can we have some kind of chord compendium?

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Like if I can't fig out how to play a song...could someone help?

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 15 September 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

Right now it's "I Love You More" by the Softies. Yes, I am both 1. an amateur at guitar, and 2. a corny indie fuq. Thanks.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 15 September 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

http://static.flickr.com/19/119514958_8419754739_m.jpg

hero

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 15 September 2006 21:30 (nineteen years ago)

That's such a great song!

― righteousmaelstrom (righteousmaelstrom), Friday, 15 September 2006 21:53 (nineteen years ago)

I have a serious chord-related question that I will hijack Roxy's thread for?

Is there a name for the chord that is just playing all the strings of a standard-tuned guitar open together? You know, EADGBE?

― n/a (Nick A.), Saturday, 16 September 2006 01:51 (nineteen years ago)

I'm really good at figuring out chords, although I don't know the song mentioned.

As for EADGBE, I'd never thought about it before, but I guess it's kind of an oddly voiced E Minor 7 sus 4 chord:

E = root, A= 4th, D = minor 7th, G = minor 3rd, B = 5th, E = root again.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Saturday, 16 September 2006 03:36 (nineteen years ago)

Hurting OTM.

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Saturday, 16 September 2006 08:54 (nineteen years ago)

i am ultra-psyched about doing a show with her next month, roxy. hopefully she's touring near where you live.

― mts (theoreticalgirl), Saturday, 16 September 2006 12:44 (nineteen years ago)

seriously? that's killer. tell her i love her.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Saturday, 16 September 2006 16:30 (nineteen years ago)

I can help people with bass stuff, on this thread, and possibly drums...as far as figging out a song.

And na, I'm looking for an answer to your q. as we speak.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Saturday, 16 September 2006 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

except that it has kinda already bee answered. rats.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Saturday, 16 September 2006 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

mts -- where are you playing with her?

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Saturday, 16 September 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

Ha Nick, I was thinking about that same question myself recently. I was thinking about this too: how many different names for a chord from just the top three strings (or just barring the top three strings)? This is what I got:
1) Em
2) CMaj7
3) G6
4) A9

Feel free to add/disagree.

I think there is some kind of crackdown on the bigger chord compendiums out there.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Sunday, 17 September 2006 19:51 (nineteen years ago)

As for EADGBE, I'd never thought about it before, but I guess it's kind of an oddly voiced E Minor 7 sus 4 chord

It's not a suspended chord because the third is present. It's Em11.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Sunday, 17 September 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

I think Steve is right about that.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Sunday, 17 September 2006 21:22 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, I stand corrected. Point Goldberg.

As for the top three strings, I don't think you can make a case for it being any chord other than E minor (or at least none that you mentioned). The three notes, G, B, and E, are the third, fifth, and root, respectively.

While you could certainly play the top three strings in place of any of the chords you mentioned, they don't technically make those chords because they are missing an essential element of each. For example, a Cmaj7 has to have a C in it.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 00:27 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, but if you move the shape up the neck you can add those notes if you want. For example, on the second fret, the fretted notes are A,C# and F#. You just play the open D and you have a DMaj7. Besides, you don't always need to play all the notes of every chord- have you heard of Freddie Green?

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, I think I saw that some people call playing the top FIVE open strings, A-D-G-B-E, an A11.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

Sure man, but Freddie Green had a whole band playing with him filling in those other notes.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

I mean I could just play A and G and call it "A minor 7" but the truth is that I'm just playing two notes that could fit into a bunch of different chords, and without the other notes there's nothing defining which chord I'm actually playing.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

Also, according to what Goldberg said, wouldn't the top five strings actually be an Asus4 (add 9?) and not an A11?

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

I thought it was sus2 or sus4 if you didn't have a 3rd or a 7th, just 1,2,5 or 1,4,5. Once you've got a 7th then you call it a 9 and 11. If you've a third but no 7th you might call the 9 chord an "add 9."

