Hi all,
Amongst other things, I play rhythm guitar and was wondering if anyone can suggest away to successfully figure out chords to session tunes on the spot. The chords are hard to find online and in a session you simply don't have the time to figure out the chords, so any suggestions as to what to do?
Get with a melody player and start learning the tunes and working out the backup. You can't play backup to a tune you don't know. As you get better, you learn the tunes quicker and, just like melody players, you are able to pick them up at sessions. Untill you have a swag of tunes you know, you won't have much channce to pick them up on the fly.
A lot of players who come into trad from a ballad or popular music background are used to having set, or accepted chords for the songs they play. This simply isn't the case for trad.
As someone who came from this background, I have to agree with thedon. But a whistle and learn the tunes on that or, better still, learn them on the guitar. Don't go down the 1-4-5-1 route. This gives guitar players a bad name. Good luck!
Listen to others
Listen to recordings
Learn the tunes - as many as you can; banjo will do fine
Try playing along with recordings that have guitar accompaniment and work out what the guitarist is doing.
Get recordings of tunes with no accompaniment and experiment where you won't upset anyone.
When you have got started on this journey then find a mentor/teacher who can give you a few pointers for where you are having problems.
Listen a lot.
Thick sensitive skin is a big help
Good luck
Practice to CDs or session recordings at home. The 1-4-5 is a helpful skeleton of the keys in the beginning, but break out of that mold ASAP... you have to learn the tunes as was mentioned. You don't need to know how to play them on another instrument, though it is helpful, but you do need to immerse yourself so deeply that you start carrying around a zillion tunes in your head. That and getting familiar with the fingerboard, and what notes live where or what sounds live where if you play by ear is the key. And I don't mean learning all possible chords all over, but notes too.
practicing home alone, you can try anything. I do a lot of noting, as a fingerstyle player, a lot more than chording. Knowing the tune, you can pull a lot of notes rather than just chord strumming. Start simple and expand on it. Don't say I need to sound like John Doyle by next week. Set smaller goals, you'll be happier!
The most important part of being able to play guitar in a session is being able to equate the melody of the tune to the chords that go with it, and to know what a tune's going to do before it does it (i.e. there's no use being able to react to a chord change, you have to know it's coming).
It's useful to know what the chord intervals sound like, it's useful to have a rough idea about probable chord progressions given a certain mode. Knowing your chord scales is important too, understanding intervals and knowing how to construct chords comes in too.
It's best to try to develope these skills subconciously - practice improvising chords is important and making guitar parts on paper work really well.
Cutting out the brain... as in you sure don't have time to logically think about what's coming next. Good point Andy.
Practice until you don't need to think about it anymore.
Get a CD with no accompaniment. Most tunes are in G or D, and you'll probably figure out what else can go in there as long as you land on key at beat one. Or tune dadgad and use only one finger and a capo. That's what most guitarists do at sessions.
Farr,... I see hardly any DADGADs at session here in NJ. In fact can't think of any at all. Most play standard, or dropped D for the sessions. Maybe it's a regional difference? Personally for backing I use dropped D. Do you think learning the basics in standard is a good background for going into DADGAD or Dropped D? I think it may be, just curious if some just learn in DADGAD to begin with. I play DADGAD mainly for fingerstyle tunes, and seem to be able to not have to think of either configuration while playing, as Andy says, the brain is disconnected. I never play standard tuning anymore but could without thinking.
I'd suggest for a well rounded view of the instrument, to learn some basics in standard, then in dropped D or DADGAD. It may be personal opinion, but I think DADGAD will be easier with at least a little background in standard tuning. What do you think, just curious... Farr, Andy... anyone?
Guitar Advice
Guitar Advice
Hi all,
Amongst other things, I play rhythm guitar and was wondering if anyone can suggest away to successfully figure out chords to session tunes on the spot. The chords are hard to find online and in a session you simply don't have the time to figure out the chords, so any suggestions as to what to do?
