I feel like this fits for some genres and moods but not all. For harder rock or more “fun” riffs like in Punk and Grunge, the big jumps in barre chords and power chords fit very well. It gives them an edge.
the big jumps are associated to punk sounds because that's what they originally used, after all punk is mostly played with power chord. Even though picking chord inversions for good voice leading is the "right" thing to do, punk really doesn't care what the conventions say all that much :)
You could honestly play power chords and then for lead play chords in the upper register that outline the rest of the barre chord and try experimenting with that in a daw if you have one. Hitting those octaves are nice if you mask them in the rest of the upper register chord voicings.
Lol, right? My fingers are much thicker and less flexible and a bit harder to do these shapes, but I still try it a go. I get some of them pretty well, but I don't do stretches beyond 4 frets very well.
As an old timer who has been stuck in the same old same old for more years than I care to admit I’m grateful to have stumbled upon this video. Beautifully explained and demonstrated. The timing couldn’t have been better as I have recently been tapped for a worship lead spot and I feel like a fish out of water as almost nothing is chorded the way I’m used to. I hope these techniques come quickly to me. I’d love to hear some comments of the free course as it pertains to the worship genera and whether it might be as useful as what I find this particular bit to be. Reinventing my playing seems to be a daunting task but I long to serve with what gifts I have. Thank in advance for any help.
If you look at traditional English church music, the four parts rarely move in a particularly correlated way; they interweave, often collide for a note here and there, and even sometimes cross over. Alto parts often have the same note consecutively when the soprano (melody) line changes its note and then the opposite happens. David Crosby understands this which is why he enjoys singing the middle part between Nash and Stills where he can introduce movement separate from the melody.
This is a critical observation for anyone writing vocal harmonies. Properly done, this allows for a contrapuntal bass line, and makes simple chord progressions come alive just as in the early baroque period. The acoustic setting I currently play in could use this - I think following jazz the thinking is more in terms of chord progressions, and complexity is thought of in terms of adding more chords rather than this. The two are not mutually exclusive of course and a good example would be Chris Squire’s arrangements. Like him or hate him, he grew up singing English church music in a formal choir setting.
@@TheflyingkiwiRC Right !! All that Difficult stuff and sh!t ... Rock comes outa my Heart , and dont even THINK about vocal Melodies , Harmony and all ..Just Comes at Me and if its Sounds Cool .. It Goes , No MATTER what all the Official Methametics and All ... pffftttttt
You can get a lot of milage out of a chord progression just by mixing up the voicing of the chords it can take something really predictable and just make it sound totally different. For me personally just learning some different basic maj/min voicings rooted on different strings really did a lot for my playing.
Efficiency of finger movement is one thing, but it results in a different style of sound, which is pure preference. Play the chord inversions which give you the sound you like best. I'm not convinced there's any such thing as 'bad' voice leading.
I agree with this. Distance in tones is by itself a means of music expression. Its great to know and be aware of what he is teaching here for sure. I consider it outstanding information but to say that all progressions should follow this example is something else.
@@79943 I agree. Good info, but... I've been playing for 45 years, and I play what fits what I'm going for. The close voicings are nice at times, but so is the dramatic jump to a full bar chord, say, in a hard rock song. I guess I just repeated all that was said. Oh well. He meant no harm. Peace.
Completely agree, it's what suits your playing style and ability as well. I try to vary my voicings through a song, but I can do voices on the 8th fret, that I can't on the 1st. Hate the word "Don't" in music, "Try this" yes, but not "Don't".
I'm joining this club lol... totally agree with all y'all. I make my living playing music and I don't have time to consider voice leading when I'm playing 2 gigs in a row on a Texas July day In 2 different locations lol. This is really minutiae and not really relevant at the end of the day, especially to an audience
I found this lesson inspiring and informative and it has broadened my perspective on playing chords in a unique way. And, as a few have pointed out, using these suggested chord voicings is dependent on the context of the song. I don't think Antoine really meant to say, as his title suggests, that you should play chords just one way and not any other way. He was just offering up some alternatives to consider. Anyway, that's the way I look at it. There's nothing within this lesson to agree or disagree with. I just took it as a musical idea to play around with and consider using at times. Nothing more. For that, I commend Antoine for an inspiring video.
Thank you Karl, that is exactly what I was going for! Some people only judge the lesson by its title, withiout judging the content of the lesson. Feels great to see someone judge it with discernement!
I've been doing stuff like this for years! The other thing about the C shaped barre chord is that it is a close voicings (that is, the main triad is in order and in the same octave.) I usually make the G a close voicing by adding the 3rd on the A string as well. Thank you for trying to break this down for people! To those that think this is nonsense, just try it. Experiment with trying to play a chord in as many different ways as you can. You will soon realize the melodic power this unlocks in rhythm playing and especially chord-melody playing. One particular voicing I liked for a I-V is to play an E shape barre then a C shape. For example, B to F# can be played with E shape at 7th fret followed by C shape at 6th fret (root note on 9th fret of A string.)
Uh - can't fully agree. It higly depends on context: if e.g. you're looking for melody-lines it can be easier to play your way, because you are not mislead by great tonal jumps some bar chord combinations may provoke. But if your rythm guitar follows the voicing melody too close, it might actually get pretty boring pretty fast - so, when in doubt, I'd try what sounds best in context.
@@conork325 Yes, the vocing of the guitar chords; not the vocal melodies. I think what Shai is saying is that by following the voicing melodies too close (minimal movement) , the melody can sound monotonous and dull after a while and I tend to agree. It does depend on context, it can also depend on the chord, the singer, the genre, or the mood the song is trying to convey.
Essentially, you're playing a variety of moveable chord shapes rather than just root 5 and root 6, so it resembles how you'd play a song which uses only open chords. Like others here, I don't see that that this necessarily makes it sound better but it's certainly good to increase your chord vocabulary and options.
Agreed. Heavier styles of music w/ a lot of effects and distortion I do that all the time for varieties sake/ making riffs less monotonous. Which can be easy to do writing metal riffs. To easy 🤪🤘!!!!
His Bb and Eb chord shapes are quite useful in fingerstyle acoustic guitar, which I play. Regardless of key, those chord shapes position you nicely to find the pentatonic notes & play melodies within the chord.
Yep, I have the same problem! But instead of playing the B note on the 6th string with your pinky, play it on the first fret of the 5th string with your index finger. It's the same note! Barre the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings with your ring finger or pinky, whichever you find the most comfortable
This is how I've played for 20 years because I'm too lazy to play full barre chords. It makes it really easy to transition back and forth between lead and rhythm too.