Once you start getting into the greater than 8 chords, you could barely play all the notes with just your six strings and five fingers anyway, so some are left out.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

OK, I give up. Maybe there are 7th sus2 and 7th sus 4 chords, which don't have thirds.

This guy calls that one shape "everbody's favorite 11th." I think you just assume the 3rd is missing because a) it would be hard to play b) it wouldn't sound good anyway.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

Here's where the first guy discusses the Dan's mu chord.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

Time for another thread ('cause Ruud ruined this one)

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

Nah, it's cool. I understand what the guy is saying about guitar, I'm just making a pedantic music theory distinction. There's a difference between playing x chord and playing a chord that works, in context, as x chord because it contains some of the notes.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 15:01 (nineteen years ago)

More discussion.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

"For example, a Cmaj7 has to have a C in it."

No. Play it anyway you want. As long as it contains some combination of the 4 notes in the chord it's fine.

― everything (everything), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Uh, exactly. And one of those four notes is a C. I didn't say the C has to be on the bottom.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

I realise you are mostly guitar players here, if you're playing, say, a piano, you might only hit two of the notes in a chord. You can play E,G and B. No C. Yes, it's Em but it's also still Cmaj7.

― everything (everything), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:41 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah Josh, haven't you heard of, um, Count Basie?

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

5ths are for losers anyway.

― everything (everything), Monday, 18 September 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

does anyone know the chords to josef k's chance meeting? just askin'..

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Monday, 18 September 2006 22:33 (nineteen years ago)

I keep finding things I absolutely love by moving nonmoveable shapes around until they sound right again.

Right at the moment it's 087080, which I assume is some kind of F. I suppose I could figure out exactly what kind of F it is, what it has and lacks, but for my own purposes at present I'm comfortable treating it as an F that works nicely in G or C.

One of my other favorites right now is the A/E (or A/E) at 002100. It leaves lots of fingers free for playing melody with additional notes, like XX2104, XX2102, XX2120, XX2200, etc. Instant Suzanne Vega song!

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 00:37 (nineteen years ago)

Count Basie not withstanding, if you only play two notes, you might be implying the chord, but you ain't actually playing it.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

5ths are for losers anyway.
Fifths are for bass players!

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 01:49 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, I think I saw that some people call playing the top FIVE open strings, A-D-G-B-E, an A11.

That doesn't make much sense. First, obviously the top 5 strings is the same thing as all six strings. Second, it has the root and fifth of an A chord, but it has a complete G major and E minor triad. I'd call it Em11 or G 6/9.

One of my other favorites right now is the A/E (or A/E) at 002100.

= Eadd4

XX2104 = E

XX2102 = Eadd9

XX2120 = Amaj7

XX2200 = Esus4

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 02:20 (nineteen years ago)

XX2104 = E

Ooh, doubling the third. Bad voicing.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 02:37 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, if you're in Europe in the 18th century.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 02:53 (nineteen years ago)

Snap.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 03:10 (nineteen years ago)

stung

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 04:10 (nineteen years ago)

the hot dog chord pretty much sounds like a hot dog going on a bun, guys

― señor citizen (eman), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 05:35 (nineteen years ago)

That doesn't make much sense.
Take it up with Rikky Rooksby, education mavens.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

what's the golden d

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 11:47 (nineteen years ago)

The Gulden's D?

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

The Golden D is a silly name for a D chord in drop D tuning. ie. tune your low E string to a D.

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 21:20 (nineteen years ago)

oh, no fucking way

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

Yes fucking way. I think it's pictured as such on the booklet for the album of that name by G. Coxon.

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 21:32 (nineteen years ago)

no, i mean no fucking way would i ever tune down

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 23:01 (nineteen years ago)

It's not so bad. A bit muso-ey perhaps. And you will never be able to play the solo from "Fixing A Hole" otherwise!

