Help me out with standard tuning and chords...
 

I grew up an electric lead player and have been for 17 years. A couple years ago I made the "switch" to acoustic after discovering DADGAD. I've been playing primarily in DADGAD and have gotten pretty good at finding my way around and writing my own "noodles."

Now, I want to venture back to standard tuning for a while and I'm having trouble with figure out how to play chords up the neck. I know all of the standard first position chords (G,C,D, blah blah), but I don't know how to play a C for example up the neck. Scales I'd say is my strong suit having played lead for years, but I do struggle with chords.

Are there any books or youtube vids that could help? I'm trying to put my foot in the Jazz pool, so any Jazz related books would be great. It feels like a huge hill to climb, but I'm up for the challenge.

I have a chord dictionary "app" on my Kindlefire. It was free. I am sure there are similar for a cell phone. Or your music store will have one in plain old book form. Somewhere around here I have the book I first learned guitar from "Peter Paul and Mary" play folk guitar. Circa 1970. That has all the chords. I remember the F chord being a real pain when first learning.

You played electric lead for 17 years and never learned how to play bar (barre) chords?

This one's pretty good:
https://www.guitartricks.com/freechordfinder.php
Or this one:
http://chordfind.com/

Take a look at what's called the CAGED system. Google it. In essence, it'll show you how to use those 1st position shapes you already know (C, A, G, E, D) to play up the neck. I think it could be useful to you. But if it isn't, and just serves to confuse, drop it and look for something else.

Not talking about barre (sorry phone spelling check) chords....I'm good there, but I'm talking about different chord shapes up the neck. Possibly some Jazz style chords. My father in law was one of the most talented guitar players I've ever known. He could hear the key of a song and make interesting chord shapes that fit the music and yet he had no clue why or how he could do it.

In my lead playing I've relied heavily on root notes (whether correct or not). I'd find the key, find a low E root note and then work my scales up the neck from there. I'm just wondering if chords are the same way. Do you just find a root note and discover the shape from there?

I'd ask my father in law, but he has been gone a while now...

You might check this out. Rolly is a great teacher and I get a lot out of his DVDs.

http://www.guitarvideos.com/Artists/...e#.WilU6eyWz3g

Best,
Jayne

You mean there are different chord shapes? I've got a lot to learn...:hmm:

Hard to read sarcasm over the internet. I have played by ear my entire life and have very little knowledge of theory. If they are not called chords shapes or whatever, my apologies. Just trying the best way to figure out different ways to play a C chord for example without a capo or barre chord.

No sarcasm intended. I played cowboy chords and only cowboy chords for 30 years. Only when I started fooling around on an electric a few years ago did I even learn you could play chords any other way. I think what I do now is what someone referenced as CAGED system. Jazz chords? Fugittaboutit!:D

I didn't think so haha. I know what you mean. I'm pretty much the same way but I need to venture into another style as it's becoming boring again...

I'm venturing into trying to learn to play leads and solos after 35 years of just strumming cowboy chords.

There are so many tutorials specific to your needs/concerns just google or go straight to youtube.

No big resources needed here-- learn the fretboard, and learn the notes that are in the chords you're playing.

Shapes are great for navigation due to the visual nature of the guitar, but many guitar players use shapes as a crutch...

Once you figure out a C major chord is ANYWHERE you can play C, E, and G-- the whole dang world opens up.

Thanks. I have/will be doing that. Just hoping to channel some of the gobs and gobs of information out there through the knowledge and experience on this forum. I can teach myself to fish through youtube and google, but the experienced fishermen often have the best advice...

The key is using "movable" chord shapes which generally involve muting certain strings, so they slide around like barre chords but aren't.