@@BradySzabo After I struggled to learn guitar from books for years I eventually gave most of them away in favour of videos. I realised that, while guitar is about sound, it's actually physical movement that creates that sound... and books just can't teach the necessary movements and timing of the arms, hands and fingers like videos can. Just my 2 cents worth :-)
Depending on the sound that I want, I play bar chord (usually omit the 6th string for F or Fm shaped chord, also omit the 1st string for all of the chord (in another word only play the 2nd - 5th strings)), play 3 string chord (like the one in the video, just without the bass note... also include some other inversion ass well), or just play power chord... But if I play someone else's song I usually try to play it as close to the original as possible...
It’s fair to say this approach would apply only to certain styles or genres of music. The standard barre chord approach is what helps punk rock sound the way it does.
But I may add that punk and other guitar distorted styles usually use power chords, that only contain the root and the perfect 5. Also, they usually use only 3 strings, and even 2 or 1. Therefore, most notes are on the same octave, which is the underlined theory behind this video. Melodies are based on intervals, and, even if a Major2 is the same as a major9, it fells better to jump 1 tone than 7
@@StephxUn but no one is following where the individual notes of a distorted bar chord fit in parallel melodies. Abandonment of such finesse can be argued to be a genre, like a snow shovel hanging on the wall can be argued to belong in the same gallery as a Michelangelo.
For me doing full barre chords is about how you strum them. If you use lighter picking pressure and an even stroke with the right amount of left hand finger pressure you can make them sound much more subtle and "musical".
I have learned to my dismay that the long barres -a quick way for a beginner to bang out songs-is an impediment to fluid technique and switching to single note fills and double stops. I’m all for keeping index finger tip closer to high strings as you’re doing on those variations. Sounds so much sweeter, too.
This video Can only Be underated. I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25+ years and i actually learned something new from this. This is just an over the top guitar and Music lesson. Well done!
Absolutely beautiful lesson my man. This is pure gold at any level. Any good explanation of something you think you know makes you know it better. And that´s always gold in the path of learning.
I always felt the barre chord playing jumped to much but your explanation resonated with me. It now makes sense - thank you very much, I will see if my old short fingers can quickly cope with rapid changes- much appreciated
When composing, I think about each single note contained in a given chord. Then, one by one, I "experiment" how i could reverse, find a great note ensemble that serves the melody. IMO neck position and choice of strings to play for a certain chord are underrated. Your approach is part of this logic and it is very interesting. It is hard to find any good guitar related content on YT. You have one more suscriber ! ;)
I have been playing the guitar for years, I have never taken classes, I have learned on my own, but what you have taught in the video has opened my eyes and also my ears to something that I had never noticed, thank you very much, you are very good teaching, we have to keep learning to play this wonderful instrument.
With the Bb chord using the G shape as long as we are concerned with "voice leading" I would strongly recommend playing the third on the 5th string 5th fret as well versus omitting it. This way when you switch to the Eb in the C shape you are going from the 5th string 5th fret to the 6th fret and this is creating a chromatic resolution which always sounds great. So I would play it 65333x or 653336
Absolutely brilliant lesson and beautifully explained. Loved the description of relating leading notes along with a choir. Really makes you think of the notes along the fret in terms of their relationship to melody thus how others compare on their own and withing a chord. Seeing how easily looking at this and combing chords together with this in mind really opened my thinking to notes and chords. Thank you so much
This is such a good video!! I’ve always found that its so important that the top note on the chord progression has a nice melody! This is something piano is great for but at guitar it’s not as easy because of the different chord shapes. This video helps so much with that! Music is melody and if everything has a nice melody then it’s probably gonna be a better song! Very inspired by this!🙌🏽🙌🏽
It just depends on the sound and feel you are looking for in a song. And you can mix these up within a verse or chorus so it's not played the same twice.
When you're young and getting into guitar, Barre chords are tough to master, until you do. Once that happens you feel like you've mastered the guitar and play hard rock stuff. But as you get older, you mature and become a bit bored with power chords and Barre chords. You then start appreciating softer, more nuanced tones and start with exploring the alternatives as you've demonstrated. It really opens up a new world to explore. At least that's been my experience, and I have seen it in others. Good little lesson and I'll keep on exploring inversions. There's alot of beauty there and it's endless. Lots easier on the ears too.👍
Nice lesson and well presented and I like the way you explain voice leading. Unfortunately from the comments you can see there are always two kinds of guitar players. Those who when faced with new information say "cool, I learned something I can add (or subtract) as I see fit", and those who when faced with new information say "No.".
And I’ve never understood why detractors need to post their counterpoint ( excuse the pun)-he’s giving an OPTION that shows new ways… stick to your old hopping around if you want and pretend you never saw this!
It's strange that I taught myself this method years ago out of the struggle of trying to be a better musician. Thanks for the confirmation of this video.👍👍👍
I'm trying to pick up on chord theory etc and having zero musical theory background most videos are confusing, either presupposing a base knowledge or skipping over things. I enjoyed this video it was easy to follow.
that's gold to open the mind to the C and G moveable shapes at beginner level or just to anyone who hadn't figured it for himself. You could extend the vid to show how jazzers approach creating voicings without resorting to barres, which would benefit players by seeing that u dont have to get tramlined into bar cords at all --- although they might be convenient here and there.
Starting out on fourths tuning, I was forced early on to voice all of my chords as interval combinations 1-5-10 for root position, 3-8-12 for 1st inversion, and 5-10-15 for 2nd inversion, and to go rootless when there's a bass covering the low note of those combinations so that I'd instead play the same interval combinations but built from the chord's 3rd degree and creating major 7th or dominant chord against that bass as is fitting within the greater harmonic and tonality context.
Nice lesson, I play some keyboards and voice leading on keyboards is essential for smooth transitions, I never really thought about taking it to guitar since I play more of a rock style. Your example here is something I will learn to have in my pocket.
Your "big jumps" description reminds me of music school where we were taught that "parallel fifths" in piano composition was a no-no! ;-) Thank you for the lesson. I always barred my chords!
You're correct. From the orthodox Bb bar chord, he can go to the Eb consisting of the fourth string first fret, third string third fret, second string fourth fret and first string third fret also.
Echoing what others have said - I don't know about "good" or "bad" voice leading, but I learned that it's something to consider when arranging chords. I use an Areos looper that allows me to create and loop chord progressions and switch between them using parts like verse, chorus, bridge etc. I typically play the parts open or low on the fretboard, and the capo up 3 to 5 frets for a second layer of accompaniment for my voice. I never thought about voice leading, I just know what I like. Sometimes you have to switch-up your strumming, or skip / mute strings to get the voice leading right. So I guess I was was considering it intuitively and I improvised, but I find it's better to be deliberate about the conceptual framework for my approach. This helps me remember and build up my successful improvisations and ideas instead of being a slave to the muse. Ultimately, theory comes into play in a role that supports the freedom I find as a fundamentally improvisational player.
