Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs

Subject: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Anne M.
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 10:44 PM

I'm a self taught developing guitarist who plays a lot of 'three chord' songs.   I play lots of songs in the Keys of C, E, A, G and D. My question: When for example, playing in the key of G, what other chords, etc. can I add to G, C and D chords to make each song sound different. I haven't really tackled barre chords yet. I strum and fingerpick, so that helps songs sound different in some cases.

Peace,
Anne

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 07 Mar 05 - 11:38 PM

First up, try adding/ substituting D7, G7, & Em

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 11:35 AM

Use the relative minors.

D, Bm, G, Em, A, F#m

The Dsus4 works well as does the Asus4 and Gsus4.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 11:38 AM

Anne,

There have been a number of threads on this topic. If I knew how to find them for you I would.

BM

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 11:43 AM

Anne M - you'l find that about 90% of the songs in the world are done with three chords - so you're stuck!

In addition to adding the relative minors you can put bass (or treble) runs leading from one chord to the next.

Also you might start trying flatpicking - it may take a while, but being able to pick a lead or an improvised variation will add a lot to those basic three chords.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Michael Morris at work
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:14 PM

Trying plucking out the bass notes and alternately brushing or finger-picking the higher strings (how's that for precise musicological terminology?). Once you get used to it, you can "walk" through a bass melody while playing and singing, and it helps to maintain a steady rhythm throughout the song. I also find it easier to carry melodies when I'm not strumming four, five or six notes all at once. And yes, substitute an A minor for a C major (for example) if it sounds appropriate for a particular song.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:20 PM

Major 7ths are a useful and relatively simple addition

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:21 PM

You can add a lot of relative minors to 3-chord trick songs to tart them up a bit. But whether you will thereby improve them is a matter of personal taste. As a test, obtain listen to Bob Dylan's original recording of Blowing in the Wind, and compare it with the Peter , Paul and Mary cover. To my ears, the cover sounds mawkish and emasculated because of the extra chords. Others think the reverse. Try it and see: get it right for you.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:23 PM

Greg is right on the money there. Make it sound better than it does. Many songs can stand that.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:27 PM

Try playing D7 using a C7 shape at the 3rd fret. Throw a B7 into the mix too.. Move away from 3 chord songs and start to feel the difference.

Ignore comments like "90% of the songs in the world are done with three chords - so you're stuck!" It isn't true, and it will hold you back.

Good luck

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Pete_Standing
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:40 PM

When playing in the keys of G and D, try dropping the bottom E down to a D. There are some chords you may have to revise slightly but you get a real richness in the bass on the D/Dm chord. For a chord of G (well almost), the revision is 550030 (frets played from bottom to top). For chords of A and C, mute the bottom string, for an Em play 222000. When playing in the key of D, this tuning can be revised to drop the top E to a D too which then imparts a type of drone to the sound which can in the right circumstances sound quite good.

Other alternatives are quite drastic, like radical retuning to open or suspended tunings. You might still only use a basic three chords or so with little runs, but the sound can be quite extra extraordinary.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:05 PM

I find that I 'embellish' a lot of 'simple'three chord tunes with passing chords and bass runs - Usually the bass run is just a simplified passing chord any way , and CAN sometimes make the accompaniment a bit more interesting . Bear in mind that sometimes
the simplest chords can be the most effective though !

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: greg stephens
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:30 PM

Well, as someone who spends a lot of his life accompanying cajun music, I would say two chords is the norm, adding a third smacks of dangerous experimentalism.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:34 PM

Here is an idea that will give you a bit of perspective on your question:

Classical musicians play composed pieces--everything is written out on the page, and all they need to do is learn how to play it--as a "non-classical" guitarist, you're problem is that all you have written on the page are some chord names--all the rest you have to provide yourself--you are either or both the composer and arranger--

Music is really made up of strings ideas--melodic ideas, rhythmic ideas, and harmonic ideas--some of the ideas are original, but most are used over and over by everyone--they are like the words in a sentence, and the sentences in a paragraph--it isn't the indvidual parts that is your creation, it's what they add up to--

What you're really saying is that you want each song that you play to be a unique creation--and what you really want to know is, what are some of the different ideas that you can use?


This question is a lot easier to answer if people know what kind of music you are playing--for instance, in jazz, you can often use lots of chord substitutions--in Blues and certain kinds of Rock, you can work with repetitive bass lines--in other kinds of rock, and certain types of folk, you can play rhythmic solos within the basic chord progression, in other kinds of folk, you can add melodic phrases played out of floating chord positions--sometimes, you can even use all of this stuff, but it is usually best to keep things fairly simple and clean--(In fact, there are some kinds of music where it isn't good to add variety)--

So, before we go any further, what sort of music are you playing?