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 23:13 (nineteen years ago)

i use such light gauge strings that my E string flaps around like a flag in a hurricane as it is. tuning it down would be a nightmare

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 23:59 (nineteen years ago)

The best thing to do is tune down all the strings.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 05:10 (nineteen years ago)

oh lord

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 13:30 (nineteen years ago)

X05422 = A13

(top four notes = based on how I voiced 13th chords on piano in jazz class)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 21 September 2006 02:50 (nineteen years ago)

i will feel retarded on this thread if i am ever like "how do you play a D" or something

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Thursday, 21 September 2006 04:14 (nineteen years ago)

x-5-7-11-10-x, usually.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 21 September 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ouch!

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Thursday, 21 September 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Is your bass player giving you a reacharound on the D&G strings, Puffin?

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Thursday, 21 September 2006 14:59 (nineteen years ago)

I like tuning waaaaay down. One of my favorite tunings for the backpacker is B-B-B-F#-B-F#, it's all rattly and fwroungy.

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Thursday, 21 September 2006 15:01 (nineteen years ago)

But how do you play A13 when it's tuned like that? Radiohead fans wanna know.

― everything (everything), Thursday, 21 September 2006 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

I just like tuning everything a half-step down sometime like Neil Young would do. It makes the same old chords sound less same-old.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Thursday, 21 September 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

I just like tuning everything a half-step down sometime like Neil Young would do.

Ok Rivers Cuomo.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Thursday, 21 September 2006 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

I like tuning down to BEBEBE. With a capo you can play Nick Drake's "Fly." Or you can just not use a capo and play a doomy version.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 22 September 2006 00:17 (nineteen years ago)

i hate people who play in alternate tunings

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 September 2006 04:54 (nineteen years ago)

Oh Yeah? I think Rose Melberg tunes the E string on her Ukulele up to F#. Fuckin' weird muso shit!

― everything (everything), Friday, 22 September 2006 05:06 (nineteen years ago)

i hate her, now

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 September 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Isn't A D F# B standard ukulele tuning?

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:33 (nineteen years ago)

No, it's G C E A, isn't it? Top four strings of a guitar up five frets?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:39 (nineteen years ago)

Also:

First, obviously the top 5 strings is the same thing as all six strings.

This isn't true for the same reason that an Em is not a Cmaj7.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:40 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, standard tuning on a uke is GCEA. But it's not like a guitar cos the G is high, between the E and the A. More like a banjo.

That ADF#B tuning is real old-school. If you pick up some old Ukelele manuals or music from the 30's that's usually what they will have. These days it's rare. (for various reasons. I know three serious ukulele players and they are in dispute. It's either Hawaii vs. Formby or just easier).

― everything (everything), Friday, 22 September 2006 16:41 (nineteen years ago)

First, obviously the top 5 strings is the same thing as all six strings.

This isn't true for the same reason that an Em is not a Cmaj7.

What? It's true because the top and bottom strings are both E. Playing the top 5 strings open is the exact same chord as playing all 6 strings open.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Friday, 22 September 2006 23:46 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Goldberg is right. A Cmaj7 has a "C" in it, which an Em does not. All 6 strings is exactly the same notes as the top 5, except one isn't doubled.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Friday, 22 September 2006 23:56 (nineteen years ago)

i hate people who play in alternate tunings

-- RoxyMuzakï¿½ (emilysu...), September 22nd, 2006.

Even like open/bottleneck tunings? Cause that eliminates a lot of great music.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Friday, 22 September 2006 23:57 (nineteen years ago)

Not to get all "everything is subjective!" on you, but what exactly does "alternate tuning" mean, anyway, and why are you against the idea? Perhaps you associate certain baggage with "Whoa, alternate tunings!" dudes, which I can understand, but what we consider
"standard" tuning is pretty arbitrary, especially considering that other stringed instruments are tuned in any number of entirely different relationships.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Saturday, 23 September 2006 01:27 (nineteen years ago)

All tunings are alternate. The only solution is not to tune.

― Steve Go1dberg (Steve Schneeberg), Saturday, 23 September 2006 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

Music Experts Reveal Bottom and Top Strings of Guitar are Same Note in Chord Science Shocka!

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Saturday, 23 September 2006 07:45 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, right! I don't actually play with the high E string, so I sometimes forget. My bad.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 23 September 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

Cause that eliminates a lot of great music.