You might be the only person I know who says it’s more comfortable to do it an A bar shape and then press the big Estring with your pinky with a four fret stretch....lol.
Also commenting to say that was the most elegant way I’ve seen chord voicing explained, simple and concise thank you from a player of almost 10 years now !
CAGED! Nice explanation for (CAGED) chord shape selection and voice leading. That CAGED G shape is so difficult, but when done as a partial, it's easy and useful.
I'd say it also depends on the style your playing. For example, in Rock/Metal, or many of their subgenres, a lot of movement can give the sound a more dramatic energy.
Barre chords are based on chord 'shapes' found in the open position. Look at them like that. Like E, Em, A, Am, C, 'partial' G (without the 5th string, or the 1st & 2nd strings), and D (without certain strings). The important thing to know is where the root (of that chord) is - especially the lowest root note. Also, it's helpful to look at chords by "string-set". He was using the '5-4-3-2' string-set when showing a barre chord based on an open C chord. That string-set is also called an "inside" chord or string-set. You don't pluck the top and bottom strings. (If you mute them, then it doesn't matter if you pluck them.) The inside string-set is an important set. I think the '4-3-2-1' string-set is considered the most important, but I'm not sure. I do remember that the highest note i a chord is considered the most important note, because it comes through to our ears as the most prominent note. But that's an unrelated point to the point I wanted to make in this comment. I thought it was still an important thing to know in case someone didn't know it. it's important to see the parts of barre chords that are shapes found in those basic open chords, and where the root notes are. Also, it's not really a "barre" chord if your 1st finger isn't "barring" across the width of the neck (imitating the "nut"), although it may still be "movable" - just like a barre chord. This video should be made that distinction. It's still a pretty good video, tho'. That inside chord that is based on an open C chord is a VERY important chord! That puts a "I - IV - V" chord group, all on the the same position - or same fret location. You don't have to change your hand's position on the neck, and that's an important concept, also - as he was pointing out, although he was making that point to emphasize the different sounds you gets with voicings - or order of intervals. Basically, moving the (major or minor) 3rd around. (These were all simple triad chords.) And he had his amp set super clean. - You HAVE to be careful of the 3rd intervals when you use distortion!! >>ESPECIALLY THE MINOR 3RD!!!
Yeah, that's how I think. Love this lesson. It reinforces what I've come to believe about playing. I'm always looking at passing tones to move me ahead. Much more like playing keyboard than guitar but it works. Also, when I learn a new song I ultimately aim to learn the changes in three different positions. That really helps me as I'm moving around the fret board from one voicing to another. Oh, and no-one said you have to play all six strings all the time. Love simple double stops and triads.
It makes so much sense to consider each note in a chord as a different voice, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it… it’s obvious in hindsight! Thank you!
Just like, sometimes melodies take a leap or jump for added character or drama, I've noticed that sometimes leaping or jumping chord note lines are effectively used in the same way. So a song might use small-changes chords mostly, yet deliberately include places where the chord changes are more far reaching.
Bravo, sir - a very good post. This is emphasising the fact many players focus an the A and E finger positions of CAGED (and the minor versions), and almost ignore the often easier and more applicable C, G and D versions. Also, you show there is a need for economy - there's no need to play all 6 strings when playing chords (especially if you have distortion - 6, 5, or even 4 string chords can sound horrific).
Depends on genre. In popular music, ever since the blues influenced most modern music, voice leading (at least in the rhythm section) has gone away. Horns and strings: very important. We don’t really hear this anymore. It isn’t a big deal when you’re, say, the guitarist in a reggae band.
Excellent lesson. When my fingers grow out another 5 inches I'll do some of those chords with such ease. Unfortunately, I'm almost 50 yrs old so don't expect that to happen. 😁
3:23 as soon as you played that voicing in Bb I thought of “Death of an Interior Decorator” by DCFC. You can also get the same voicing on the first fret with an A shape and use a D shape for the Eb. Great lesson on using the CAGED system for voice leading!
I've been doing this for years but as a way of being more economical in movement around the fretboard. It does sound better and I never even thought about how much better it sounds until you A/B'd it here. Great video!
Thank you. I have been playing chords and progressions like this for decades but had no real way to identify or explain what makes their voicing sound different. It makes total sense now!
Alternate Video Title: The CAGED system without calling it that ...... But I liked this video anyway because it keeps chord progressions within a smaller fret block as I've had the problem while writing where the next chord is right for the bass line pattern, but still sounds wrong because it doesn't blend well with the previous chord.
For the B-flat chord at 3:24, having short fingers I usually play the root at the 1st fret on the 5th string with my 1st finger and mute the 6th string, also with my 1st finger. I barre strings 4,3,2 as in the video and mute the high E. This moveable voicing is exactly the same notes, just a different shape on the neck.
Using the CAGED system to build melodies within the chord progressions, and givin 'em a warm ambient around. Great lesson! I'm trying to figure out a bassline right now 😆
it's about how flexible ur fingers. Just practice it man. It's same like the first time u did the C major open chord. Hard at that time. Now u can do it easily.
When i 1st started playing i thought i was going to have arthritis someday because the bones and tendons were hurting in the wrong kind of way. But eventually it went away and my hand sorta molded to how i wanted to play.
VERY helpful. I've always hated bar chord progressions for this very reason. I've always thought it sounded too choppy. I've experimented with different voicings and have found ideas that make it better, but this is a nice, general principle to apply on the fly. Thank you!
You could also use single note slides as transition between chords, which is also a kind of voice leading. For example, G# bar chord (466544) and on beat 4 pick the D string and slide from 5th to 6th fret, then play A#m (688666) on beat 1. Or add a certain melody note (open string if possible), e.g. the high E string in a C major "I IV V" chord progression: C (x32010) F (x33210) then slide up 2 frets to G (x55430) - technically making this a C > Fmaj7/C > G6/D progression, but look at it more like C F G just with a high E note added on top.
I think ive been teatering on this concept without realizing it because i love a smooth sound. Almost like playing a piano. Definitely creates an easier listening sound. Could combine the 2 to create a driven section with a smooth sound behind it
It's interesting to watch all those videos on you tube. Basically it is another take on the CAGED system which I never thought or heard about before You Tube. In a way I was using it without knowing it, but those videos formalize the whole concept.
