

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 Standard 6 string Lute and Viol tuning pattern
4 = little finger 4th 4th 3rd 4th 4th
T = thumb

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

1 1 1

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

3 4

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

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

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

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

C C C C C C
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X X X X X X
1 1 1 1

T 2 2 1 1 2
3 4 3 4 3 3 3 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 Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 1
 Beginners Lute and Viol Chords (D tuning continued)
open position chords (first three frets plus nut or open strings)

F F F F F F
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X X
1 1 2 1 1 1 1

2 see barre chord 2 see barre chord 2 3 2

3 4 3 4 4 3 4 2 3 3 3 3

R 3 5 R 3 R R 3 5 R 5 R R 3 5 R 5 7 R 7 3 5 R R 3 5 R 3 7 R 3 5 R 3 6
5
A/B A/B A/B A/B A/B A/B
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X X X X X X
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 see barre chord 2 2

3 4 3 4 3 1 2 3 3 4

4 3 4

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

D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E D/E

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

2 2

2 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 4
see barre chord see barre chord see barre chord see barre chord

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

A A A A A A
Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6
X X
1 1 1
2 3 4 2 3 4 2 4 2 3 1 1 2 3 4

3 3 3

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

Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 2
 Beginners Lute and Viol Chords (D tuning continued)

Movable Barre chords

Root on String One (low 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 1 1 1 1

2 2 2
3 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 4

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

* Root on String Two

Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 7 Major 6

X X X X X X
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 3
3 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3

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

bonus movable voicing in Viol/Lute tuning more Root on String Two

Major minor Dom 7 minor 7 Major 9 Major 6/9

X X X
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 1 1 1

3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3

5 R 3 5 R 5 5 R 3 5 R 5 5 7 3 5 R 5 5 7 3 5 R 5 5 7 3 6 9 5 R 3 6 9 5

* Low 5th (grayed tone) is always optional. If used, simply barre across all 6 strings with your index finger.

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

Memorize the letter names and locations (fret number) of the notes on strings one and two,
low D and G in this tuning (first twelve frets). Consult the Lute/Viol Fretboard Note

Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 3
 Viola da Gamba or Lute
D tuning [4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th, 4th]
Fretboard Notes Spelled
Nut = open strings Fret 0

Nut
Fret # 0 D G C E A D

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

2 E A D F/G B E

3 F A/B D/E G C F

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

5 G C F A D G

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

7 A D G B E A

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

9 B E A C/D F/G B

10 C F A/B D G C

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

octave
D G C E A D
fret 12

Basic Viol and Lute Chords TheCipher.com 2003 Roger Edward Blumberg 4