No, just the peeps themselves.

Goldberg otm

I think he was kidding. Or quoting or paraphrasing some genius for whom exceptions could be made.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Saturday, 23 September 2006 15:42 (nineteen years ago)

I am incapable of kidding. EYEROLL

I just had a scary moment thinking of what this board would be like with those obnoxious little yellow smileys.

― Run Ruud Run (Ken L), Saturday, 23 September 2006 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/guy-smiley_figure-01.jpg

― Marmot (marmotwolof), Saturday, 23 September 2006 23:47 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

i need to know how to play hidden cameras "builds the bone". little help?

If you send me a file, I could help you figure it out, although I'm not gonna write the whole tab out or anything.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 03:14 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Does anyone know the chord pattern to ELO's Xanadu? It's a cheesy song, I know, but I've got it on the brain. The "Guitar Tab" websites I've seen say the song starts on an E Chord, but that doesn't sound right to me. It makes the song sound lifeless and flat (but that may be a by-product of my terrible, hackish playing or my tin ear). Anyway, if anyone knows, I'd appreciate it.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 22 March 2008 05:26 (seventeen years ago)

I HATE Am/G, by the way

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 23 March 2008 13:18 (seventeen years ago)

So, um, why is EADGBE the standard tuning rather than something like Open G? Tradition?

― milo z, Sunday, 23 March 2008 16:41 (seventeen years ago)

Hal Leonard Guitar Method is making me read music rather than tabs, bastards

― milo z, Sunday, 23 March 2008 16:41 (seventeen years ago)

xpost -- It developed. The space between the e/b and g/d/a/E strings is a perfect 4th, so you can play chromatic scales with your first finger on 1, pinkie 4, etc. The b/g space is a major third, which fucks it up, but makes a lot of fingerings easier. It's just easy.

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 23 March 2008 16:50 (seventeen years ago)

Chromatic scales are not convenient on the guitar, though, as they require lots of position shifting due to the perfect 4th interval between strings. If the strings were all a major third apart you could play chromatic scales in a single position. So I wouldn't think that they were a significant factor in the guitar's tuning. Standard tuning makes major and minor barre chords easy though. I bet this is documented somewhere.

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Sunday, 23 March 2008 17:42 (seventeen years ago)

That's why I said "The b/g space is a major third, which fucks it up, but makes a lot of fingerings easier"!

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 23 March 2008 17:44 (seventeen years ago)

No, you have made a technical mistake and now you will pay for it dearly.

― libcrypt, Sunday, 23 March 2008 18:02 (seventeen years ago)

(!)

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 23 March 2008 19:54 (seventeen years ago)

But the major third does not fuck it up. All the perfect fourths fuck it up. Playing chromatic scales on the guitar in standard tuning is difficult -- if all the strings were a third apart it would be easy. This seems to be the opposite of what you said.

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Sunday, 23 March 2008 20:26 (seventeen years ago)

Told you.

― libcrypt, Sunday, 23 March 2008 20:29 (seventeen years ago)

Playing chromatic scales on the guitar in standard tuning is difficult

For you, maybe!

*shreds*

*clogs*

*never looks back*

― roxymuzak, Sunday, 23 March 2008 21:51 (seventeen years ago)

BTW, I think I figured out the Xanadu chord progression. Keep in mind that -- aside from being a complete hack with a tin ear -- I'm a very beginning amatuer who is a complete hack with a tin ear. Having said all that, I think it's G -- D -- Em -- B -- C -- A -- C -- D. I'm less sure about the B than the rest, and I'm not too sure about the rest. But it sounds more like the song than when I start in E, FWIW (even if I'm right, maybe the tab sites I looked at follow the same structure in a different key; all I can say is it didn't sound right to me).

I've only been playing about a year now. So far, my instructor focuses on sight-reading classical-type works, but every so often I like experimenting with a pop or rock song.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:23 (seventeen years ago)

(And that's only the verse, anywho).

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 23 March 2008 23:36 (seventeen years ago)

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