I don't have 12 fingers! (Open Tuning Chords)

[chrisserger]

I just tuned my 12-string to Open D (first I've ever done this) to learn "We Just Disagree." (He plays in Open E, I just made it Open D). The tab from Ultimate-Guitar is simple enough to understand the chords (e.g. Badd4 - 707700).

So, I go here (https://www.gtdb.org/dadfsad/chords/b#B-Minor) to check out other chord formations in Open D and see that I need 12 fingers on my left hand to play them.

Let's look at B7 (at the link above), for example. What in the world am I supposed to play? Thanks for entertaining this noob.

[mr. beaumont]

Very confusing site, garbage in my opinion.

You have chord tones mapped there, but not chord shapes, and then some that are really more scale positions than chords.

What you really need to know is what notes are in the chords you want to play, and where those notes are on the fretboard. Fretboard knowledge is key.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by chrisserger

I just tuned my 12-string to Open D (first I've ever done this) to learn "We Just Disagree." (He plays in Open E, I just made it Open D). The tab from Ultimate-Guitar is simple enough to understand the chords (e.g. Badd4 - 707700).

So, I go here (https://www.gtdb.org/dadfsad/chords/b#B-Minor) to check out other chord formations in Open D and see that I need 12 fingers on my left hand to play them.

Let's look at B7 (at the link above), for example. What in the world am I supposed to play? Thanks for entertaining this noob.

B7 in open D is x 2 1 0 0 x.

[rick-slo]

I am assuming you were kidding with that link.

Try some chord shapes from below:

[chrisserger]

Actually, I wasn't kidding. That site has a ton of info, but that was a "chord sheet" that is generated. I knew I wasn't right, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some "trick" to understand that.

Thanks for the sheet! A good place to start.

Originally Posted by rick-slo

I am assuming you were kidding with that link.

Try some chord shapes from below:

[fazool]

OK I'm no expert. But I've been playing guitar 40 years and I took a music theory class in college. I am very adept at reading tabs and chords, etc..

I can't figure out what those things are - that's *NOT* standard notation and I have no idea what it is trying to tell you.

The problem with the Internet is that anyone can publish anything and appear authoritative - even when they are totally wrong.

[merlin666]

Originally Posted by chrisserger

I just tuned my 12-string to Open D (first I've ever done this) to learn "We Just Disagree." (He plays in Open E, I just made it Open D). The tab from Ultimate-Guitar is simple enough to understand the chords (e.g. Badd4 - 707700).

So, I go here (https://www.gtdb.org/dadfsad/chords/b#B-Minor) to check out other chord formations in Open D and see that I need 12 fingers on my left hand to play them.

Let's look at B7 (at the link above), for example. What in the world am I supposed to play? Thanks for entertaining this noob.

Without trying it looks like these maps show all possible notes to form a chord. So you can pick one dot for each string to find the combination that has the most desirable sound or convenient playability.

My favourite tool is the SmartChord app where you can select from many instrument and tuning choices, and it reliably shows all chord options.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by chrisserger

I just tuned my 12-string to Open D (first I've ever done this) to learn "We Just Disagree." (He plays in Open E, I just made it Open D). The tab from Ultimate-Guitar is simple enough to understand the chords (e.g. Badd4 - 707700).

So, I go here (https://www.gtdb.org/dadfsad/chords/b#B-Minor) to check out other chord formations in Open D and see that I need 12 fingers on my left hand to play them.

Let's look at B7 (at the link above), for example. What in the world am I supposed to play? Thanks for entertaining this noob.

That link is showing the chord arpeggios. Very useful!
You just pick whatever combinations of the necessary notes you want, in whatever position.

So, for B7 you need B, D#, F# and A, in some combination (from the arpeggio in 3rd row, second from left). Anyway you can find those 4 notes and play them together, you have a B7 chord. You can double up any of them you like to fill the other two strings, but remember if you only have 4 notes covered (in a position where you can't easily fret additional notes on the other strings) you need to mute or avoid the strings you're not using.

BUT - you say the original is in open E, and you're switching to open D. If there's a B7 in the original, that's going to be A7 in key of D. So you need this page: https://www.gtdb.org/dadfsad/chords/a (same arpeggio, 3rd row, 2nd left)
There's no point playing in key of E if you're in open D tuning. Use capo on 2 if you want the D shapes to sound like E shapes. (The "B7" sound will still be an A7 shape, of course.)

I'll say again - that's a really useful site. You just have to understand what it's giving you: all the ingredients you need to make your own chord shapes! (Provided you know the notes you need - which you really should).

[chrisserger]

Thanks to all of you - very helpful. I'm playing for 20 years, but always a standard tuning, first 5 frets kind of guy (don't need much more for John Prine tunes!). This is a fun new thing for me to work on.

[Pitar]

If you actually see what the charts are illustrating you'll notice that they're typical diads/triads. The chart shows placements on open strings, for reasons unknown, and if you eliminate those placements (see through them) you'll see that actual chord shapes. At first glance it is confounding.