I'm on my annual "need to learn a bit of theory" pilgrimage ( usually lasts a couple of weeks before i go back to aimless noodling.)
My question is, how large a chord vocabulary is needed to get by playing most run of the mill pop/rock/country and blues tunes?
I am currently learning the major and minor and their 6th,7th,9th. Dom 7th,9th. Diminished. Sus 2 and 4. Min7b5.
I started by writing out the major and minor scales and then constructed the chords from them ( mostly triads and four note chords.)
Realising that transposing to other keys using the same shapes is pretty straight forward and having messed around with this for a while my playing is becoming much more musical.
What other chords would you recommend to learn?
Comments
But just learning loads of different chord types doesn’t equate to having a large chord vocabulary as such.
Having a thorough understanding of inversions, different approaches and different applications of even simple triads is the key to developing a large chord vocab IMO.
Amaj7. On the top four strings it doubles as Dm.
C9 x32333
Cmaj7 8xx987
Don't quite understand what you mean by this?
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
Play C# on the D string and E on the G string, then use the open A, open B and open top E for a great Amaj add9, or use the A on the D string and the C# on the G string for the same thing. Just 2 fingers but full of flavour. There are many. many other other chords you can do with just one or 2 fingers and open strings.
Knowing what chords you can substitute is handy too. Playing the 3m over the root bass note gives you the maj7 .... Bm over G for example) playing the relative minor over the root bass note gives you an added 6th (Am over C for example)
Sometimes it's cool just to imply a chord with 2 notes, the root and a third spread an octave apart.
After many years of covering various artist you get to know the voicings they use, because they do tend to repeat themselves.
Think I'll leave the Ted Greene book for now though
Those mentioning Triads, that is exactly the route I'm finding most rewarding. More work on Inversions and finding the different triad shapes all over the neck will be next.
Who would of thought that playing in key, learning the notes on the fretboard and the connection between scale and chords would prove useful, not me for forty bleeding years sadly.
If you want a change on a Thursday F, Sea and Geee! but this time with use of the first finger to make those same spooky 7th's.
Very little else needed. And you only need 12 bars, some of which sell spirits but not vital.
(Blues player)
:-)
(another blues player)
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
As I said, I don't want to learn how to 'split the atom' so if I can find a few simple tricks, that I can instantly use and remember, to enrich what I already have, then that is progress IMO
Three note triads in root position, 1st inversions, second inversion on strings 123 and 234. At first, learn along the neck in order. Later, learn to play through key in position by changing between voicings.
Next, learn a bunch of maj7, minor 7 and dominant 7 voicings on strings 1234 and 2345.
Then, notice that those triads form part of those seventh chords e.g E dim is the top of C7. Now, you can play Edim instead of C7 because it sounds right. Especially if you have a functional bassist.
Three note triads, man. Easy to get your fingers around, easy to move between and no clash with bass notes on bad or keys.
'learn to play through key in position', do you mean being able to play through the chosen key while remaining in one area of the neck?
If so, that's the route I'm taking, learning the triad shapes and inversions and trying to play with an economy of movement.
Though your suggestion of learning in that particular order is probably a good idea as i do tend to flit about a bit at present.
Its been a fun and rewarding path so far, much more enthusiastic about playing than i have been for years.