In my days ( 70’s ) we did the berklee books 1,2,3 that covered the voice leading ! Also the Ted Greene books had lots of great examples on voice leading ! I would recommend these books to anyone that takes guitar playing ( studying the guitar also ) seriously ! Just my opinion and in no way trying to impose it or saying that I’m completely right ! Just an old way of doing stuff 👍🏻
Great tip. Piano chords also sound better played with close voicings. (For me anyway) I guess the hardest chord shape of all is the C shape bar chord, I've played guitar for 40yrs and always have to make an improvisation of said chord(s)
I totally agree! The more you know, the more you can choose the right voicings for the right contexts. It's just that a title like: ''These voicings are also good (like many others), but choose whatever you want'' is not very enticing to make people curious enough to click on it ;-) cheers!
@Heathcote Shawn Merle Travis revolutionized picking using only a thumb pick and his first finger. Wes Montgomery played using a wart on his thumb and was one of the top jazz musicians of all time., ,, Django Reinhardt was the father of gypsy jazz and used only two fingers on his fretting hand due to a fire he was in,,,, Matteo Mancuso is a new guitarist that has impressed everyone from Al Di Meola to Steve Via and he uses a bass guitar/flamenco style picking technique uniquely his own.. I can do this all day long....
Hey Antoine! Thanks! I had already signed up for this class, apparently I downloaded the material, but forgot about it before I practiced it! ( Realistically, I had to take a couple of months off, bc I had major surgery on my neck (2 disks out, 3 vertebrae fused) and I still haven't been able to play regularly. But I'm trying to get my hands strong again, next I'll have to reform all my calluses on my left hand, yeah that sux.) Anyway, originally you didn't present it as "voice leading" so I'm glad I saw this video! Thanks again!
Please note that "bad voice leading" is an OPINION expressed by Antoine. Having said that, though, I agree that I like the sound of it better and am more likely to call it "economy of motion". I play like this all the time.
They don't call it Spanish Guitar for nothing, my friend. You're the first nice person to explain this. I guess they think I'll hit them,or something. Got you, but, it's gonna take time.
When the voicings are played this way, it has a smoother, more classical sound. Playing the bar chords has a different personality, more raw, more rock. Interesting.
We’ll explained. It also helps when you’re singing and playing to not have to move around the neck so much. Simplicity is usually the better way. Thanks
There is no absolute about it. Which shape and position of which chord to use depends on which voice-leading or which melody the composition intends to sound. If music had to follow one absolute theory, there would have been only one kind of music.
I really appreciate your suggestions here - it completely changes the restrictive rut I find myself in again and again when it comes to chording. Now if I can only get my little elf fingers to reach those fret positions...
Ever since I learned that parallel octaves and fifths are to be avoided in 1st year music theory, I've realized that almost all guitarists break the rules every time they play. Oh well.
Not all the chords that I play giggin' in a bar are necessarily "barre" chords. I have my "bar" chords too, and they tend to vary depending on how many pints I've had. :)
@@21MASSA my response wasn't directed at you. I was chiding the guy that was giving you crap about your spelling of bar(re) chords, that he felt like he had to correct you when everyone else on this thread knew exactyly what you meant. But hey, thanks for the fart sniffing reference anyway. I can only aspire to achieve the heights of your perspicacious jocularity. Adieu.
I feel like this fits for some genres and moods but not all. For harder rock or more “fun” riffs like in Punk and Grunge, the big jumps in barre chords and power chords fit very well. It gives them an edge.
Agreed.
Barre chords gives speed to the music. But if you need to do a solo, it'll buzz.
the big jumps are associated to punk sounds because that's what they originally used, after all punk is mostly played with power chord. Even though picking chord inversions for good voice leading is the "right" thing to do, punk really doesn't care what the conventions say all that much :)
You could honestly play power chords and then for lead play chords in the upper register that outline the rest of the barre chord and try experimenting with that in a daw if you have one. Hitting those octaves are nice if you mask them in the rest of the upper register chord voicings.
Your definition of voice leading was the first time I've heard it explained where it makes sense. Thank you!
Same here! Thanks!
Exactly what happened with me.. I was unaware about this concept since decade of my guitar playing.. and this suprised me..
Excellent lesson. Being retired I finally have to take up my guitar playing again, and it's just stuff like this I work on for the moment.
What he teaches is the same as I got to learn in school for 9 years about how the parts in a choir should move !
I also wish I had a Tim Burton character fingers so that I could play fancy chords.
Lol, right? My fingers are much thicker and less flexible and a bit harder to do these shapes, but I still try it a go. I get some of them pretty well, but I don't do stretches beyond 4 frets very well.
I hear you. I like to retain some feeling in my hands!
Ikr. I got small hands and my pinky is short fat and crooked so... /sadreact
I'm done 🤣🤣😂😂🤣🤣
My hands aren't massive but practice gains strength. i can do them these days. Keep plugging away!
As an old timer who has been stuck in the same old same old for more years than I care to admit I’m grateful to have stumbled upon this video. Beautifully explained and demonstrated. The timing couldn’t have been better as I have recently been tapped for a worship lead spot and I feel like a fish out of water as almost nothing is chorded the way I’m used to. I hope these techniques come quickly to me. I’d love to hear some comments of the free course as it pertains to the worship genera and whether it might be as useful as what I find this particular bit to be. Reinventing my playing seems to be a daunting task but I long to serve with what gifts I have. Thank in advance for any help.
If you look at traditional English church music, the four parts rarely move in a particularly correlated way; they interweave, often collide for a note here and there, and even sometimes cross over. Alto parts often have the same note consecutively when the soprano (melody) line changes its note and then the opposite happens. David Crosby understands this which is why he enjoys singing the middle part between Nash and Stills where he can introduce movement separate from the melody.
So many forget music goes back to the piano the next step is the more “operatic” church organ. Meaning all overlaps fit easier to a keyboard form.
This is a critical observation for anyone writing vocal harmonies. Properly done, this allows for a contrapuntal bass line, and makes simple chord progressions come alive just as in the early baroque period. The acoustic setting I currently play in could use this - I think following jazz the thinking is more in terms of chord progressions, and complexity is thought of in terms of adding more chords rather than this. The two are not mutually exclusive of course and a good example would be Chris Squire’s arrangements. Like him or hate him, he grew up singing English church music in a formal choir setting.
I play rock not church music. I only need the 6th and 5th string 🤟🤟🤟
@@TheflyingkiwiRC Right !! All that Difficult stuff and sh!t ... Rock comes outa my Heart , and dont even THINK about vocal Melodies , Harmony and all ..Just Comes at Me and if its Sounds Cool .. It Goes , No MATTER what all the Official Methametics and All ... pffftttttt
Playing in church is a lot of work for the amount of enjoyment that you, usually, get from it. There is a lack of joy...
