How to practice chords in general?

[franco6719]

Alright, let's get right down to it. I want to learn as many chord forms and as fluently as this fellow here, a former guitar instructor of mine. But I have never really figured out how the heck you would go about doing this. If I get stuck on some difficult fingering for example, I usually say "I won't really need that" and I got through pretty well to certain level, since I was always focusing on single-note playing. Basic question then, how the heck do you practice chords to reach this kind of level?


http://vimeo.com/3920137

[Drumbler]

I think it's best to learn chords in a context of a song.

So learn a lot of songs.

Learn inversions of major, minor, dominant chords in all keys.

I can't see the point in learning a whole bunch of chords you'll never use.

To get really good at chords you need to play chords a lot. You need to learn how to build chords. You need to know the notes in a chord and their function (1st, third, 5th, etc.).

It takes time and effort.

[fep]

Check out this CAGED chord series, perhaps this will help...

BTstudent8024's Documents | Scribd

[cutnstuf]

There is no short cut to this, but there are a few things you can do to lessen the learning curve. Look for commonalities between chords. In other words, are there any common fingerings between the chords in question. A simple example would be for instance, Am to C. In this case , the first and second fingers remain in the same place, no need for them to move. Of course not all changes will have commonalities. In this case you need to study to shapes involved and try to figure out the simplest way to get from point A to point B, and practice the change repetitivley doing it the same way every time, until you develop muscle memory for the change.

Cut

[Kochavi]

I have two practice methods for practicing chords:

1. Play the changes of a tune, and play the chord in a different inversion every beat. Practice on doing this in time. This is hard at first, but really helpful.

2. Play a tune with a simple melody, and play the harmony while keeping the melody on top at all times, which will force you to use the right inversion. Also very helpful.

[wizard3739]

I think the best approach is to play a lot of different songs (maybe from the Real Books) but I also think the Mickey Baker books offer a really good method for practising chords in a thorough, structured method.

wiz

[cosmic gumbo]

Learn how to construct chords, so you can figure out fingerings that will work for you regardless of where you are on the neck. Realizing that the root can be discarded whenever it isn't a convenient note to finger will really open up chord possibilities. Often the perfect fifth isn't needed either. Learn all the possible names that any one chord fingering could have. This alone will vastly multiply your chord vocab, when you realize that the chords you know already have many names. One of my favorite three note chord fingerings is shaped like this, and can be used all over the neck. In this position it would be the notes F, A, D.

x x 3 2 3 x

This one fingering might be used for the following chords:
Dm
BbMa7
F6
G9
Bm7b5
etc....

Once you can wrap your head around this, you're chord vocab begins to expand exponentially.

[Sailor]

I spent FOREVER learning every chord I could....ridiculous waste of time, although educational. My teacher recently had me bringing it all back to simple chords over changes, three note, kinda Freddy stuff. I think you should know this cold before adding all the extensions which you probably won't play anyway.

I also only learn chords in context, as mentioned above, and only from deriving from another chord, ie...Maj7, 7, min7, etc....NO MORE chord charts for me...I'll figure out the notes in relation to music.

Sailor

[franco6719]

Thanks for the replies. I think what I'm trying to think of is something systematic and almost ritualistic along the lines Kochavi has mentioned..


1. Play the changes of a tune, and play the chord in a different inversion every beat. Practice on doing this in time. This is hard at first, but really helpful.

2. Play a tune with a simple melody, and play the harmony while keeping the melody on top at all times, which will force you to use the right inversion. Also very helpful.

Something like this will have to be built into my practice routine I think to get chords to come instantly and more easily while playing tunes, etc..

[JohnW400]

Originally Posted by franco6719

Thanks for the replies. I think what I'm trying to think of is something systematic and almost ritualistic along the lines Kochavi has mentioned..


1. Play the changes of a tune, and play the chord in a different inversion every beat. Practice on doing this in time. This is hard at first, but really helpful.

2. Play a tune with a simple melody, and play the harmony while keeping the melody on top at all times, which will force you to use the right inversion. Also very helpful.

Something like this will have to be built into my practice routine I think to get chords to come instantly and more easily while playing tunes, etc..

Those are excellent ways. But remember to start closest to the nut and work your way up and to keep the inversion on the same set of strings. (6432, 1234 etc)

Another is to just do simple 251 using all the inversions but keeping the voicings close to each other.

ex. Dmi G7 Cma7, closest to the nut on strings 6432

AFCD
GFBD
GEBC

note the common tones

next

CADF
BGDF
BGCE

DCFA
DBFG
CBEG

FDAC
FDGB
ECGB

[bass2man]

Lots of good advice. I went throught the learn chords in four positions, drop-2, drop-3 chords, etc phase..did not really stick for me until I learned some tunes...

My chord knowledge really took off when I started to learn some chord melody stuff....melody on top/harmony underneath...it helped me learn that sometimes, just a bass note, melody note and a 3rd or 7th is all you need to present the harmony...it also helped on figuring out subs for chords depending on how you want the root movement to sound..e.g. maybe an Emin9 for a Cmaj7 with an F# melody note (iii for I sub)..

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by bass2man

My chord knowledge really took off when I started to learn some chord melody stuff....melody on top/harmony underneath...

+ a bunch.

