Re: Guitar chord systems redux

reed ( (no email) )
Thu, 15 May 1997 07:46:42 +0100

At 01:30 PM 5/14/97 +0000, you wrote:
>On 13 May 97 at 4:05, reed wrote:
>
>>...
>> Are you really comfortable playing shells, both rooted and rootless?
>>
>> I.e. R 3 7 or 3 7 .
>
>Yup. Thirds and (flat) sevenths form a diagonal chord across the neck
>(except for a jump on the B string), sort of like the augmented triad
>in reverse. Flatting or sharping the thirds and sevenths or adding a
>root to that is easy.
>
>Are there any systems for extending or altering shells?
>
Just apply your knowledge of harmony.

You can add voices on top of the shell for example.

Either one or two notes usually.

Just think about what other notes could go with the chord.

For example, Emi7 -- we already have G D, what's left is
E, B, and maybe F# (9) A (11) and C# 13.

For A7, we have C# and G, what's left is
maybe Bb (b9), B (9), C (#9), D# (#11 or b5), E (5), F (#5), F# (13).

>Do you know of any other guitar chord systems that work? As I continue
>studying the guitar, I find that the more different ways I know how to find a
>chord, the better and smoother my chording is.
>

If you can execute the stuff I've posted already (including past
posts on rootless voicings and drop 2's) you'll be using
a large percentage of most top players vocabulary.

It's a matter of being able to really do these things rather than
just know about them.

Knowing about 10 harmonic systems on the guitar is not as good
as being able to really do one of them.

There are some other areas but I'll wait a while before posting.

reed

Reed Kotler
reed@justjazz.com
http://www.justjazz.com