Which is preferable for a 2-note minor?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by G-Money

I believe two-note "chords" are called double-stops. Jazzy.

Hi G-M

In music theory class we called them parallel thirds or parallel 6ths (depends on which note is on top/bottom). When I taught guitar, that's what I called those lessons, but I sure made students aware of the 'double-stop' nomenclature in case they heard musicians referring to them that way.

Doesn't matter what we call them, they are essential to playing good backing and solo guitar. It's how they are deployed which makes them useful.

[mr. beaumont]

For solo instrumental on a lap steel, as part of melody or accompanyment?

Root/b3 is going to be the clear obvious choice...

depending on melody, there's other options...don't neglect the 7ths

What tuning?

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

For solo instrumental on a lap steel, as part of melody or accompanyment?

Root/b3 is going to be the clear obvious choice...

depending on melody, there's other options...don't neglect the 7ths

What tuning?

Open D. Looking for basics at the moment, but the more sophisticated options are not going unoted. Wanted to be able to run through the basic chords of a key.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

The 1 and the flat 3rd, or the flat 3rd and the 5th?

That is very like a Mandolin question.

I think the answer is either, esp. as a passing chord, but as said, one of the three notes in the chord will be part of the melody of the song and so that should be one of them ... the other is your choice.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Open D. Looking for basics at the moment, but the more sophisticated options are not going unoted. Wanted to be able to run through the basic chords of a key.

The best thing you could do is sit down with a fretboard diagram and map some stuff out.

I've played very little in open D, but one thing I do remember finging useful was if you consider any note the "root" of a chord on the 5th string--2 frets lower on the D, F# and A, you have the makings of a rootless minor 7th.

[MC5C]

I play slide in a variation of low G tuning. Instead of DGDGBD I play EGDGBD. This gives me m7 chords with the root on the 6th (E) string. E-G is a minor third, and I usually pick the root with my thumb and pop the upper three strings with my right hand fingers, that gives me root, m3, 5, dom7. If you play all 6 strings you get root, m3, dom7, m3, 5, dom7. Super easy change since you have the root of the G chord on the 5th string, and it gives you m7 chords all the the way up the neck. You can play a I-VI-II-V in G by playing open root 5th for a G chord, open root 6th for an Em chord, 5th fret root 6th for an Am, and 7th fret root 5th for the D chord.

Edit: I play slide on an old 1935 Dobro with a very high action bowed neck. I found this tuning really easy to get to work for me.