In idle moments, between four hour lunch breaks, we doodle around on the office stack of Fairlights and come up with the occasional pleasant chord. Since we're all mates, we thought we'd share a handful of them. No names, no kerb drill, just a few neat patterns in which to plonk the fingers. Think of it as a jumbo chord of the month.

The trick is to use the side of your thumb to hold down the two notes furthest left. A very rich, swimmy chord, goes well over a G or A bass. For something a shade funkier and more mysterious, try an E bass. At a pinch, just the cluster of the A, G, B notes will do some of the magic.

Slightly eastern this time, well, East End anyway. Feels more comfortable over an A bass, try a G for variety or an F sharp for increased moodiness factor.

This time round, the two notes on the far left are optional ones. Swap from the B to the C while keeping the rest of the chord in place, and you can hear all sorts of melodies suggest themselves to your swooning cranium.

Almost a backwards version of our first pattern, but darker and thicker. Not unlike a good bar of chocolate. D bass recommended here, but experiment to your digits' consent.

Finally, a little test. This neat progression, best played in quick succession, appears in an old number written by one of the bands represented in this month's issue. A year's free subscription says you can't get the band and the song title.