Open chords you normally use at higher fret

[s0cks]

Why not learn how chords are constructed and figure out your own? So many possibilities.

[pjroberts]

Originally Posted by Pitar

I'm constantly looking to create that haunting open-tuning sound while in standard tuning. The triads below are some of the ones I use. These represent chords with an open G string note sounded in each.

G....X 12 O 12 10 X

Em(#5)... X 8 O 10 7 X

Dsus2... X 7 O 7 5 X

C...X 5 O 5 3 X

Csus2...(O) 3 O 5 3 (O) (Walk this down to the Bm shown below, then open D and open G using only the B thru A strings to get the gist of it. I show (playing) the high E on this and the Bm because they are useful color notes and should be suggested)

Bm ... O 3 O 4 2 (O)

Nice collection, but I think your notation is opposite most other's standard (maybe that's the lefty view?). Love that first open G.

[Mischief]

Howdy, this is great info. I would like to start playing around with this too.

Are there any of these that would work really well for old country or Honky Tonk music? Or any ones that could be suggested for such songs.

[tbeltrans]

This is a very good thread. Yes, we can find and build all of those chords on our own. All we need is:

1. Knowledge of where the notes are on the fretboard.
2. Knowledge of how chords are spelled.

However, to get us thinking along the lines of open string chords up the neck, having "seeds" from what others are doing does help to get going. Whenever I read interviews with well known and respected guitar players, they all seem to emphasize "stealing" ideas from one another. Chet Atkins talked about this all the time in interviews and documentaries, for example. Whenever a guitar player talks about his or her influences, that person is essentially saying that s/he heard another player do some particular thing or play in a certain way, and learned how to do that in turn.

So, freely take advantage of the ideas presented in this thread. One advantage of this approach to chords is that you can get into some open tuning type sounds without having to leave standard tuning.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. It definitely brightened my day.

Edit: Here is an excellent resource for open chords up the neck: www.earmonk.com/210-awesome-open-guitar-chords




Tony

[packy]

Having much fun with this thread. Thanks to all!

[amyFB]

Originally Posted by Neilson

Saw many singers playing their guitar at higher fret, not barre chord.

what you guys normally use higher than those 1st to 3rd fret that sounds good? I have been over relying capo, so wanna improve myself with this chord that are at higher fret. .... Thanks.

Neilson,
here is a link to a handout I prepared for a workshop that I lead twice a year.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fiome6imch...sWref.pdf?dl=0

It made a world of difference to me when I learned it, and I've really enjoyed teaching it to others. It's one way to skin the cat of moveable chords. (C-A-G-E-D is another similar system).

the summary of the idea is:
it is possible to play inversions of every chord in three places on the neck.

there are three basic shapes to start with, and each shape has the I, III & V notes , just in different order depending on shape.

these shapes won't use all six strings, just three or four, depending on your goal.

to use this sheet, it is really useful to know the names of the notes on the neck. You can start with knowing just a couple of key notes. the rest will come to you with practice.

I suggest starting with the G chord.
you know how to play the open G.
practice using this shape to substitute in a few places for the open G in the next song you practice.

XXX433 (root is on the high E at third fret)

then practice playing the D shape but up at the 7th fret. That's another G chord. (root is on the 2 string at the 8th fret)

now practice switching between the open G you know and the two new shapes above.

then , using the root note reference for each shape, and your knowledge of the note names on the neck, you can start to see how these chord shapes move around the neck. Before long you'll be mixing up the shapes and flying around the neck like no body's business!

I lead a workshop on this topic twice a year at the Philadelphia FolK Song society retreats - spring thing and fall fling - and we love having new folks join our retreats. here's a link to the upcoming Fall Fling - http://pfs.org/heritage-events/fall-fling/

anyhow, hope the handout is helpful - feel free to PM any questions.

cheers
amyFB

[Wyllys]

Originally Posted by amyFB

there are three basic shapes to start with, and each shape has the I, III & V notes , just in different order depending on shape.

these shapes won't use all six strings, just three or four, depending on your goal.

Yup.

The longer I play, the fewer notes I need to use...

[Dark Eyed Junko]

I'm surprised I don't see people play that C7 form more often. I use it constantly, in every key (of course, just not playing the open first string when it doesn't fit).