You can get a lot of milage out of a chord progression just by mixing up the voicing of the chords it can take something really predictable and just make it sound totally different. For me personally just learning some different basic maj/min voicings rooted on different strings really did a lot for my playing.
Efficiency of finger movement is one thing, but it results in a different style of sound, which is pure preference. Play the chord inversions which give you the sound you like best. I'm not convinced there's any such thing as 'bad' voice leading.
I agree with this. Distance in tones is by itself a means of music expression. Its great to know and be aware of what he is teaching here for sure. I consider it outstanding information but to say that all progressions should follow this example is something else.
@@79943 I agree. Good info, but... I've been playing for 45 years, and I play what fits what I'm going for. The close voicings are nice at times, but so is the dramatic jump to a full bar chord, say, in a hard rock song. I guess I just repeated all that was said. Oh well. He meant no harm. Peace.
Completely agree, it's what suits your playing style and ability as well. I try to vary my voicings through a song, but I can do voices on the 8th fret, that I can't on the 1st.
Hate the word "Don't" in music, "Try this" yes, but not "Don't".
I'm joining this club lol... totally agree with all y'all. I make my living playing music and I don't have time to consider voice leading when I'm playing 2 gigs in a row on a Texas July day In 2 different locations lol. This is really minutiae and not really relevant at the end of the day, especially to an audience
@@hughcdavies lol nice. I completely agree sir
I found this lesson inspiring and informative and it has broadened my perspective on playing chords in a unique way. And, as a few have pointed out, using these suggested chord voicings is dependent on the context of the song. I don't think Antoine really meant to say, as his title suggests, that you should play chords just one way and not any other way. He was just offering up some alternatives to consider. Anyway, that's the way I look at it. There's nothing within this lesson to agree or disagree with. I just took it as a musical idea to play around with and consider using at times. Nothing more. For that, I commend Antoine for an inspiring video.
Thank you Karl, that is exactly what I was going for! Some people only judge the lesson by its title, withiout judging the content of the lesson. Feels great to see someone judge it with discernement!
@@AntoineMichaudGuitarLooping remain true to your nature
I've been doing stuff like this for years! The other thing about the C shaped barre chord is that it is a close voicings (that is, the main triad is in order and in the same octave.) I usually make the G a close voicing by adding the 3rd on the A string as well.
Thank you for trying to break this down for people! To those that think this is nonsense, just try it. Experiment with trying to play a chord in as many different ways as you can. You will soon realize the melodic power this unlocks in rhythm playing and especially chord-melody playing.
One particular voicing I liked for a I-V is to play an E shape barre then a C shape. For example, B to F# can be played with E shape at 7th fret followed by C shape at 6th fret (root note on 9th fret of A string.)
Uh - can't fully agree. It higly depends on context: if e.g. you're looking for melody-lines it can be easier to play your way, because you are not mislead by great tonal jumps some bar chord combinations may provoke. But if your rythm guitar follows the voicing melody too close, it might actually get pretty boring pretty fast - so, when in doubt, I'd try what sounds best in context.
Can you clarify for me. The voice leading referred to here is the voicing of the guitar chords, and not a reference to vocal melodies. Yes?
@@conork325 Yes, the vocing of the guitar chords; not the vocal melodies. I think what Shai is saying is that by following the voicing melodies too close (minimal movement) , the melody can sound monotonous and dull after a while and I tend to agree. It does depend on context, it can also depend on the chord, the singer, the genre, or the mood the song is trying to convey.
@@The07vinny Thanks :) You were quicker than me.
This is a vital point, because you have to step outside of being a guitarist a bit.. What does it do for the song?
@@ewetoo Exactly.
Essentially, you're playing a variety of moveable chord shapes rather than just root 5 and root 6, so it resembles how you'd play a song which uses only open chords. Like others here, I don't see that that this necessarily makes it sound better but it's certainly good to increase your chord vocabulary and options.
Agreed. Heavier styles of music w/ a lot of effects and distortion I do that all the time for varieties sake/ making riffs less monotonous. Which can be easy to do writing metal riffs. To easy 🤪🤘!!!!
His Bb and Eb chord shapes are quite useful in fingerstyle acoustic guitar, which I play. Regardless of key, those chord shapes position you nicely to find the pentatonic notes & play melodies within the chord.
If you have short fingers like me, just ditch the low note. That's why you have bass player in the band
Or just Capo the 3rd fret!
LOL. I found this quite funny but not in a derogatory way :-)
That's OK, most bass players I know are just frustrated guitarists. Including me. Rock On!
I've always done this.
Yep, I have the same problem! But instead of playing the B note on the 6th string with your pinky, play it on the first fret of the 5th string with your index finger. It's the same note! Barre the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings with your ring finger or pinky, whichever you find the most comfortable
This is how I've played for 20 years because I'm too lazy to play full barre chords. It makes it really easy to transition back and forth between lead and rhythm too.
I've played all full bar chords because I am too lazy to open one of the 20 music books I've bought.
@@BradySzabo After I struggled to learn guitar from books for years I eventually gave most of them away in favour of videos. I realised that, while guitar is about sound, it's actually physical movement that creates that sound... and books just can't teach the necessary movements and timing of the arms, hands and fingers like videos can. Just my 2 cents worth :-)
Bar chords are for "pussies", boots or no boots.
Depending on the sound that I want, I play bar chord (usually omit the 6th string for F or Fm shaped chord, also omit the 1st string for all of the chord (in another word only play the 2nd - 5th strings)), play 3 string chord (like the one in the video, just without the bass note... also include some other inversion ass well), or just play power chord...
But if I play someone else's song I usually try to play it as close to the original as possible...
I knew about voice leading, and I knew about the CAGED shapes. Now I can apply them together for my own purposes. Thank you!
It’s fair to say this approach would apply only to certain styles or genres of music. The standard barre chord approach is what helps punk rock sound the way it does.
But I may add that punk and other guitar distorted styles usually use power chords, that only contain the root and the perfect 5. Also, they usually use only 3 strings, and even 2 or 1. Therefore, most notes are on the same octave, which is the underlined theory behind this video. Melodies are based on intervals, and, even if a Major2 is the same as a major9, it fells better to jump 1 tone than 7
@@koorssgamer punk rock also use a lot of barre chords, not just power chords
@@StephxUn but no one is following where the individual notes of a distorted bar chord fit in parallel melodies. Abandonment of such finesse can be argued to be a genre, like a snow shovel hanging on the wall can be argued to belong in the same gallery as a Michelangelo.
