Chords/Inversions/ Drop 2 - Roadblock

[Badge]

I wonder if someone who has been down this road can point me in the right direction please.

I have cemented in my head/hands the root string 6,5 and 4 basic chords (maj 7, min 7, m7b5, dom 7) and know my way around well enough now to construct alts and the other common chords from those starting positions and the relativities/intervals of the notes on the fretboard. I can see the end in sight in this regard.

I now want to take the leap to inversions and drop 2s - mostly to have more options at my fingertips for chord melody. But also to keep joining the dots in my knowledge of the fretboard. One day I hope to achieve this!

Frankly, I am overwhelmed by how much I have to (want to) learn and don't know where to start. There are the inversions of what I know. These inversions then need to be learned across the different strings. Then there are the drop2 chords and their inversions. Then these need to be learned over the different strings. Then you need to be so familiar with all of these options that you can just retrieve one from your memory bank and play it on demand...

Can someone please tell me a logical way to put together these building blocks? Should I now focus on inversions (which one - first, second, third)... or drop 2s (which inversions - are some better in practice than others?)... or what? What would you do next?

Thank you!

[JohnW400]

Theres a lot of information here as this SCRIBD site. It's a good starting point. The part about chords starts on page 39

The Harry Leahey Chord Method

[max_power]

Start slow. Don't try to do everything at once. For example, start with JUST drop 2s, and start with playing them on JUST the middle 4 strings. If you try do everything at once you'll shit yourself. Learn the shapes, and then try doing three things:

1) Play each chord shape up and down the neck. For example, if you have 4 inversions for a Cmaj7 chord, play the lowest voicing, then the next highest, then the next, and then the highest voicing. Now play them descending. Try to make the transitions as fluent as possible.

2) Practice playing 2-5-1s using your new chord shapes. You want to really drill these into your fingers, since they come up the most often. Make sure to use good voice leading, i.e. make sure the chords connect well. Do this with all chord inversions, in all positions, in every key. Also practice minor 2-5-1s.

3) Practice playing through tunes using your new chord shapes. Start with tunes you have memorized, and when you've got those down start looking at sight reading tunes using the new chord shapes. Do this with all chord inversions, in all positions.

With hard work, you'll be surprised at how quickly this stuff comes. Good luck.

[23skidoo]

John- Great link, many thanks......

[SteveCarter]

Originally Posted by Badge

I wonder if someone who has been down this road can point me in the right direction please.

I have cemented in my head/hands the root string 6,5 and 4 basic chords (maj 7, min 7, m7b5, dom 7) and know my way around well enough now to construct alts and the other common chords from those starting positions and the relativities/intervals of the notes on the fretboard. I can see the end in sight in this regard.

I now want to take the leap to inversions and drop 2s - mostly to have more options at my fingertips for chord melody. But also to keep joining the dots in my knowledge of the fretboard. One day I hope to achieve this!

Frankly, I am overwhelmed by how much I have to (want to) learn and don't know where to start. There are the inversions of what I know. These inversions then need to be learned across the different strings. Then there are the drop2 chords and their inversions. Then these need to be learned over the different strings. Then you need to be so familiar with all of these options that you can just retrieve one from your memory bank and play it on demand...

Can someone please tell me a logical way to put together these building blocks? Should I now focus on inversions (which one - first, second, third)... or drop 2s (which inversions - are some better in practice than others?)... or what? What would you do next?

Thank you!

In addition to practicing inversions up and down the neck, find some examples of these applied to tunes. I have a few examples available on my site.

Steve

[max_power]

Originally Posted by JohnW400

Theres a lot of information here as this SCRIBD site. It's a good starting point. The part about chords starts on page 39

The Harry Leahey Chord Method

All of the chords presented here are drop 2s (the chords on the 4 adjacent strings) and drop 3s (the chords with a skip between the lowest and second lowest note).

[JohnW400]

Originally Posted by 23skidoo

John- Great link, many thanks......

Your welcome. Harry did a nice solo version of Nuages which you can find on the Phil Woods CD "Song for Sysiphus" or "Summers Night Jazz".

[esherman93]

for drop-2, check out Randy Vincent's book Jazz Guitar Voicings - Vol.1: The Drop 2 Book by Randy Vincent | Sher Music Co.

[JohnW400]

Originally Posted by max_power

All of the chords presented here are drop 2s (the chords on the 4 adjacent strings) and drop 3s (the chords with a skip between the lowest and second lowest note).

Yes.

It doesn't have the other common and not so common voicings in this thesis.

6532 / 5421 (1537)
6542 / 5431 (1375)
6521 / (1 skip oct 357)
6321 (15 skip oct 73)

nor the close voiced 1357 3571 etc or the wide voiced 1753


But it's a good place for people to get an idea of how chords work

[andyhoey1]

I know there are books for the Drop 2 voicing s, but are there any books available for the Drop 3 voicings? I can't seem to find one.
Thanks,
Andy