Hey all, I've found myself stuck on a song. I'm trying to learn how to play How to Save a Life by the Fray and I'm wondering about a chord. It has a capo on the 3rd fret btw.
D/F# chord: 232002
to me it sounds nearly identical to the D chord: 232000
Can any pro tell me an amazing difference between the two? If not I think I may just play them both as a 232000 D chord as the D/F# is killing my thumb when I reach over the top of the neck (Haha).
No amazing difference. They're both voicings of a D chord, because F# is already a chord tone.
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The /F# only signifies that the bass note of the chord is not the root note (D). All the notes are part of the normal D chord - D, F#, A. The notes of the D/F# are (from the low E) F#, A, D, A, D, F#. The normal D chord is (from the low E) xx0232 - x means that the string is not played.
Hope that helps
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Thanks for the quick replys! I think I'll just stick with the regular D haha, easier on the fingers!
Brucie, the standard way of writing chords is from string 6 to 1 (left to right)
Also you can't play 000232 as you suggested, as that would be D/E. Best option is as Greybeard has shown: XX0232.
I see this chord a lot. At first I just played the D, if I'm playing with a bass player I will just play the D chord..
However after trying to play some John Mayer stuff I started doing what he does and use my thumb wraped around the neck to reach that F# or use 2x023x depending upon where I am coming from and going next
Hi Brucie,
I'm not a pro but here's my 2c worth.
My guess is that the issue isn't really how different it sounds if you strum it, but what the F# is there to be used for - to change the sound of a full chord, or to be picked as a bass line.
There can be more than one reason for adding another note near the bass end of things. It might be to add a fuller sound to a strummed chord by adding more strings, or to alter it a bit by starting on a note that's not the root note of the chord. But sometimes it's because certain picking styles use the thumb to pick out a bit of a bass line that fits with the rest of the chord that's being picked as individual notes by the other fingers.
My guess is that the intention in this case is to use that bass F# in the manner of a bass line rather than for strumming all six strings in one sweep. But if you're not picking it like that then the standard 'smaller' D should be fine.
Also, if you don't like using the thumb you could use the middle, ring and pinky to do the usual D shape and leave the index finger to pick up the bass F#.
This might sound like hard work, but when you get into bar chords it becomes quite natural to form some of the familiar shapes using the midde, ring and pinky while your index forms the bar.
Cheers,
Chris
Brucie, the standard way of writing chords is from string 6 to 1 (left to right)
Also you can't play 000232 as you suggested, as that would be D/E. Best option is as Greybeard has shown: XX0232.
WOW, I feel like a moron haha.. I knew that I guess.. haha, stupid mistakes.. I haven't posted on here in a long while so I guess I just flipped it :P
Hey all, I've found myself stuck on a song. I'm trying to learn how to play How to Save a Life by the Fray and I'm wondering about a chord. It has a capo on the 3rd fret btw.
D/F# chord: 232002
to me it sounds nearly identical to the D chord: 232000
Can any pro tell me an amazing difference between the two? If not I think I may just play them both as a 232000 D chord as the D/F# is killing my thumb when I reach over the top of the neck (Haha).
Tab
Youtube Vid of the song (Amazing)
That just means that an F# is the bass note on that particular chord. You can use a plain old D if you want, it would sound pretty close.
Eric