Can't imagine Syd Vicious sittin' 'round talking about chord voicings and tonal jumps...
exactly my thought !
For me doing full barre chords is about how you strum them. If you use lighter picking pressure and an even stroke with the right amount of left hand finger pressure you can make them sound much more subtle and "musical".
This is the something I learned due to getting old. And it simply made me a better more versatile player.
I have learned to my dismay that the long barres -a quick way for a beginner to bang out songs-is an impediment to fluid technique and switching to single note fills and double stops. I’m all for keeping index finger tip closer to high strings as you’re doing on those variations. Sounds so much sweeter, too.
This video Can only Be underated. I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 25+ years and i actually learned something new from this. This is just an over the top guitar and Music lesson. Well done!
Absolutely beautiful lesson my man. This is pure gold
at any level. Any good explanation of something you think you know makes you know it better. And that´s always gold in the path of learning.
Well said.
I always felt the barre chord playing jumped to much but your explanation resonated with me. It now makes sense - thank you very much, I will see if my old short fingers can quickly cope with rapid changes- much appreciated
When composing, I think about each single note contained in a given chord. Then, one by one, I "experiment" how i could reverse, find a great note ensemble that serves the melody. IMO neck position and choice of strings to play for a certain chord are underrated. Your approach is part of this logic and it is very interesting. It is hard to find any good guitar related content on YT. You have one more suscriber ! ;)
I have been playing the guitar for years, I have never taken classes, I have learned on my own, but what you have taught in the video has opened my eyes and also my ears to something that I had never noticed, thank you very much, you are very good teaching, we have to keep learning to play this wonderful instrument.
It's my pleasure! Glad you found it helpful :-)
With the Bb chord using the G shape as long as we are concerned with "voice leading" I would strongly recommend playing the third on the 5th string 5th fret as well versus omitting it. This way when you switch to the Eb in the C shape you are going from the 5th string 5th fret to the 6th fret and this is creating a chromatic resolution which always sounds great. So I would play it 65333x or 653336
I'm learning piano at the moment and this reminds me of using inversions so you don't have to move your hands very far from each other. Very cool!
Yes exactly! I made another video on that subject of playing guitar like you do on piano. It's here: ruclips.net/video/-3xf4oyqmmA/видео.html
Absolutely brilliant lesson and beautifully explained. Loved the description of relating leading notes along with a choir. Really makes you think of the notes along the fret in terms of their relationship to melody thus how others compare on their own and withing a chord. Seeing how easily looking at this and combing chords together with this in mind really opened my thinking to notes and chords. Thank you so much
This is such a good video!! I’ve always found that its so important that the top note on the chord progression has a nice melody! This is something piano is great for but at guitar it’s not as easy because of the different chord shapes. This video helps so much with that!
Music is melody and if everything has a nice melody then it’s probably gonna be a better song!
Very inspired by this!🙌🏽🙌🏽
It just depends on the sound and feel you are looking for in a song. And you can mix these up within a verse or chorus so it's not played the same twice.
When you're young and getting into guitar, Barre chords are tough to master, until you do. Once that happens you feel like you've mastered the guitar and play hard rock stuff. But as you get older, you mature and become a bit bored with power chords and Barre chords. You then start appreciating softer, more nuanced tones and start with exploring the alternatives as you've demonstrated. It really opens up a new world to explore. At least that's been my experience, and I have seen it in others. Good little lesson and I'll keep on exploring inversions. There's alot of beauty there and it's endless. Lots easier on the ears too.👍
Nice lesson and well presented and I like the way you explain voice leading. Unfortunately from the comments you can see there are always two kinds of guitar players. Those who when faced with new information say "cool, I learned something I can add (or subtract) as I see fit", and those who when faced with new information say "No.".
And I’ve never understood why detractors need to post their counterpoint ( excuse the pun)-he’s giving an OPTION that shows new ways… stick to your old hopping around if you want and pretend you never saw this!
Nicely explained and really useful! These basics are true for EVERY polyphonic instruments.
VERY well done sir. CAGED in action!
It's strange that I taught myself this method years ago out of the struggle of trying to be a better musician. Thanks for the confirmation of this video.👍👍👍
This is a really excellent lesson. Been playing a long time, but this never occurred to me.
I'm trying to pick up on chord theory etc and having zero musical theory background most videos are confusing, either presupposing a base knowledge or skipping over things. I enjoyed this video it was easy to follow.
that's gold to open the mind to the C and G moveable shapes at beginner level or just to anyone who hadn't figured it for himself. You could extend the vid to show how jazzers approach creating voicings without resorting to barres, which would benefit players by seeing that u dont have to get tramlined into bar cords at all --- although they might be convenient here and there.
Starting out on fourths tuning, I was forced early on to voice all of my chords as interval combinations 1-5-10 for root position, 3-8-12 for 1st inversion, and 5-10-15 for 2nd inversion, and to go rootless when there's a bass covering the low note of those combinations so that I'd instead play the same interval combinations but built from the chord's 3rd degree and creating major 7th or dominant chord against that bass as is fitting within the greater harmonic and tonality context.
This is an awesome tip! Never thought about the chord voicing problem, great reason to explore new shapes!
Nice lesson, I play some keyboards and voice leading on keyboards is essential for smooth transitions, I never really thought about taking it to guitar since I play more of a rock style. Your example here is something I will learn to have in my pocket.
This is a great demo of the general rule, whether you solo or play the chords. Don't jump around the notes too much.
Somewhere over the Rainbow
She's a Woman
Your "big jumps" description reminds me of music school where we were taught that "parallel fifths" in piano composition was a no-no! ;-) Thank you for the lesson. I always barred my chords!
Your Bb chord with the root on 6th string at the 6th fret is identical to the root 5 bar chord at the first position.
Exactly. It has no impact on the chord voicing if you use a regular A-shaped Bb chord.
Indeed! But it helps for the transition to the next chord! 😊
it does have a high Bb on top though
You're correct. From the orthodox Bb bar chord, he can go to the Eb consisting of the fourth string first fret, third string third fret, second string fourth fret and first string third fret also.
Echoing what others have said - I don't know about "good" or "bad" voice leading, but I learned that it's something to consider when arranging chords. I use an Areos looper that allows me to create and loop chord progressions and switch between them using parts like verse, chorus, bridge etc. I typically play the parts open or low on the fretboard, and the capo up 3 to 5 frets for a second layer of accompaniment for my voice. I never thought about voice leading, I just know what I like. Sometimes you have to switch-up your strumming, or skip / mute strings to get the voice leading right. So I guess I was was considering it intuitively and I improvised, but I find it's better to be deliberate about the conceptual framework for my approach. This helps me remember and build up my successful improvisations and ideas instead of being a slave to the muse.
