The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I've been practicing drop II chords all over the neck for sometime now and slowly getting better at voice leading with them. I know that the general view is chords on the E A D G can get really muddy, particularly with voicings like these but i really quite like the sound. They sound really sonorous to me, particularly on a nylon guitar, or on a really bright clean telecaster

    I largely play alone so i guess that makes quite a difference, rather than getting in the way of another rhythm section.

    Am I a heathen? tone deaf? or does anyone else think they sound cool? are there any players that use them extensively?

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2
    for example

    Gm - Em7b5 - Am7b5 - D7


    3 5 3 3 x x
    3 5 2 3 x x
    3 3 1 2 x x
    2 3 1 2 x x

  4. #3

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    A bass flute has an absolutely gorgeous sound but within many orchestration scenarios it has very limited ability
    to project through the mix.

    I agree, chords on our low strings are beautiful. While muddy textures are a sonic fact of life, don't stop playing them
    now because of what might happen in the future.

  5. #4

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    It's pretty common in gypsy jazz.

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Littlemark
    It's pretty common in gypsy jazz.
    yeah i was thinking that as i posted actually, i know they like fat 6 string chords too . i love django, but im not a huge fan of gypsy jazz (bar a couple of players)

  7. #6

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    Explore the whole instrument.

    Bottom 4 strings are a wondrous place.

  8. #7

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    Yes.

    i also like 5 6 5 x x x

  9. #8

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    Mud Mud .... glorious Mud
    Nothing quite like it .... for cooling the blood

    Yes I love them too

    323xxx
    331xxx

  10. #9

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    I love the gentle, sonorous throbbing of an ever-so-slightly wobbly chord. A teensy bit of wiggle-stick is sometimes nice as well. A tasteful reverb would not be out of place either.

  11. #10
    ha awesome, seems im not alone then! i'll continue on my merry way

  12. #11

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    Of course you're not alone, heathens are everywhere.
    Seriously though, no one could answer your question honestly without hearing exactly what you are hearing. If your guitar has the clarity to play particular voicings and they sound good to you, go forth and play them. I'd be interested to know if you have the opportunity to play different guitars and have come across instruments that would cause you to avoid some of those voicings?

  13. #12

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    Kurt made a thing of them of course:



    but of grit and you can make major seventh chords rock ...

  14. #13

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    I like using this muddy form in turn arounds:

    C6 3322

    Eb6 6655 (sub for A7)

    D6 5544 (sub for D7)

    Db6 4433 (sub for G7)

    It really growls when playing gypsy jazz. Robin Nolan uses these quite a bit.

  15. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    Kurt made a thing of them of course:



    but of grit and you can make major seventh chords rock ...
    that was cool. reminds me a bit of a contemporary approach to barney kessels gypsy in my soul

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by whiskey02
    Of course you're not alone, heathens are everywhere.
    Seriously though, no one could answer your question honestly without hearing exactly what you are hearing. If your guitar has the clarity to play particular voicings and they sound good to you, go forth and play them. I'd be interested to know if you have the opportunity to play different guitars and have come across instruments that would cause you to avoid some of those voicings?
    i dont have access to many guitars unfortunately, ive only been playing a tele and a cheap(ish) nylon accoustic the last few months. not sure how they'd sound on my sheraton or more of a jazz box

  17. #16

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    That's funny that you should post this...

    I was just screwing around with...

    4655xx
    4635xx

    6466xx
    6456xx

    under "The Summer Wind"...it's like a finger dance with two anchored.

  18. #17

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    yea...and i like his singin too...hah

    does anybody else like deliberately muddy chords?-80605_9qunjh1ik7m1v96i_40485-jpg

    cheers

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by basinstreet
    that was cool. reminds me a bit of a contemporary approach to barney kessels gypsy in my soul
    I hear a lot of Barney in Kurt actually. Seriously... check out his album reflections.

    He's a strummer. I like that in a guitar player.

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by christianm77
    I hear a lot of Barney in Kurt actually. Seriously... check out his album reflections.

    He's a strummer. I like that in a guitar player.
    Ive not listened to much of kurt at all to be honest, lots of kessel though. will have a go, cheers

  21. #20

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    Kind of like asking if anyone likes being a human because of their feet. Who doesn't love the mud...

  22. #21

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    When i play with Derek Bailey i normally put on thick gardening gloves for the muddy sounds, remove the 5 string and tune 6th down to Bb.

  23. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by marvinvv
    When i play with Derek Bailey i normally put on thick gardening gloves for the muddy sounds, remove the 5 string and tune 6th down to Bb.
    LOL...
    ... just in case some aren't aware of DB.... not to be mixed up with Dutch

    And maybe even a little of the other side... mid JC

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by basinstreet
    Ive not listened to much of kurt at all to be honest, lots of kessel though. will have a go, cheers
    bear in mind I’m a weirdo who hears music wrong

  25. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reg
    Kind of like asking if anyone likes being a human because of their feet. Who doesn't love the mud...
    mud and cowbells ... yeah baby !