Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session tunes

Subject: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session tunes
From: GUEST,Muppetry
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 09:24 AM

Does anyone have any good resource links for interesting chords for English session tunes?

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session t
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:01 PM

Most English session tunes require only the three chord trick in either G or D. You need to use your ears to hear when to use the appropriate chord. If the tune is modal, then anything goes that sounds OK to you - though it may not be the same as anyone else's choice.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session t
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 16 Aug 07 - 12:05 PM

Having re-read your question, I see you are looking for *interesting* chords. If you use non-standard chords in a session, you may get some very curious looks from other session members, who may think you are playing the wrong chords!
It is fine to use interesting chords if you are playing on your own, of course.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session tunes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 11:58 AM

Your question intrigued me, Muppetry. So I decided to do a little test. I went to Google Advanced search and entered this in the top box

The water is wide chords

Then under "containing the exact words" I entered

The water is wide.

This search yielded pages with chords for that famous song.

I think you can do this for songs you are interested in. It is likely that one of the song searches will lead you to a site that has quite a few songs that are right for you.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session tunes
From: redsnapper
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 12:17 PM

If you use non-standard chords in a session, you may get some very curious looks from other session members

An inevitable and necessary part of the folk process of course! (:>)

RS

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session t
From: Howard Jones
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 03:15 PM

Whilst English session tunes may only require the 3-chord trick, the idiosyncrasies of the melodeon, which tends to be the dominant instrument, means that they don't necessarily come in the right order. When I have come to arrange tunes for a band, I've often found that the chord sequences the guitarist wants to use are quite different from those the melodeon demands.

It's not just the chord structure, the somewhat loose rhythmic nature of English music is also difficult for some guitarists. I think it takes an particularly good guitarist to contribute to an English session - I know some extremely good players who just don't "get" the rhythm and so I find it almost impossible to play with them.

Subject: RE: Chord Req: Guitar chords for English session tunes
From: The Sandman
Date: 17 Aug 07 - 03:35 PM

TRY G C D MajorEminor E Modal,Aminor Amodal,Dmajor Bminor Amajor,A Seven,Fsharp minor,that should be adequate.