Ultimately, theory comes into play in a role that supports the freedom I find as a fundamentally improvisational player.
You might be the only person I know who says it’s more comfortable to do it an A bar shape and then press the big Estring with your pinky with a four fret stretch....lol.
@Bike huh
Lol agreed, maybe his pinky does a lot of flexes, strong enough to hold on to E String in a 12 hours long concert.
Thinking the same thing myself 😂
@@JayManWolf facts... and I’ve been playing a long time...🤣🤣🤣
Well it is easy ^^ just practice and it makes no difference anymore!
Also commenting to say that was the most elegant way I’ve seen chord voicing explained, simple and concise thank you from a player of almost 10 years now !
never had trouble voice leading with barre chords, i find them so much more comfortable than what you're showing here.
CAGED! Nice explanation for (CAGED) chord shape selection and voice leading. That CAGED G shape is so difficult, but when done as a partial, it's easy and useful.
I'd say it also depends on the style your playing. For example, in Rock/Metal, or many of their subgenres, a lot of movement can give the sound a more dramatic energy.
Barre chords are based on chord 'shapes' found in the open position. Look at them like that. Like E, Em, A, Am, C, 'partial' G (without the 5th string, or the 1st & 2nd strings), and D (without certain strings). The important thing to know is where the root (of that chord) is - especially the lowest root note.
Also, it's helpful to look at chords by "string-set". He was using the '5-4-3-2' string-set when showing a barre chord based on an open C chord. That string-set is also called an "inside" chord or string-set. You don't pluck the top and bottom strings. (If you mute them, then it doesn't matter if you pluck them.) The inside string-set is an important set. I think the '4-3-2-1' string-set is considered the most important, but I'm not sure. I do remember that the highest note i a chord is considered the most important note, because it comes through to our ears as the most prominent note. But that's an unrelated point to the point I wanted to make in this comment. I thought it was still an important thing to know in case someone didn't know it.
it's important to see the parts of barre chords that are shapes found in those basic open chords, and where the root notes are.
Also, it's not really a "barre" chord if your 1st finger isn't "barring" across the width of the neck (imitating the "nut"), although it may still be "movable" - just like a barre chord. This video should be made that distinction. It's still a pretty good video, tho'. That inside chord that is based on an open C chord is a VERY important chord! That puts a "I - IV - V" chord group, all on the the same position - or same fret location. You don't have to change your hand's position on the neck, and that's an important concept, also - as he was pointing out, although he was making that point to emphasize the different sounds you gets with voicings - or order of intervals. Basically, moving the (major or minor) 3rd around. (These were all simple triad chords.) And he had his amp set super clean. - You HAVE to be careful of the 3rd intervals when you use distortion!! >>ESPECIALLY THE MINOR 3RD!!!
Thank you so much, Sir.
This is the music class we're all waiting for...awesome!
And by the way also very nicely explained.
Yeah, that's how I think. Love this lesson. It reinforces what I've come to believe about playing. I'm always looking at passing tones to move me ahead. Much more like playing keyboard than guitar but it works. Also, when I learn a new song I ultimately aim to learn the changes in three different positions. That really helps me as I'm moving around the fret board from one voicing to another. Oh, and no-one said you have to play all six strings all the time. Love simple double stops and triads.
Clever lesson. I am going to incorporate this in my playing.
It makes so much sense to consider each note in a chord as a different voice, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it… it’s obvious in hindsight! Thank you!
Just like, sometimes melodies take a leap or jump for added character or drama, I've noticed that sometimes leaping or jumping chord note lines are effectively used in the same way. So a song might use small-changes chords mostly, yet deliberately include places where the chord changes are more far reaching.
Naive by The Kooks is good example of that
Bravo, sir - a very good post. This is emphasising the fact many players focus an the A and E finger positions of CAGED (and the minor versions), and almost ignore the often easier and more applicable C, G and D versions. Also, you show there is a need for economy - there's no need to play all 6 strings when playing chords (especially if you have distortion - 6, 5, or even 4 string chords can sound horrific).
Depends on genre. In popular music, ever since the blues influenced most modern music, voice leading (at least in the rhythm section) has gone away. Horns and strings: very important. We don’t really hear this anymore. It isn’t a big deal when you’re, say, the guitarist in a reggae band.
Exactly...also at the end of the day- who cares??? If it sounds good, it is good
Great video. I had to chuckle while watching this because one of the songs we're doing in church this Sunday is Bb-Eb-Gm-Cm! 😆
Excellent lesson: it has already prompted me to rethink my playing.
Excellent lesson. When my fingers grow out another 5 inches I'll do some of those chords with such ease. Unfortunately, I'm almost 50 yrs old so don't expect that to happen. 😁
3:23 as soon as you played that voicing in Bb I thought of “Death of an Interior Decorator” by DCFC. You can also get the same voicing on the first fret with an A shape and use a D shape for the Eb. Great lesson on using the CAGED system for voice leading!
I've been doing this for years but as a way of being more economical in movement around the fretboard. It does sound better and I never even thought about how much better it sounds until you A/B'd it here. Great video!
It's weird to be taught by someone without a head.
It’s the Doo lmfao
The headless course man
headstock is important here
😂 Haha 😂
Coz he's playing down the neck 😂😁
Thank you. I have been playing chords and progressions like this for decades but had no real way to identify or explain what makes their voicing sound different. It makes total sense now!
Alternate Video Title: The CAGED system without calling it that ...... But I liked this video anyway because it keeps chord progressions within a smaller fret block as I've had the problem while writing where the next chord is right for the bass line pattern, but still sounds wrong because it doesn't blend well with the previous chord.
I love how he goes straight into playing the chords without hardly doing any talking at all
Very practical for song writing ❤️ wasn't expecting to step up my game this much in only 9 minutes
Didn't expect this to be as instructive as it was! Great great video
Cool! Thanks :-)
For the B-flat chord at 3:24, having short fingers I usually play the root at the 1st fret on the 5th string with my 1st finger and mute the 6th string, also with my 1st finger. I barre strings 4,3,2 as in the video and mute the high E. This moveable voicing is exactly the same notes, just a different shape on the neck.
Great way to do it.
Great video. I'm terrible at alternate chord voicings!!
You can get better :-) thanks!
Using the CAGED system to build melodies within the chord progressions, and givin 'em a warm ambient around. Great lesson! I'm trying to figure out a bassline right now 😆
Simple yet clear explanation to me. Thanks for new ideas!
Dude your hands are huge! I've known about these voicings but I really can't reach them!
