A good way to force a chord progression to take an unexpected turn is to mess with a familiar open chord either by moving it up or down a fret (see the Am, B7, C shapes) or by lifting a finger off or putting one on (see the C+, Emadd9, D6, which originate as C, Em and D).
Here are some examples of chord shapes that belie their familiar looks with some unorthodox sounds…
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![Justin Hawkins [left] of the Darkness plays an open G on his offset electric and closes his eyes as he performs onstage; soul-reggae icon Johnny Nash [right] frets a chord on his acoustic and wears a patched denim jacket.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hWzCjD9ZWQiPPjMtTWiFfa-840-80.jpg)
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