Can I swap Chords ?

Does it sound good if you do? If the vocals (or any other instrument) during that chord would include a C# you'll find the C in the Am chord clashes with it. But if you like how it sounds, play it. It's that simple.

You can really do whatever you want. You'll just be changing the sound of the song. When I say sound, I mean the mood, and the tones. It's not a bad or a good thing, it just depends (like Arjen said) on if you like it or not.

Yes. It's called 'chord substitution'... and in fact, I sent David a lesson I wrote on the topic just a couple days ago, so if he likes it, you'll probably see it soon :)

Some chords sub very nicely for others to subtly alter the mood or feel of a song. I think you mean Am not AM -- this would be a rather large change. For a more subtle change, you might sub Amaj7, F#m or F#m7 for the A.

Using inverted chords and chord substitutions should be practiced as second nature. Then when the time comes and your playing what you feel and/or what sounds good using either of these techniques or combining them will vastly improve your sound and style.

Joe

As an experiment when I first started learning Stairway To Heaven I had a hard time playing the Am chord on the 5th fret (it's a partial barre) so I tried the Open Am and when I strum the two chods they sound very similar. However for finger picking it didn't work...

I know mike is in LA LA Land...I know this doesn't answer your question...

Changing the chords, as previously mentioned, would change the mood of the song....however, If you don't experiment, how are you going to learn?

I'm not familiar with this song, but you could try changing the E to an E7 and the D to an Fm7....like Gnease said, subtle changes....

There are two schools of thought on covering songs, either a note-for-note copy....xSkaStyleex likes to do that, and it can be taken as a tribute to the artist that you slavishly copy his every note, and it's nice to be able to play along with your favourite songs on CD or the radio....

The other school of thought is, if you're going to cover a song, make it your own....can anyone honestly say they prefer the Beatles version of "I get by with a little help from my friends" to Joe Cocker's version?

Have a listen to "Vigilante Man"....there are versions of this by Woody Guthrie, Ry Cooder, Springsteen and Nazareth, amongst many others...all different, all great in their own ways, but all with their own unique slant on the song....

:D :D :D

Vic

As an experiment when I first started learning Stairway To Heaven I had a hard time playing the Am chord on the 5th fret (it's a partial barre) so I tried the Open Am and when I strum the two chods they sound very similar. However for finger picking it didn't work...

I know mike is in LA LA Land...I know this doesn't answer your question...

Difference between the Am open and Barre version is that the Barre-chord has one extra note (A, 5th fret 1st string) which you need. Changing the barre for the open is hardly a chord substitution, more a choice of where to play the chord.

As an experiment when I first started learning Stairway To Heaven I had a hard time playing the Am chord on the 5th fret (it's a partial barre) so I tried the Open Am and when I strum the two chods they sound very similar. However for finger picking it didn't work...

I know mike is in LA LA Land...I know this doesn't answer your question...

Difference between the Am open and Barre version is that the Barre-chord has one extra note (A, 5th fret 1st string) which you need. Changing the barre for the open is hardly a chord substitution, more a choice of where to play the chord.

It is more than just a choice of where/how to play. That highest A creates a new inversion of the Am chord, and its voicing is different from the open position Am. This is important in arrangement does contribute to the feeling of movement during chord changes. How many times have you played a tune thinking "Well I know that's the right chord, but it just doesn't sound as good as the original version." It's very likely the original was voiced using a different inversion of the chord.

Hey thanks every one for your reponses , I never knew that this was such a interesting topic . I just wanted to change the chords because they were closer together and I might have been able to play it faster ( as far as chord changes went ) . But now I know it don't work that way , so I 'll just practice my chord changes while my strumming hand heals in it's plaster .

thank-you
hilch