Same
it's about how flexible ur fingers. Just practice it man. It's same like the first time u did the C major open chord. Hard at that time. Now u can do it easily.
Stretch you can do it
When i 1st started playing i thought i was going to have arthritis someday because the bones and tendons were hurting in the wrong kind of way. But eventually it went away and my hand sorta molded to how i wanted to play.
It's definitely possible. Actually it's probably impossible to not be able to physically reach them normally. I have small hands too
VERY helpful. I've always hated bar chord progressions for this very reason. I've always thought it sounded too choppy. I've experimented with different voicings and have found ideas that make it better, but this is a nice, general principle to apply on the fly. Thank you!
You could also use single note slides as transition between chords, which is also a kind of voice leading.
For example, G# bar chord (466544) and on beat 4 pick the D string and slide from 5th to 6th fret, then play A#m (688666) on beat 1.
Or add a certain melody note (open string if possible), e.g. the high E string in a C major "I IV V" chord progression:
C (x32010) F (x33210) then slide up 2 frets to G (x55430) - technically making this a C > Fmaj7/C > G6/D progression, but look at it more like C F G just with a high E note added on top.
I think ive been teatering on this concept without realizing it because i love a smooth sound. Almost like playing a piano.
Definitely creates an easier listening sound. Could combine the 2 to create a driven section with a smooth sound behind it
It's interesting to watch all those videos on you tube. Basically it is another take on the CAGED system which I never thought or heard about before You Tube. In a way I was using it without knowing it, but those videos formalize the whole concept.
so it's pretty much finding the closest CAGED chord shape for each chord
Actually that is closer to the point
Thanks. I've been using that and other chord variations for 60 years. ;-)) shalom/gw
I’ve been playing chords like this for years (20+) and never knowing what the point of it was. Now I know. Cheers dude.
I'm learning about voice leading in class and this is super helpful, thank you!
In my days ( 70’s ) we did the berklee books 1,2,3 that covered the voice leading ! Also the Ted Greene books had lots of great examples on voice leading ! I would recommend these books to anyone that takes guitar playing ( studying the guitar also ) seriously ! Just my opinion and in no way trying to impose it or saying that I’m completely right ! Just an old way of doing stuff 👍🏻
I recently got the Ted Greene books. I can't wait to study, learn and experiment with it.
Great tip. Piano chords also sound better played with close voicings.
(For me anyway) I guess the hardest chord shape of all is the C shape bar chord, I've played guitar for 40yrs and always have to make an improvisation of said chord(s)
Play the chords anyway you desire. The top players play the same chord in numerous ways, and very often do so in the manner you are advising against.
I totally agree! The more you know, the more you can choose the right voicings for the right contexts. It's just that a title like: ''These voicings are also good (like many others), but choose whatever you want'' is not very enticing to make people curious enough to click on it ;-) cheers!
@Heathcote Shawn you have no idea what you are talking about.
@Heathcote Shawn Merle Travis revolutionized picking using only a thumb pick and his first finger. Wes Montgomery played using a wart on his thumb and was one of the top jazz musicians of all time., ,, Django Reinhardt was the father of gypsy jazz and used only two fingers on his fretting hand due to a fire he was in,,,, Matteo Mancuso is a new guitarist that has impressed everyone from Al Di Meola to Steve Via and he uses a bass guitar/flamenco style picking technique uniquely his own..
I can do this all day long....
@Heathcote Shawn even the person that posted this video, agreed with what I said.
There comes time where this info becomes helpful. It's when one grows tired of reinventing hot water.
Hey Antoine! Thanks!
I had already signed up for this class, apparently I downloaded the material, but forgot about it before I practiced it! ( Realistically, I had to take a couple of months off, bc I had major surgery on my neck (2 disks out, 3 vertebrae fused) and I still haven't been able to play regularly. But I'm trying to get my hands strong again, next I'll have to reform all my calluses on my left hand, yeah that sux.)
Anyway, originally you didn't present it as "voice leading" so I'm glad I saw this video!
Thanks again!
Please note that "bad voice leading" is an OPINION expressed by Antoine. Having said that, though, I agree that I like the sound of it better and am more likely to call it "economy of motion". I play like this all the time.
They don't call it Spanish Guitar for nothing, my friend. You're the first nice person to explain this. I guess they think I'll hit them,or something. Got you, but, it's gonna take time.
"really really relaxed" also has the longest pinky ever :D
Love this video, Antoine!! Excellent lesson as per usual!
Thanks for your immense support!
When the voicings are played this way, it has a smoother, more classical sound. Playing the bar chords has a different personality, more raw, more rock. Interesting.
The beauty of the CAGED system. Made me remember how dumbed I felt when I was learning chords all over the neck 1 by 1 back in the days xD
Yep easy to play these funky voicings when your hands look like a freaking huntsman spider.
Yeah, this guy's got fingers like Hendrix.
@@tomsawyer9403 didn't you play Richard in friends?
😂 that’s a cracking comment 🎸
Now I've gotta go look up that spider.
We’ll explained. It also helps when you’re singing and playing to not have to move around the neck so much. Simplicity is usually the better way. Thanks
There is no absolute about it. Which shape and position of which chord to use depends on which voice-leading or which melody the composition intends to sound.
If music had to follow one absolute theory, there would have been only one kind of music.
I really appreciate your suggestions here - it completely changes the restrictive rut I find myself in again and again when it comes to chording. Now if I can only get my little elf fingers to reach those fret positions...
Or...just get a Fender Jaguar. Those have more harmonic characteristics built into their smaller scales too.
Ever since I learned that parallel octaves and fifths are to be avoided in 1st year music theory, I've realized that almost all guitarists break the rules every time they play. Oh well.
Again: who cares????
Thank you kindly. I have been looking for this for ages.
When your hands are as big as Shaquille O'Neal then this is a piece of cake. So I will stick to the Bar chords.
barre
Not all the chords that I play giggin' in a bar are necessarily "barre" chords. I have my "bar" chords too, and they tend to vary depending on how many pints I've had. :)
@@geo2937 Not all the fart chords you play are that good for your nose. while your at the bar with your pints why don't you sniff some shit.
@@21MASSA my response wasn't directed at you. I was chiding the guy that was giving you crap about your spelling of bar(re) chords, that he felt like he had to correct you when everyone else on this thread knew exactyly what you meant. But hey, thanks for the fart sniffing reference anyway. I can only aspire to achieve the heights of your perspicacious jocularity. Adieu.
@@geo2937 Thank you and please recieve my official acknowledgment of an offense. FORGIVE ME
It's the best lesson in the world for me! Thank you!