substitute chord shapes

greyvents · Post by **greyvents** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:32 pm

I've volunteered to back a friend up on acoustic later this week. guess I'll be playing 'lead' but other than just playing the odd lick I was thinking that what would probably add to the sound is some different voiced chords which will complement the basic major / minor shapes he'll be playing.

I've got to admit my chord knowledge is really limited - does anyone have suggestions as to what are some of the shapes that can be employed?

For example, how could you spice up a progression such as am7, g, d

Neiloler · Post by **Neiloler** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:01 pm

You could play with a capo on different frets to give you some complementary chords and such. I find that playing stuff with the capo on the 12th fret so you get an octave up, as simple as it sounds, is really cool to play for backing chords and stuff.

Also, the 7th fret with a capo is interesting as well.

Haha, that basically exhausts my knowledge of chord theory.

eeyore · Post by **eeyore** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:31 pm

Sometimes playing open chords but leaving a finger off sounds good,such as on a G chord lift the finger on the B and play that string open A,On a D chord lift the finger on F# and play it open E,You can do this on loads of chords and it makes them a little ambiguous too...Hope this helps.

airforce_brian · Post by **airforce_brian** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:41 pm

Try playing these shapes:

5 7 5
5 8 7
5 7 7
5 9 0
7 10
5

Or try a capo on the 5th fret and play the same type of chords.

EDIT: Sorry, the forum didn't display that the same way I wrote it, but read the numbers vertically like you would tab with the lowest note being the lowest string.

airforce_brian · Post by **airforce_brian** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:49 pm

----5---7----5--
----5---8----7--
----5---7----7--
----5---9----0--
----7---10------
----5-----------

Hopefully this one displays better.

DonKunto · Post by **DonKunto** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:53 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by eeyore
 Sometimes playing open chords but leaving a finger off sounds good,such as on a G chord lift the finger on the B and play that string open A,On a D chord lift the finger on F# and play it open E,You can do this on loads of chords and it makes them a little ambiguous too...Hope this helps.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

What you're describing there is removing the major 3rd and adding a 9th to the chord. It is a nice chord, I find the tone of it I always relate to Andy Summers in my mind for some reason. Whenever I'm trying to add a second acoustic to a song I like doing what Neil was describing and putting the capo on either the fifth or seventh fret and playing normal shapes that match the original part. The problem with adding new tones into the progression is that although they might work between the two guitars there is a good chance that the melody the singer is doing could fight with the new chord voicing. Instead of trying to add I usually subtract, as in instead of moving the 3rd to a 9th/sus2 or sus4 I'll just lean the finger a bit into that string to mute it and leave nothing but the tonic and the 5th. It keeps things solid and is very safe as a voicing when you're not positive how the new notes will work out.

Pacemaker · Post by **Pacemaker** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:05 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">

What you're describing there is removing the major 3rd and adding a 9th to the chord. It is a nice chord, I find the tone of it I always relate to Andy Summers in my mind for some reason.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I also associate 9th chords with Andy Summers, because the man introduced them to me when I accidentally figured out Message In A Bottle so long ago.

Back on topic - also try inversions. So, instead of the Am7 chord being rooted on the A note, try starting with the root on the E note or the C note, and fill out the rest of the notes from there. Some suggestions (for Am7), which I'm kind of just pulling out of thin air (i.e. my ass):

e-8----0----0
b-5----x----1
g-5----2----2
d-5----5----2
a-7----3----3
E-x----x----0

Maybe?

I run into the same "dilemma" when coming up with parts to play in my band, since we have a piano player. So I'm always trying to figure out different ways to play chords.

Also: +1 on the capo idea.

greyvents · Post by **greyvents** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:16 pm

thanks guys! this has given me some nice ideas.

at the moment I've been playing around with major triads in the A and D maj shape. I think this with the ideas which hv been suggested above will allow me to add a bit more texture to overall sound as the chords will be voiced slightly differently from what my friend will be playing (he doesnt want 2 guitars playing exactly the same chord shapes in the same positions).

MaxProphet · Post by **MaxProphet** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 2:56 am

uh 1 guitar open chords and 1 guitar barre chords or ska chords. done

Jacco428 · Post by **Jacco428** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:57 am

what's a Ska chord ??

greyvents · Post by **greyvents** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:11 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jacco428
 what's a Ska chord ??
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is that a barre chord played with an upstroke?

ESBlonde · Post by **ESBlonde** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:47 am

Given that in theory all chord shapes are movable and many are in practice (or should that be withe practice

) You can use a bar or whatever to move say a C shape so that with a bar on the 5th fret its an F and a bar on the 7th Fret makes it a G, but if you re jig your fingering of that G and replace the bar you can open the top string to an E and have a drone chord.
This would be
0 10 9 7 8 0 for the G
Also try
0 5 7 7 0 0 as a drone D chord (like the A shape on a 5th Bar but opened)

or

0 7 6 4 5 0 as an open E chord with a nice voice.

Once you get the idea it can move subject to the key and available open notes.

Remember all chord shapes move to any fret so stretch those digits. In reality, if you're unused to these shapes and are taking bar chords on stage with an acoustic guitar, it can make your wrist hurt after a 45 minuet set

HTH

greyvents · Post by **greyvents** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:17 am

thanks ESB, will try that out later when I get home!

MaxProphet · Post by **MaxProphet** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:30 pm

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jacco428
 what's a Ska chord ??
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

3 or 4 note shapes played on the high strings.

Example ska chords:
..Gb.Bb.Eb.Bbm.Gm.Ebm
|-6--6--6--6---6--6------------
|-7--6--8--6---8--7------------
|-6--7--8--6---7--8------------
|------------------------------
|------------------------------
|------------------------------

Don't necessarily have to be "ska" rhythm. These are also good for mapping out lead melodies.

ESBlonde · Post by **ESBlonde** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:59 am

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by MaxProphet
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jacco428
 what's a Ska chord ??
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

3 or 4 note shapes played on the high strings.

Example ska chords:
..Gb.Bb.Eb.Bbm.Gm.Ebm
|-6--6--6--6---6--6------------
|-7--6--8--6---8--7------------
|-6--7--8--6---7--8------------
|------------------------------
|------------------------------
|------------------------------

Don't necessarily have to be "ska" rhythm. These are also good for mapping out lead melodies.

These all being cut down versions of full bar chords using open shapes (in order)
C shape
E shape
A shape
Em shape
Dm shape
Am shape

If you learn the full bar chords, you can select which inversions and strings you use at will and it seems to me a visual and logical step to take. YMMV

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

substitute chord shapes

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