How many chords is enough?

**Meggy** · 07-31-2011, 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by jtizzle

You can really learn like 2 -3 voicings for each kind of chord, learn where each chord tone is (as in root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, ect), and learn how to alter those. You'll learn more chords that way seeing as how you think before you play it. Good chords to do this with is with the diminished voicing xx5656 or with the 13th voicing xx345x or the 4ths voicing xx4455 (moveable shapes). The reason being is that these exact shapes can be kept the same but can be called about 10 other things. You can also add on to these chords, or modify a note in each chord.
When you get good at this practice altering notes in less alterable chord shapes (majors or minors). I found this cool Major 13th voicing when I simply altered the root on a major 7th voicing, which I also realized can be used as a modal chord (this is coming from the Vic Juris modern chords book).
You can also take the shell voices from a chord and add onto that and figure out voicings by yourself. Also a cool thing to do is use two note voicings that aren't shell voicings. I like playing Major 7ths as just the root and the 7th to get a really cool minor 2nd clash sound, which actually goes along with the harmony. You can also space them out in actual 7ths which eliminates a lot of the clash. It can also work as a 7b9.

Cheers for all these ideas, loads of stuff to think about there, thank you. I do like the sound of the Vic Juris book, think I might get myself a copy!

**brendanmarkhall** · 08-04-2011, 07:25 AM

G C D and Em are enough for 90 percent of the guitar world!

**MortenFaerestrand** · 08-04-2011, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Reg

My rule of thumb is pretty simple... I need to be able to play any note on top of any chord.

Great way of putting it! Practicing playing standards with melody on top of chords teaches you most chord voicing you would ever need.

**Drumbler** · 08-05-2011, 07:35 AM

The answer is 128 chords.

This is how many you need precisely.

**Greg Brouelette** · 08-05-2011, 09:18 AM

Since you have the Ted Greene books play thought the first several pages of the I vi ii V section. You'll find that even Ted uses the same chord voicings over and over. In fact, those page in particular are essentially the same 3 chord progressions repeated for pages with only very slight variations.

When I taught guitar I had a concept which I called "Fake Jazz". I made sure that the student knew a M7, Dom 7 variation (a 9th or 13th) a m7 (usually a 9th) and a m7b5 with a root on the E string and root on the A string. Once they had that they could play 90% of the songs in the Real Book.

Once they can do that then we started working on different voicings and really listening to why those voicing sounded different. Then we start learning things like how a 6th chord sounds as opposed to a Maj7th chord and how they can both be used as a major chord shape. Eventually, by osmosis, you just start moving to the chord that has the right sound for the piece.

It's a recursive learning experience. Learning more chord shapes teaches your ear to hear those new sounds and as you're playing your ear starts to tell you which new sounds it wants to hear.

**brwnhornet59** · 08-05-2011, 11:30 AM

[QUOTE=The answer is 128 chords.
[/QUOTE]

Are you sure it is not 129?

**brwnhornet59** · 08-05-2011, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by brendanmarkhall

G C D and Em are enough for 90 percent of the guitar world!

Sadness. Even Country Music phased that out decades ago.

**Meggy** · 08-05-2011, 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by brendanmarkhall

G C D and Em are enough for 90 percent of the guitar world!

But not me, nor I suspect your good self....

Originally Posted by Drumbler

The answer is 128 chords.

This is how many you need precisely.

Yes, but which 128?

Originally Posted by Greg Brouelette

Since you have the Ted Greene books play thought the first several pages of the I vi ii V section. You'll find that even Ted uses the same chord voicings over and over. In fact, those page in particular are essentially the same 3 chord progressions repeated for pages with only very slight variations.

When I taught guitar I had a concept which I called "Fake Jazz". I made sure that the student knew a M7, Dom 7 variation (a 9th or 13th) a m7 (usually a 9th) and a m7b5 with a root on the E string and root on the A string. Once they had that they could play 90% of the songs in the Real Book.

Once they can do that then we started working on different voicings and really listening to why those voicing sounded different. Then we start learning things like how a 6th chord sounds as opposed to a Maj7th chord and how they can both be used as a major chord shape. Eventually, by osmosis, you just start moving to the chord that has the right sound for the piece.

It's a recursive learning experience. Learning more chord shapes teaches your ear to hear those new sounds and as you're playing your ear starts to tell you which new sounds it wants to hear.

Nice answer, thanks for the ideas, and also for your way of looking at Ted Greene's book - anything that makes Ted Greene seem more manageable has to be a good thing!

Originally Posted by brwnhornet59

Are you sure it is not 129?

Let's not get too advanced here - I'll wait til I've got the 128 down before entertaining such thoughts!

**brwnhornet59** · 08-05-2011, 01:12 PM

Meggy, Ted, like Lenny Breau, used a lot of voicing's that were based on 3rd and 7th. Isolate those key note's and play your Bass line accordingly. All of the sudden these easy triads become very powerful. Just a thought.

**Drumbler** · 08-05-2011, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by brwnhornet59

Are you sure it is not 129?

I have no doubt. Follow me!

**Drumbler** · 08-05-2011, 06:01 PM

Originally Posted by brendanmarkhall

G C D and Em are enough for 90 percent of the guitar world!

It works for Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers!

**markfly** · 08-08-2011, 06:08 AM

thanks much to everyone who contributed to that thorough explanation. i certainly am no longer confused

**Bloomworks** · 08-14-2012, 06:08 PM

I wrote a cool book called "21st Century Chords For Guitar". You can download 4 free pages at my website: bloomworks.com (click on "21st Century Chords" at the top of the web page). In addition you can buy a PDF copy or a hard copy as well. Check it out! There's a lot of ideas in there.

**brwnhornet59** · 08-14-2012, 06:23 PM

It would have been nice to add something to the conversation besides a link to a book you are selling...

**Bloomworks** · 08-14-2012, 08:13 PM

Yes, you are right, but I would very much like everyone's opinion about the stuff, is it useful? And all that. Difficult to say anything unless people have looked at the free pages.

However, I will say that I have incorporated a number of ideas in one volume. 12 tone structures, Standard Voicings in all configurations up and down the neck, unusual inversions of standard voicings using 12-tone concepts as well. It's definitely helped me to find new chords, hopefully it can help some of you out there as well!

**paulkogut** · 08-15-2012, 04:19 AM

How many chords are enough? This is obviously a question one can only answer for themselves. I guess taking a look at your heroes and your ambitions would be a good start, then go from there.

It's worth it to keep in mind that 'knowing' chords is just one piece of the puzzle. There's a bassist here in Chicago that's played with all the piano players ever (Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Cedar Walton, Jim McNeeley, Garry Dial) and toured with Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell. He maintains that he's taken his best solos with Herb Ellis comping for him, because Herb's swing feel and concept of when to leave space was so strong. Arguably, Herb knew the 'least' amount of chords of any of these guys………………

**jazzuki** · 08-15-2012, 11:08 AM

As Reg pointed out-its not how many chords/inversions we know but what we do with them that counts.After all we took up the guitar to play music and not to be to slaves to endless scales/modes.Joe Pass had it right"learn tunes".