People, I'm learning some real good tips from this thread. Keep em coming.
Kurt
I gotcha on you're post that you snuck in while typing. and do same thing, strong pinky is good when other fingers tied up)
and dang you. I love talking about chords amd will spend more time than I have talking about them. Hopefully others will chime in as my method came from "cheating gone wild"
I'll get to the "c" shape soon and If I don't fall out go on about the highly abusable "A: shape. But let me take a minute and preface by saying That I generally look at everything in terms of being 3 main chord shapes not 5. That isn't to say that the "G" shape and "C" shape aren't valid. I just know E,A,D pretty much inside out and I see the "C" shape as a "D" And G shape as an "A".
Both G and C just have notes added on top of A and D preimarily in the bass to make shape.
1/--------3----------------------------
2/-------(0)--------------------------- In open G the notes inside ( ) contain the underlying "A" shape. The rest IN THE WAY I USE THEM, is gravy on top.
3/-------(0)----------------------------
4/-------(0)-----------------------------
5/--------2----------------------------
6/--------3-----------------------------
1/-------(0)----------------------------- In open C the notes in ( ) contain the D shape.
2/-------(1)----------------------------
3/-------(0)-----------------------------
4/--------2-----------------------------
5/--------3----------------------------
6/-------------------------------------
Don't take as definitive because a lot of people including GA-ME find good use in using full shapes. Like I said, this is cheating gone wild. I'll be anxious to hear of good uses for my discarded shapes.
especially ones that done break your hand! :)
Further More my 3 main shapes shapes E,A and D I see as the same shape just moved across the strings. Huh? I'm going to copy and paste from previous post explaining this. It's a very important concept that a lot of people don't understand. It comes from this thread, which has has much, much more in it, starting with basic understanding of how chords are built which is needed for the rest to make sense.
http://www.larriveeforum.com/smf/index.php?topic=23857.0 I'll leave this as one post lest I lose it before saving and start working on the next one which will be getting back to original thought of "C" shape going up neck.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The purpose of this post is to make clear that open E open A and open D are really the same chord shape on different strings.
The shape is changed as it moves across strings because the interval between 3rd and 2nd string is different that the rest as demonstrated when you tune a guitar to itself, the old fashion way. The 2nd purpose is to show what other chords we can make from these shapes and seeing that relatively speaking were doing the same things to each chord when we change it. The wicked
B (for bad) string tries to hide this fact from us, but he SHALL be exposed! My start will be easy as I cut and past this from previous
post.
So here's all 3 chord forms. Note that the 1st, 3rd and 5th are all in the same relative position across the strings.
1/----------------- 1/----------------- 1/-----2---------III
2/----------------- 2/-------2-------III 2/----3----------I
3/------1----------III 3/------2---------I 3/-----2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E A D
Now we'll start making different type chords out of these shapes at the same time so we can compare them and see that they are all changing in the same way.
1/----------------- 1/----------------- 1/-----1---------bIII
2/----------------- 2/------1-------bIII 2/----3----------I
3/------0----------bIII 3/...---2---------I 3/-----2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
Em Am Dm
We turned it into a minor by flatting the 3rd. On all three shapes the highest fretted note lowered 1 fret.
1/----------------- 1/----------------- 1/----3---------IV
2/----------------- 2/-----.3-------IV 2/----3----------I
3/------2----------IV 3/------2---------I 3/-----2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E sus Asus Dsus
We turned it into a sus (4th note added) chord by raising the 3rd 1 fret.
1/----------------- 1/----------------- 1/-----2---------III
2/----------------- 2/------2-------III 2/-----2----------VII
3/------1----------III 3/-----1---------VII 3/-----2----------V
4/------1---------- VII 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
EMaj7 AMaj7 D Maj 7
We turned them all into major sevenths by lowering root one fret. Thats a tip to remember. The maj 7 note is right below the
root. Find root and count down, makes it easy to find. For Dom (b7) just go down 2 frets (or steps) Tip: Remember that
when making a chord, a rule is that you don't have 2 notes a 1/2 step apart. This shape introduces that situation when you play
open notes with it. Use at your own discretion and risk when including the open notes in this shape. I could say more but I won't
right now. Another note. The EM7 may not seem practical and awkward but we're gonna move these up the neck later so it's
important to know where Maj 7 note is.
Another Maj 7 out of this shape, putting major 7th on top so to speak.
( 4) "Help!!! I fell off the world! I told you the earth was flat!"
1/----------------- 1/-------4-------VII 1/-----2---------III
2/------4----------VII 2/------2-------III 2/-----3----------I
3/------1----------III 3/------2---------I 3/-----2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/------2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E A D
Ok on E I can't really reach it, but again, we'll be going up the neck where the frets are closer, very do-able up there.
Remember with A hopefully you are barreing across 2nd fret with index. If you don't do that, then start. It's a pain at fist but
WAY, WAY important. With the D shape, obviously the poor fellow fell into space.
Remember the important thing we're doing with all these is watch the shapes change in the same manner!
1/----------------- 1/----------------- 1/-----2---------III
2/----------------- 2/-------2-------III 2/----1----------bVII
3/------1----------III 3/------0---------bVII 3/-----2----------V
4/------0----------bVII 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E7 A7 D7
Kept lowering the Maj 7 down to Dom 7 Can get nice little move doing that BTW. Try playing D-DMa7-D7.
1/----------------- 1/--------3------bVII 1/-----2---------III
2/------3---------- bVII 2/-------2-------III 2/----3----------I
3/------1----------III 3/------2---------I 3/-----2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E7 A 7 D (not playing this round)
Putting flatted 7th on top.
open D's revenge!
1/------2-----------III
2/------0-----------VI
3/------2--------- V
4/----------------
5/---------------
6/-----------------
D6
I show that not just as a joke, but when the other chords go up the neck, they'll be able to do that trick as well once
the nut is out of the way.
Well I guess it's not too much revenge cause the other 2 chords can do this.
1/----------------- 1/-------2------VI 1/-----2---------III
2/------2---------- VI 2/------2-------III 2/----3----------I
3/------1----------III 3/------2---------I 3/---2----------V
4/------2---------- I 4/-----2----------V 4/-----------------
5/------2----------V 5/----------------- 5/-----------------
6/----------------- 6/----------------- 6/-----------------
E6 A6 D "*!@##!@#"