Who else plays a first position D chord with an F# in the bass?

[51 Relic]

Oh yes [emoji6]

[DrJamie]

I appreciate your responses. Most interesting is the "unstable" description. I will say, it won't be a frequent voicing. Just funny I never thought of putting the 3rd in the bass. I do not use the drop D when I play, so the F# allows a use of the 6th string. I'll have to listen to some of the ragtime you are referring to.

[mustachio]

Originally Posted by DrJamie

I like this voicing.

Depends on the song. Usually it’s a transition note. But if F# is the lowest note in the chord, it’s technically not a D maj chord but an inversion and not always appropriate.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by DrJamie

I appreciate your responses. Most interesting is the "unstable" description. I will say, it won't be a frequent voicing. Just funny I never thought of putting the 3rd in the bass. I do not use the drop D when I play, so the F# allows a use of the 6th string. I'll have to listen to some of the ragtime you are referring to.

Hi DrJ

So does the fingering allow the 6th string to be used…
5-5-4-m-3-m (m=Mute) (D/A chord)

It's the C/G chord slid up two frets and you mute two strings with the pads of the 2nd and 1st fingers to avoid unpleasant notes (nobody has to play every string for every chord) It's actually a pretty easy technique to master (my beginner guitar students got it as only one element in a basic lesson). It's like letting the middle and ring fretting fingers be a little lazy and lean back just till they mute the notes.

3-3-2-0-1-0 (C/G can be a great chunky strumming chord) and the D/A is a good match for it.

[Mbroady]

Walk up, walk down, sometimes no, sometimes yes. Playing the F # with a drop D gives a cool walk all the way up from, or down to D

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by DrJamie

I appreciate your responses. Most interesting is the "unstable" description. I will say, it won't be a frequent voicing. Just funny I never thought of putting the 3rd in the bass. I do not use the drop D when I play, so the F# allows a use of the 6th string. I'll have to listen to some of the ragtime you are referring to.

In my experience, that kind of use could occur in a blues in A.
I know I've used it in rock music in that way, especially following the E chord. The F# tends to be arrived at by coming up from E via F. It might then go all the way chromatically up to A.
The F# bass is used on the D chord in this (0:31 and similar points in later verses):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91u_0PccY4c
It's also there in the earlier D chord, but more briefly, as the bass goes down A-G-F#.

I.e., this is different from the more common use, as a passing chord in key of G or Em.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by DrJamie

I like this voicing.

I think the chord sounds incomplete without it. It would be like an open G chord without the low G note on the E string.

[rmoretti49]

Originally Posted by Pitar

I think the chord sounds incomplete without it. It would be like an open G chord without the low G note on the E string.

I use it quite a bit. Adds depth to the chord. Even though it isn't the root, still sounds good when picked as the bass note (and alternated with the open 4th string D).

[Earwitness]

I play with fingers only, no pick. I very often play a : 2 x x 2 3 x as a D chord , usually coming from somewhere and going somewhere. Lots of places to go from there.

[kathyson]

All the time.

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by DrJamie

I like this voicing.

Me too. Especially if the song has a chromatic walk down in the bass line. Was playing Coming Into Los Angeles, Arlo Guthrie recently. It does that on the first line of each verse. Am Am7/G D/F# F

The D/F# figures a lot on the 12 string when playing Magic Power, Triumph

[rwhitney]

Good in a descending progression, as in "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Ami - Ami/G - D/F# - F);
or ascending to G. More interesting than root position in such cases.

[reeve21]

I'm not much for strumming it, but use it like others in a descending bass line. A couple of tunes come to mind, the same progression--The Weight (when played in G) and My City of Ruins by Springsteen.