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by camwebby
Re: Guitar Advice
Get with a melody player and start learning the tunes and working out the backup. You can't play backup to a tune you don't know. As you get better, you learn the tunes quicker and, just like melody players, you are able to pick them up at sessions. Untill you have a swag of tunes you know, you won't have much channce to pick them up on the fly.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by woops
Re: Guitar Advice
A lot of players who come into trad from a ballad or popular music background are used to having set, or accepted chords for the songs they play. This simply isn't the case for trad.
As someone who came from this background, I have to agree with thedon. But a whistle and learn the tunes on that or, better still, learn them on the guitar. Don't go down the 1-4-5-1 route. This gives guitar players a bad name. Good luck!
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Sinocal
Re: Guitar Advice
thanks for your hhelp. Will be learning Tenor Banjo soon for tunes.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by camwebby
Re: Guitar Advice
Good luck camwebby, and have fun. It's a great world you're entering, with tons of challenges but lots of rewards.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by woops
Re: Guitar Advice
Listen to others
Listen to recordings
Learn the tunes - as many as you can; banjo will do fine
Try playing along with recordings that have guitar accompaniment and work out what the guitarist is doing.
Get recordings of tunes with no accompaniment and experiment where you won't upset anyone.
When you have got started on this journey then find a mentor/teacher who can give you a few pointers for where you are having problems.
Listen a lot.
Thick sensitive skin is a big help
Good luck
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Donough
Re: Guitar Advice
Practice to CDs or session recordings at home. The 1-4-5 is a helpful skeleton of the keys in the beginning, but break out of that mold ASAP... you have to learn the tunes as was mentioned. You don't need to know how to play them on another instrument, though it is helpful, but you do need to immerse yourself so deeply that you start carrying around a zillion tunes in your head. That and getting familiar with the fingerboard, and what notes live where or what sounds live where if you play by ear is the key. And I don't mean learning all possible chords all over, but notes too.
practicing home alone, you can try anything. I do a lot of noting, as a fingerstyle player, a lot more than chording. Knowing the tune, you can pull a lot of notes rather than just chord strumming. Start simple and expand on it. Don't say I need to sound like John Doyle by next week. Set smaller goals, you'll be happier!
have fun...
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by irisnevins
Re: Guitar Advice
The most important part of being able to play guitar in a session is being able to equate the melody of the tune to the chords that go with it, and to know what a tune's going to do before it does it (i.e. there's no use being able to react to a chord change, you have to know it's coming).
It's useful to know what the chord intervals sound like, it's useful to have a rough idea about probable chord progressions given a certain mode. Knowing your chord scales is important too, understanding intervals and knowing how to construct chords comes in too.
It's best to try to develope these skills subconciously - practice improvising chords is important and making guitar parts on paper work really well.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Andy V
Qualifier on my opening sentance - if you're playing rhythm with a pick.
It's all about cutting out the brain - building the connections from the ears to the fingers!
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Andy V
Re: Guitar Advice
Cutting out the brain... as in you sure don't have time to logically think about what's coming next. Good point Andy.
Practice until you don't need to think about it anymore.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by irisnevins
Re: Guitar Advice
Get a CD with no accompaniment. Most tunes are in G or D, and you'll probably figure out what else can go in there as long as you land on key at beat one. Or tune dadgad and use only one finger and a capo. That's what most guitarists do at sessions.
# Posted on June 4th 2007 by Farr
Re: Guitar Advice
Farr,... I see hardly any DADGADs at session here in NJ. In fact can't think of any at all. Most play standard, or dropped D for the sessions. Maybe it's a regional difference? Personally for backing I use dropped D. Do you think learning the basics in standard is a good background for going into DADGAD or Dropped D? I think it may be, just curious if some just learn in DADGAD to begin with. I play DADGAD mainly for fingerstyle tunes, and seem to be able to not have to think of either configuration while playing, as Andy says, the brain is disconnected. I never play standard tuning anymore but could without thinking.
I'd suggest for a well rounded view of the instrument, to learn some basics in standard, then in dropped D or DADGAD. It may be personal opinion, but I think DADGAD will be easier with at least a little background in standard tuning. What do you think, just curious... Farr, Andy... anyone?
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by irisnevins
Re: Guitar Advice
There are some good articles on accompaniment here:
http://www.coyotebanjo.com/music-group-28.html
# Posted on June 5th 2007 by Tintin