making chord playing a bit more interesting (for me, be nice if the listener likes it as well)

VimFuego

so, I mostly play acoustic guitar at a folk orchestra and a couple of folk session, I'd say 90% of the tunes we play are fiddle tunes in G or D. While I am happy to play rhythm guitar for this (I do play some lead melody as well, but competing against 5+ fiddles and about the same squeezeboxes it's the musical equiv of wanking in the dark, as only I know I'm doing it) I'm getting a bit bored of banging out the same old open chords all the time, so I was wondering what I can do to spice it up a bit (I'm thinking of different chord voicings and so on). My knowledge of theory is, at best, poor, though I am trying to change this. TIA.

Danny1969

For G slide your D shape up to the 7th fret so it's

7
8
7
0
also fret 10 if comfy 
X

or 

3
0
0
5
5
X
 
is another inversion of G 

Another inversion of D

X
7
7
7
9
X 

VimFuego

nice one, thanks. Do you know of any resources that lists those kinds of things, or mebbe shows a plum like me how I can work them out for myself?

Stuckfast

That's why so many folkies play in DADGAD. It gives you millions of ways to play a D or a G chord.

A bit rubbish if you want to play in A flat or something, though.

VimFuego

Stuckfast said:

That's why so many folkies play in DADGAD. It gives you millions of ways to play a D or a G chord.

A bit rubbish if you want to play in A flat or something, though.

I did think of that, but then we do play the odd tune in weirder keys. Will give it some consideration tho, it's not a major hassle to retune.

Danny1969

 Well basically to build a simple chord you need the root,  a third and the fifth so for D simply find the notes D, F sharp and A ... and for G you find the notes G, B and D 
 Things like open strings ringing out and double instances of the same note can I help chords sound more interesting

Rocker

Sounds like the way I started out playing in the 1970s @VimFuego. What you need is an acoustic amp and a decent pickup system on your guitar. You need to be heard!  An interesting D chord to try is: 5, 7, 7, O, O, x (high to low). And not sure if it is 100% correct technically but I sometimes play the G chord: 7, 8, O, O, x, x, The G chord as suggested by @Danny1969 works very well and sounds nice.

VimFuego

heh i did think if the amp route, but would get chased out of half the sessions I go to. I'm big n strong, but even I am not brave enough to stand up to a gang of angry squeezebox players, those folks is mentals.

DesVegas

Don't forget hammer on's for open chords, they sound gerrraaatttteeee

viz

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

stratman3142

viz said:

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

@viz ;  Did you mean to say ... instead of playing A like this: 577655, play it like this: 5x566x ?

bigjon

VimFuego said:

nice one, thanks. Do you know of any resources that lists those kinds of things, or mebbe shows a plum like me how I can work them out for myself?

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/598/chord-of-the-week-index

here's the thread discussing different ways to play a G chord
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/999/chord-of-the-week-17-8-13-g-gmaj7

VimFuego

wow, that's one hell of a knowledge bank there jon, thx.

viz

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

@viz ;  Did you mean to say ... instead of playing A like this: 577655, play it like this: 5x566x ?

Ah is that a more common way of playing it? I always add the 3rd as 54566x. 

stratman3142

viz said:

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

@viz ;;  Did you mean to say ... instead of playing A like this: 577655, play it like this: 5x566x ?

Ah is that a more common way of playing it? I always add the 3rd as 54566x. 

I was mainly commenting on the A being written as 577433, which (I think is a typo) and that you probably meant to put 577655.

The A7#5 voicing is down to personal taste. 54566x is fine. I just prefer to leave out the lower 3rd.

viz

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

@viz ;;;;;  Did you mean to say ... instead of playing A like this: 577655, play it like this: 5x566x ?

Ah is that a more common way of playing it? I always add the 3rd as 54566x. 

I was mainly commenting on the A being written as 577433, which (I think is a typo) and that you probably meant to put 577655.

The A7#5 voicing is down to personal taste. 54566x is fine. I just prefer to leave out the lower 3rd.

Oh yes!!! Lol thanks. I do struggle with numbers sometimes!!

sev112

The best thing I did which made a huge difference to my rhythm playing was

1.  Draw a neck and just write the notes on it
2. Start off with any major or minor chords, work out the 1 3 5, and then just see where you can play any of these 3 notes together on the neck.
the key is that as long as you have any 2 of them you get a "chord" that you can use in rhythm play.
and that concept leads you to an even simpler and really powerful conclusion that you only need two different notes (a "double stop") to be a rhythm player 

And that means it becomes so much easier to play rhythm all over the neck

im not saying you need to memorise all the notes all over the neck (although lots of people do say that is a good idea) - more that you just explore the neck while playing along the songs and you get used to a new collection of simple chords in different positions, and that the. Leads you to work out natural (for you) simple changes between chords which might on,y be moving one finger of two


To think that so many people start off playing guitar trying to play 6 string chords near the nut !

Stuckfast

I have the feeling you wouldn't be too popular in a folk session if you played an A7#5 every time an A chord was called for!

Seriously, DADGAD or one of the other open tunings is the way to go, and you can always use a capo for the odd tune in F or Bb or whatever.

paul_c2

viz said:

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

stratman3142 said:

viz said:

Try this: every time you need to play a V chord, play an altered V chord. 

For example if you are in D, instead of playing A like this: 577433, play it like this: 54566x. That's always nice to add spice to folk. 

@viz ;;;;;  Did you mean to say ... instead of playing A like this: 577655, play it like this: 5x566x ?

Ah is that a more common way of playing it? I always add the 3rd as 54566x. 

I was mainly commenting on the A being written as 577433, which (I think is a typo) and that you probably meant to put 577655.

The A7#5 voicing is down to personal taste. 54566x is fine. I just prefer to leave out the lower 3rd.

Oh yes!!! Lol thanks. I do struggle with numbers sometimes!!

Remember - its not a mistake/wrong note - its "jazz".

Rocker

The amp suggestion is important.  Put a small AER unit under your chair.  It will sound very hi-fi but that is what you want in that band context.  The same as your guitar but louder.  Start off at low volume then inch it up over time.  You want someone to hear all those nice chords, don't you?

mellowsun

Another +1 for DADGAD. Very versatile tuning. Even for playing in B flat