[Reg]

You need to be able to voice any note with chord or harmonic area below, on top or between. So you need a understanding of complete harmonic areas, all the notes, not just traids and 7th chords, and be aware that there are usually a few choices of harmonic areas. The better you are on your fretboard the more choices you'll have to play what you hear. Those are pretty standard skills and just take time, on your guitar and for the theoretical understanding usually involves writing out the material.
The next part of solo guitar is building a collection of tricks for different accompaniments of melody. This would be standard bass lines and chords for all the typical chord patterns; II V I, I VI II V , III VI II V, etc... maj., min. dom. etc.. This would include all the subVs and standard re-harmonizations that you will become aware of through, playing through standards and theory. There are many standard line cliches that take the place of chordal accompaniment, and quite a few standard counter lines that our ears automatically hear the changes when played. All these techniques become like remembering a chord, which leads to the final skill... Sight reading. If you have to memorize every tune you play... you might get it together when your a old person...if you don't loose your memory. You can start playing tunes as soon as you start to build your repertoire of materials. I play gigs with this style at least once every other week and usually every week. I never memorize tunes, well I know a million standards, but every time I play the tune it's different, that's part of jazz... improvisation. After you get the skill part together... you sight read tunes as solo guitar. I saw Joe Pass many times and he was a master at this style of playing. Good Luck Reg

[Reg]

Originally Posted by fep

Check out this CAGED chord series, perhaps this will help...

BTstudent8024's Documents | Scribd

Hey Frank... how goes.
Nice job of putting BT's lesson material together... I have never heard his playing, from his lesson material he appears somewhat traditional. Does he move on to the next level of jazz chordal playing.( not so chord tone orientated) if so I would dig seeing material. His methods of organization are cool. Looks like he was incredible teacher. Best Reg

[FatJeff]

Originally Posted by franco6719

John Baboian on Vimeo

Watch his right hand at 1:24. Sneaky pick hider!

[DennisW]

Where'd the pick go?

[FatJeff]

You keep it above the second knuckle between the index and middle fingers. I've seen Jimmy Bruno do this. Or you could just keep it in your mouth like John Pizarelli (see 0:33):

YouTube - John Pizzarelli - I Got Rhythm

[derek]

I try to work new words into my vocabulary. I get a bit bored with the dumbed down communication that seems to be spawned by texting and other short cuts. I get a word, and work it in as many times as I can for a couple of days or so. Seems to work.

I like new chords. I get a bit bored with my same old collection, and am always looking for new colors for the pallette. As pointed out above, get a new chord, work it into every song I can for a few days, and seem to be able to pick it up. Good luck with it.

[Goofsus4]

Just echoing a lot of others here, but for me the biggest help with learning chords was as Cosmic first mentioned - learning chord contruction theory, then the next big thing was chord melody arranging. After I really started getting into chord melody, I realized that it started getting really easy for me to visualize multiple options for voicings all over the neck.

Also, another big thing that has helped me is just experimentation. Every time I make a chord voicing, I will usually try to barre an adjacent string, or stretch out to pick up another note and bring it into the mix to see how it sounds. Or I'll leave a string open and see how that changes it. I've come across some really cool voicings that way. If I like it, I analyze what it is, then I put it in the tool box.

[franco6719]

Originally Posted by derek

I try to work new words into my vocabulary. I get a bit bored with the dumbed down communication that seems to be spawned by texting and other short cuts. I get a word, and work it in as many times as I can for a couple of days or so. Seems to work.

Good point and excellent analogy. I remember going through a period when I was learning Italian as a second language and I would do just what you described: find some new word or phrase that struck my as useful or colorful, look it up and then almost force myself to use it even if it seemed silly or artificial the first few times.

As pointed out above, get a new chord, work it into every song I can for a few days, and seem to be able to pick it up. Good luck with it.[/quote]

I have to continue more in this direction and away from the rote memorization thing, I think.

[derek]

Originally Posted by franco6719

Good point and excellent analogy. I remember going through a period when I was learning Italian as a second language and I would do just what you described: find some new word or phrase that struck my as useful or colorful, look it up and then almost force myself to use it even if it seemed silly or artificial the first few times.

As pointed out above, get a new chord, work it into every song I can for a few days, and seem to be able to pick it up. Good luck with it.

I have to continue more in this direction and away from the rote memorization thing, I think.[/quote]

Well, we all have to start somewhere, but learning new words/chords without context just seems to not stick in my brain as well. Since you are well past beginner stages, you know what works for you. I have a handful of old classic rock tunes (Louie Louie, Take It Easy, etc.) that I have laying around for beginner students to mess with when they are first learning open chords. Seems they pick it up faster with tunes. The older I get, and further (not that far) I get into music, the less I want to work on stuff that isn't immediately usable in a tune.

[SteveCarter]

Yes, John Baboian, the guitarist in the video, is a great guitarist. I got to know him well when I was teaching at Berklee, and I go out to hear him play when I can.

Like everyone who went to Berklee, at least in the early days, John played all the chord etudes and exercises in Bill Leavitt's Modern Method books, as did I. A lot of my students had a hard time getting into the Leavitt etudes, so I wrote a lot of chord exercises for my students, and they seemed to enjoy them and learn from them. I've posted most of them on my site. You might find them helpful. (See the sections on Comping, Chord-melody, the duets.) I also have some analysis and discussion of Leavitt's chord etudes, which might help to motivate you to work on them.

Steve

http://frogstoryrecords.com/

Originally Posted by franco6719

Alright, let's get right down to it. I want to learn as many chord forms and as fluently as this fellow here, a former guitar instructor of mine. But I have never really figured out how the heck you would go about doing this. If I get stuck on some difficult fingering for example, I usually say "I won't really need that" and I got through pretty well to certain level, since I was always focusing on single-note playing. Basic question then, how the heck do you practice chords to reach this kind of level?


John Baboian on Vimeo