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[mattbn73]

I mainly do this kind of thing and E:

Key of E patterns

0 2 1 4 0 0....Eadd9
X 0 2 2 0 0....Asus2
X 0 2 1 0 0....Asus2(Maj 7)
X 0 2 2 0 0....Asus2
2 X 2 2 0 0....F#m11
2 X 2 1 0 0....F#m11(sus2)
2 X 2 2 0 0....F#m11

4 X 2 4 0 0....E/G#
X 0 7 6 0 0....Aadd9
X 0 7 8 0 0....Asus2(#11)
X 0 7 6 0 0....Aadd9

5 X 7 6 0 0....Aadd9(#11)
5 X 7 8 0 0....A6/9
5 X 7 6 0 0....Aadd9(#11)
7 X 9 8 0 0....Badd11
7 X 9 9 0 0....Bsus
7 X 9 8 0 0....Badd11

9 X 7 9 0 0....A2/C# 11.X.9.11.0.0....B(add11)/D#
O 7 9 9 0 0....E5

9 X 9 9 0 0....C#m11
9 X 9 8 0 0....C#m9
9 X 9 9 0 0....C#m11

11.X.9.11.0.0....B(add11)/D#
O 7 9 9 0 0....E5
O 7 9 8 0 0....Emaj7(no 3rd)
O 7 9 9 0 0....E5
11.X.9.11.0.0....B(add11)/D#
12.X.14.13.0.0

10.X.12.11.0.0....D6/9
8 X 10 9 0 0 X....CMaj 7
7 X 9 8 0 0....Badd11
O 7 9 9 0 0....E5

[mc1]

you can take the G chord (with the extra 'd' note) like this, with the bass at the 3rd fret:

e --3--
b --3--
g --0--
d --0--
a --2--
e --3--

and shift it around, like up to the 10th, 8th, or 6th fret.

these chords are used in such cool tunes as yes' wurm and rush's la villa strangiato

[mc1]

lots of great chords come from taking the E barre shape and allowing the open high e and b strings to ring.

e --0--
b --0--
g --3--
d --4--
a --4--
e --2--

this shape can be moved to lots of other frets (leaving the high strings open). alex lifeson made a career out of using them.

[Kerbie]

I think the first song I ever learned a hundred years ago was a friend's version of John Denver's "Leaving On a Jet Plane." It started with an open A, then went to an Am shape in the 3rd fret, then an Am shape in the 5th fret and it sounded great. Years later, when I saw Denver's actual chords, I just kept playing it the way I had learned.

Open chords up the neck can sound fantastic. I agree with Riverwolf, sometimes they're rather haunting with the droning sound of open strings. I also can be intrigued when the highest strings don't have the highest notes in the chords. You can do some interesting things with that, especially playing fingerstyle. Lots of good info in this thread.

[Northward]

Great tread

I sure wish someone would make a summary, chord pics and all.
That PDF will make Xerox-machines world wide get busy on monday..

Thank you all!

NB: Great job amyFB

[pjroberts]

Originally Posted by Northward

Great tread

I sure wish someone would make a summary, chord pics and all.
That PDF will make Xerox-machines world wide get busy on monday..

Thank you all!

NB: Great job amyFB

Why don't you do it? :-)

This is a great thread, even understanding theory I don't just automagically figure this many options out. I loaded all these into a chord sheet in the iOS app Guitar Tools ... see if I can print/export to PDF.

And I will check out Amy's PDF ... thanks!

[stanron]

Here are some two note 'chords' played as 'vertical scales'.
The numbers are degrees of scale. 1 is root, 3 is the third etc. In all of them you play 1 and 3 together, then 2 and 4 then 3 and 5 and so on. There are other ways of using thirds and sixths, explore. Move these patterns up and down the neck for different keys.

    Key of C      Key of G       Key of E
    thirds        sixths	 Compound thirds

             3         1   6     1     
   ╒═╤═╤═╤═╤═╕    ╒═╤═╤═╤═╤═╕    ╒═╤═╤═╤═╤═╕
   │ │ │ │ 1 4    │ │ │ │ │ │    │ │ │ 3 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ │ │    │ │ │ 2 │ 7    2 │ │ 4 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │•│ 2 5    │ │ │•│ │ 1    │ │ │•│ │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ │ │    │ │ │ 3 │ │    3 │ │ 5 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │•│ 3 6    │ │ │•4 │ 2    4 │ │•│ │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ 4 │    │ │ │ │ │ │    │ │ │ 6 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │•│ │ 7    │ │ │•5 │ 3    5 │ │•│ │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ 5 1    │ │ │ │ │ 4    │ │ │ 7 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │•│ │ │    │ │ │•6 │ │    6 │ │•1 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ 6 2    │ │ │ │ │ 5    │ │ │ │ │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │ │ │ │ │    │ │ │ 7 │ │    7 │ │ 2 │ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
   │ │•│ │•7 3    │ │•│ 1•│ 6    1 │•│ │•│ │
   ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤    ├─┼─┼─┼─┼─┤
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