"The first three frets is where all the money is made"

[KevWind]

What money ?? just kidin'

I think it is fair to say since the advent of radio that many if not most of the popular songs (not genre but most listened to) are fairly simple 3-4 chord songs that can be played first position

[rmp]

"then God made capos"

[Bob Womack]

Well, I suppose that I should mention that I don't make money in just the first five frets, either. My clients often want arrangements with inversions and leads to fill the darkness.

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HOME GEAR TEST

Bob

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by rmp

"then God made capos"

and it was good


Capo 9

[Bluenose]

Originally Posted by rmp

"then God made capos"

When I put a capo on a guitar, rightly on wrongly, I think of it as the nut of the instrument so my assumption was that the topic was more about the playing position on the guitar rather than what is the actual key the song is being played in.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

Yes!

I'm working on writing chords and melodies all up the fret board but always seem to come back to the open chords and notes in the first three frets. I just love the sound of an open chord combined with a melodies and riffs vs. some versions higher up on the fret board.

Yes I know the lesson is very basic but I love that quote!

Thoughts?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MGS6_1mI0Q

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I think the quote you are looking for is, "There's no money above the fifth fret." It comes from the most recorded guitarist in history, Tommy Tedesco. Tommy was an L.A. and Hollywood studio guitarist from the fifties to the nineties and played on lots of TV and movie scores from the period. He was also a contributor to Guitar Player Magazine.

There is good reason to believe that Tommy was speaking with his tongue firmly in his cheek (possessing a famous, wicked wit, he so did often) but Tommy made his money on sight-reading scores and playing rhythm guitar.

Bob

I had never heard the quote by the OP but I have heard this quote before a number of times. I think one can find a lot of value in those open chords close to the nut but just staying there a lot of fretboard real estate is wasted.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Well, I suppose that I should mention that I don't make money in just the first five frets, either. My clients often want arrangements with inversions and leads to fill the darkness.

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HOME GEAR TEST

Bob

leads to fill the darkness. Should be a song title or a group name

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I have to add my cynic take here. At times I see guitarists play up the neck and I don't hear the benefit or the reason to play there rather than to play it by the nut. I'm sure they hear the benefit, but at times it seems like it's done for the visual.

Hi Mr. J
I'll list a few benefits for me when playing in ensemble/band situations.

• RANGE - I often play the same chord(s) in different inversions (not in reach limited to fret 4 on the high 'e' string)a third, fifth or even octave higher than the other guitarist to avoid doubling the other guitarists I share stages with.
• More complex solo work is more feasible when doing solos that mix leads and chords without making impossible/improbable leaps from end to end on the fingerboard to accomplish them.
• More Convenient Fingerings, and more fluid play.
• The differences in the tone of chords/triads/parallel 3rds or 6ths when voiced high on the neck versus in open positions, or within the first 5 frets.
• The ability to play simpler fingerings of complex chords voiced up the fingerboard (not open chords, but 3 to 5 note inversions and chords). Sometimes 'jazz' chords which are finger twisters in the first 4 frets can be played with quite simple fingerings up the fingerboard.

I do not have issues with players who confine their play to the first 5 frets.

But to claim that the first 4 frets include ⅔ of the range of a guitar leaves out ⅓ of the potential total range and a good deal of performance power of the rest of the range of a guitar. In what world would we confine ourselves to ⅔ of our potential and encourage everyone to do so? I actually wish most guitar fingerboards had 2 more frets so I could play the 'D' two octaves above 2nd string-third fret without switching to a plucked harmonic (for a couple of fingerstyle pieces I've done for over 30 years).

Glad I do not live in a world without guitar stylings by virtuoso players (jazz, rock or otherwise styled) who hang out midway up the neck or even higher.

And even first-fivers (my made up name for the sake of this conversation) often use capos to regain some of the high ground.

To me there is nothing virtuous about limiting one's self, nor a reason to disdain players who do. And there is nothing mandatory about playing full range, nor reason to criticize those who do.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

I have to add my cynic take here. At times I see guitarists play up the neck and I don't hear the benefit or the reason to play there rather than to play it by the nut. I'm sure they hear the benefit, but at times it seems like it's done for the visual.

For me it is mostly about voicing and my teacher has been big about voicings. Just a couple examples. Sentimental Journey in the key of A has a D7 in it. If you play the open D7 it sounds a little harsh but if you move an open C7 up to the fifth fret it gives the D7 a soft dreamy voice to it that goes with the song better. I've started using that particular D7 in a lot or songs that need a little softer one.

If you move that C7 up to the 7th you get an alternate E7 that sounds nice with a barred A7 at the fifth and a barred B7 at the seventh, all close right there with each other that you can play around with in a twelve bar blues to give it a change in flavor if you want. For me flavors is what it is all about and that's the benefits and the reason for me.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rmp

"then God made capos"

Right! Which just moved those first 3 frets higher up!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Bluenose

When I put a capo on a guitar, rightly on wrongly, I think of it as the nut of the instrument so my assumption was that the topic was more about the playing position on the guitar rather than what is the actual key the song is being played in.

Very fair assumption!

Putting the capo on turns the guitar into a tranposing instrument. E.g., with a capo on 3, you think the same way an alto sax player thinks. You play what you think of as a "C" chord, and what comes out is an E flat. So when we write chords or notes for a guitar with a capo, we pretend the capo fret is zero. We don't have to know what concert key we are in (unless we are playing with other musicians...), we just have to know the shapes we need.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by KevWind

and it was good
Capo 9

Ha! Fret 9 is nothing! Get a load of Radiohead's Ed O'Brien with a capo on fret 15...

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Ha! Fret 9 is nothing! Get a load of Radiohead's Ed O'Brien with a capo on fret 15...

Yikes !! way more dexterity than me I can't even 9 very clean

[Robin, Wales]

I have an idea that the context of the quote has been somewhat missed here.

I expect the "There's no money above the fifth fret." quote by Tommy Tedesco was ironic. The irony being that it doesn't matter how good a session guitarist you are if some good looking young guy or girl steps up to the mic with a few cowboy chords and a killer voice, then that's where the music business money goes. No one remembers the session guitarist,just the singer and the song.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

I actually wish most guitar fingerboards had 2 more frets so I could play the 'D' two octaves above 2nd string-second fret without switching to a plucked harmonic (for a couple of fingerstyle pieces I've done for over 30 years).

Don't you mean 2nd string-third fret?
Interesting that you mention that because I do have an acoustic/electric nylon stringer that has 22 frets, so effectively the last note at the upper range is indeed that 2 octave D that I believe you were referring to.