acoustic

A thing I've found with hundreds of songs - they don't suit my voice! So what I usually have to do is play the same chords higher up the neck using a capo.....

Another way of changing a song around is to play it with barre chords - for example, the acoustic version of Layla - most of the chords could be played as open, or close to the neck...I prefer to start it with Dm at the fifth fret, and I use two different voicings of F#m - one as a barre at the 9th fret (Am shape) and one as a barre at the 2nd fret - Em shape. I use the first when changing from E at the seventh fret, and the second when changing from A at the fifth fret.

Try a fairly easy song you know well with open chords, then try the same song with barre chords....or better still, if you've got someone to jam with, one of you play open chords, one of you play barres.

:D :D :D

Vic

i know how to play barre chords... but for some reason i find the Am barre chord shape to sound boring... I like how the artits i mentioned above use chords that sound amazing... unless iamdoing something wrong, i dont think they are just playing your basic Am barre chord...

I'm a big fan of solo acoustic artists, such as John Mayer, Dave Matthews etc... Ive always noticed that artists

Have you expermented with "Alternate Tunings"? Maybe this is what you're looking for. Have you checked out John Mayer's "Daughter's". There are all kinds of different versions, power chords and open chords,etc.

BJ

I know what you mean, Special K. I think it's worth it to work on finding interesting things to do with normal 'campfire chords' but it also helps to have some of those spicy/jazzy chords that artists like John Mayer and Dave Matthews use. Here is the chord that someone taught me to use for the intro to John Mayer's No Such Thing:

e|-------------------------------------------------- |
B|--------7--------7-----7--------7--------7--7--7--o|
G|--------8--------8-----8--------8--------8--8--9-- |
D|--------6--------6-----6--------6--------6--6--6-- |
A|--------7--------7-----7--------7--------7--7--7--o|
E|--0--0-----0--0-----0-----0--0-----0--0----------- |


I'm not a huge theory guy, but I'm pretty sure at least one name for the main chord in this riff is Emaj9 no 5 (*shrug* anyone who knows better, feel free to correct). If you want to find some more chords like that to mess around with, then have a look at a chord encyclopedia. It's just like you said, these aren't your traditional 'campfire chords' so look for the ones in the encyclopedia that don't look like your every-day chord: maj9, m#7-5, m6/9...each of them has their own distinct sound, though they carry a bit more dissonance than your usual pop-chords, so you don't hear them (and learn to recognize them) like you do maj, minor, or 7 chords. Hope this helps. Best of luck!

hey jason thanks for that advice... i will go out and buy a chord book. and see what i can find... if anyone else has any advice..please feel free

The artists play normal chords only.Yea , that Am barre or the Emaj barre shaped ones.

What they do different is with their Strumming hand.They alter their patterns , add a mute or chuck , put a hammer-on from nowhere , bend a little , slide a few and you get a great song.

There are various types of picking.Fingerpick alongwith strum and you start crosspicking.Strum without a pick.Boom - chuck style.Slash Chords.

Its not tough once you start playing with a bit of concerntration.And later it really turns into fun.

I'm not a huge theory guy, but I'm pretty sure at least one name for the main chord in this riff is Emaj9 no 5 (*shrug* anyone who knows better, feel free to correct).

http://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=7&string3=8&string2=6&string1=7&string0=x
says it's either a E Major 9th or a F#/E 13th Suspended 2nd . My money is on the latter. :P

Thiw is a good question as I'm always interested in finding new chords up the fretboard so that I don't get stuck using the same open chords. I know and can play barre chords but on an acoustic I don't know if they sound their best. A chord book is a good idea. Thanks.

I'm not a huge theory guy, but I'm pretty sure at least one name for the main chord in this riff is Emaj9 no 5 (*shrug* anyone who knows better, feel free to correct).

http://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=7&string3=8&string2=6&string1=7&string0=x
says it's either a E Major 9th or a F#/E 13th Suspended 2nd . My money is on the latter. :P

I read that shape as a maj9 chord - look at it as a 9 shape x767777 - a chord with a 7th and a 9th and a good starting point for more sweet chords. if you move one step up on the 3rd string you raise the 7th to a +7 - maj togehter with the 9. x7687x (xs to make it moveable) - cool chord it is a minor and a major with both G and G#

if you go up one step on the 2nd sting (from the 9 shape) you get a +9 x7678x. from here try to go down two steps on the 2nd string you get a E 7-9 x7676x - Pink Floyd anyone? Breathe isn't it?
The artists play normal chords only.Yea , that Am barre or the Emaj barre shaped ones.

???

Lars

I know what you're all getting at guys, but in my opinion, Less Is More. Keep it simple. And anyway, who was it that once said: "If you can play more than two chords, you're showing off!"

Answers on a postcard...

I'm away for the weekend, but when I get back Monday I'll try and post some easy riffs in open tunings.....

I was looking at "Both sides Now" by Judi Collins a couple of days ago.....it's in open D tuning, D A D F# A D - and the chords are D, Dsus4/6, Dmaj7, Dsus4/9 (two different voicings) and a separate voicing of D.....

I was absolutely astonished how easy it was...I'll try and post it on Easy Songs next week....

The easiest open tuning is open G, the Gsus4/6 is the same shape as a minor 7th in standard tuning - you learn that, there's a whole new world of easy songs opens up to you - OK, most of them are Stones songs - it's Keef's favourite tuning - but hey, it'll give a start.....

:D :D :D

Vic

Vic:
Could you please look at my thread in the alternate tuning board? I'm trying to play Tequila Sunrise in Open G. I think most of the chords are transferrable but there was one that wasn't so obvious. I forget which one...the B7? The D? Not sure right now. And I'm looking for a nice new way to play the opening strum as maybe a fingerpicked pattern....

I know what you're all getting at guys, but in my opinion, Less Is More. Keep it simple. And anyway, who was it that once said: "If you can play more than two chords, you're showing off!"

Answers on a postcard...

See the point - but i think that often when you see chords high up on the fretboard involving open strings as the ones jasonrunguitar shows, they are "hey! this sounds good!"-chords rather than "hmmm, I need a diminished 7th with a rasied 5th and a 11th, wonder how I do that chord"
If you see what I mean. If you play around a find fingerings that sound good, it doesn't matter what they're called.

Lars

As with most things in life, I think it's all about happy mediums. Lars and Dylan, you both make really valid points. It's definitely good to know how to keep it simple and work with the building blocks (I don't even want to think about how many of the "greats" are "great" because they knew how to do exactly that)...but at the same time, there's nothing wrong with finding some exotic, ear-catching chord voicing that will inspire new motivations and sounds. And Lars, I totally agree...it's all about what sounds good...and if a few fancy chord names are what get's that done at the moment, then that's stellar! But whether it's something as simple as 12-bar-blues in G or the jazziest most complicated comping out there, if it sounds good, then it sounds good! :smile: