Originally Posted by: KasperowCan you theoretically play any Major Chord by just moving another Major Chord around on the neck?

In short, yes. That is a great observation. But as others have already mentioned, there are complications!

The primary complication is that you will have to fret notes that are otherwise open string notes. This will usually involve new fingerings as well.

But, even with all these caveats, the basic idea is a good one that works. The best way to look at it as a pattern of chord tones that you can move up & down the neck.

For example, the open G major chord is:

||---|---|-1-|---|---|
3 ||---|---|---|---|---|
1 ||---|---|---|---|---|
5 ||---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-3-|---|---|---|
||---|---|-1-|---|---|

If we use scale degrees 1, 3 & 5 (the chord tones), then we can visualize a pattern that works everywhere. We only need to know which musical letter the 1 (the root note) lands on in order to name the chord.

So, we can move the pattern up two frets (and fret the open strings!) to get an A major chord, because the 1 (the root note) is on the note A.

||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|
||---|-3-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-1-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-5-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|

Or up two more frets to get a B major chord.

||---|---|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|
||---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|-1-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|-5-|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|-3-|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|-1-|---|---|

The pattern is like an algebraic equation, with the root note as the variable.

/---|---|---|---|-1-|---/
/---|-3-|---|---|---|---/
/---|-1-|---|---|---|---/
/---|-5-|---|---|---|---/
/---|---|---|-3-|---|---/
/---|---|---|---|-1-|---/

And more! All chord shapes are like this. In fact, this is part of what the CAGED system is about. I cover this topic from a few different angles in several tutorials. My approach is to view all chords in their basic unit, the triad. So, my triad & inversions tutorials can provide a great deal of insight to this whole topic.

www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=148
www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=824

www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=730
www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=731
www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=733
www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=734

In fact, if you look carefully at the fretboard graphic at the bottom of this lesson page, you can see every single open chord all integrated across the fretboard as chord tones. :)

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9213&s_id=148

Finally, big thanks to Slipin Lizard, haghj500 & maggior for their excellent, helpful replies. You guys are making the instructor's job easier in the forum! :)