Mel Bay Rhythm Guitar Chord System

[nkm]

Can you tell me a little about this book?
Is the approach jazz specific or more universal?

It seems like a big departure from 6th and 5th string root barre chords.

While I’m fascinated with the movement of the chords through the circle of 4th/5ths in the first study, and I can see how it is helping me learn the fretboard, I’m looking ahead wondering if I’m going off the deep end.

After learning Major, Minor and Dominant 7th open and barre chords, is this book the next step?

One of my goals is to be able to accompany a vocalist singing early American songs. Maybe I’d like to create my own chord melody renditions.


If it helps to know if this book is the right choice at my level, my current practice routine is:

1. Mel Bay Modern Guitar Method (nearing the end of grade 1)
I want to be able to read on guitar and enjoy the mental challenge. I like the early American songs and arrangements.

2. USC Thornton School Music - Fingerboard Mastery
Learning CAGED, 3NPS and just getting familiar with the fretboard.

3. Chords (I’ve been playing the chords to easy songs but I’m ready to learn dim, aug, 6, 7, 9 etc chords. This is where the Mel Bay chord book comes in?)

Thank you for your time!

[FwL]

While I think you could probably learn some valuable chord voicings and progressions from this book, the samples I can find online lead me to believe there's very little explanation as to why you might use these voicings instead of others. It seems to be presented as "just do this".

You might do better with a more standard chord dictionary type presentation... something like 'Chord Chemestry' by Ted Green or even 'The Jazz Guitar Chord Bible Complete' by Warren Nunes.

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[TBman]

I still have my copy that's 40+ years old. It will teach you movable chord forms and if done relentlessly will build your barre strength. It's not a book for the faint hearted, lol.

[nkm]

Yeah... I'm think getting in over my head.

I can only fluidly change between the open position chords (major, minor, dominant), as well as E and A shape barre chords (major, minor, dominant).

Maybe the next step from there would be to use CAGED to build chord vocabulary? Or learn dim/aug and 7th chords in open position? Or learn triads?

Browsing through songbooks, I see dim chords and a handful of 7th chords I don't know. What's the first step to learning those?

I guess I'm wondering what to do after learning the cowboy chords, E and A shape barres...

...in the context of solo guitar or guitar accompanying a vocalist—so maybe the chords should have the bass or 5th in the root... not 3rd or 7th like some of the orchestral jazz chords?

[FwL]

I think moving into the CAGED chords is a good idea. Start with major chords, then turn each of those into minor chords. Some of those shapes will make awkward minors, but you'll learn a lot in the process.

Then turn all those into Maj7, min7, and Dom7.

Those are going to be your bread and butter chords.

For specialty chords (Diminished7, Augmented, min/Maj7, etc) You're probably better off just learning a couple practical shapes for each as they come up in a song.


If you really want to map out the fingerboard, I'd suggest you start working with 3-string triad inversions. Take a major triad (R 3 5) and locate it on the G B and E strings (example C major = C E G at the 3rd fret). Then find the other two inversions of the chord on the same set of strings (3 5 R and 5 R 3). Do the same thing on every set of three adjacent strings.

Once you've done that, then turn the triad into minor (R b3 5), Augmented (R 3 #5) and diminished (R b3 b5).

You'll notice right away how these shapes go hand-in-hand with the CAGED chords.


Triads form the foundation of all the other chords you'll ever run into. The better you can see them lined up on the fingerboard, the better understanding you'll have of how all the other chords line up as well.

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[nkm]

Thank you FwL, that's super helpful!