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: M.Ted
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:44 PM

Oh, I almost forgot--the best ideas are often very simple ones, which means that a creative beginning guitarist can sometimes have an advantage, because they are limited to using big, simple ideas that everyone can understand--

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 01:47 PM

And what kind of picking are you doing? Classical fingerstyle? Modern fingerstyle with fingerpicks? Plectrum?

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 02:10 PM

One thing to do is, stop actually playing, from time to time.

Another is play up the neck inversions, for a change - rests your fingers too, because you are using different muscles. And with some of those up the neck inversions you can get a good effect by leaving open the strings that guve you notes that into the chord you are playing. Going up the neck doesn't necessarily mean playing barre chords.

I quite agree with greg about being pretty sparing with the relative minors and the 7ths and so forth. I think it almost always sounds better in folk music if stuff like that is rationed. It's a matter of personal taste though.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 03:21 PM

What McG of H says is true.

D The summertime is coming
And the G trees are sweetly D blooming

or

D The summer A time is Bm coming
And the G trees are sweetly D blooming

As McG of H said: lots of stuff is a matter of mood and choice.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: John Hardly
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 05:51 PM

Here's a worthwhile exercise in spicing up an arrangement. It's elementary theory, but it's practical theory - you don't really have to understand what you're doing as long as you have a good ear and good memory.

Take the three tones of the major chords that you are using. They are the tones that match Do, Mi, and So (of do,re,mi,fa,so,lw,ti,do).   

Do is the root, Mi is the 3rd, and So is the 5th.

Once you find where the three tones fall in your chord, start to experiment with what the chords sound like if you move the third up or down a fret oe two.

Now try moving the fifth up or down a fret or two.

Just experimenting this way will lead you to understanding ways that you can spice up three chord songs. Some of the "new" chords that you find this way will suggest new songs or where they might fit in a song you already play.

You will also see how the subtle one note changes to a chord will flavor it.

Besides, it's fun.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Peace
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 05:55 PM

It sure would be nice to know if Anne M is coming back or has read this thread, huh?

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: denise:^)
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 06:27 PM

Even if Anne M never comes back, I've enjoyed reading the comments...

Denise :^)

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Mudlark
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 10:02 PM

That's the thing I like best about MC...serendipity. I go looking for one thing and find another. My own bit of marginal wisdom to add to this thread...McG of H, above warned about using too many relative minors and the 7ths and so forth. I would caution likewise overusing bass runs. They can be very effective, but if used too often tend to make every song sound the same.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: M.Ted
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 11:17 AM

Clever little game, John Hardly--the next thing you'll want them build new chords around those notes--and then you'll make the notes follow the melody, and then have them build the chords underneath the melody line--or is it counterpoint you're after? You're a trouble maker;-)

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: RobbieWilson
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 11:24 AM

Try not worrying too much about what chord it is but change the ones you play by hammering on and off, leaving one of your fingerings out( C major where you dont play the top C has a lovely sound. I'm sure it has a name but I dont know it. F major with a G on the top string sounds realy good at times try things, keep what you like.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Patrick Costello
Date: 09 Mar 05 - 10:00 PM

I wouldn't worry about "adding" chords. Throwing in chord inversions and keeping the melody together is something that takes a bit of skill to actually pull off. Just randomly throwing in an extra chord here and there is fun when you're home along, but if you do it in a jam session somebody is going to spank you like a circus monkey for throwing everybody out of whack.

To talk about what you "can" do I'm going to have to give into a wee bit of music theory - but don't sweat it because this stuff is actually pretty simple once you understand it.

The examples I'm posting here will look a lot nicer and make more sense in a moonscape font. Cut and paste this into a text program like Notepad and covert everything to something like Courier.

I think the first step to really being able to use chord progressions is learning how they are built.

If I just say, "In the key of C you usually can count on the song using the C, F and G chords" if doesn't give you the whole picture. As soon as you play a song like Freight Train in C and run into the E chord you'll be thinking, "where the hell did that come from?"

So what "makes" a chord progression?

It's built on scales.

Now, don't freak out and run away here. I know that some goomer at a festival might have convinced you that music theory is either hard or not applicable to traditional music but neither of those old wives tales is true.

A scale is just a sequence of notes. The formal term is something more along the lines of "the key of E is a major mode with a root of E," but we won't be getting into modes for a while so thinking of it as a sequence of notes makes things easier for now.

In Western music we are only working with twelve notes. The twelve notes are named after the letters A through G with a note or half-step between each pair of letters except between B and C and E and F:

A | B C | D | E F | G |

Your half step is either a sharp (#) or a flat (b.)

The half step between A and B can be called either A# or Bb.

A# means that the A note is raised one half step higher. Bb is the B note lowered one half step. A# and Bb are the same note and the other half steps follow the same pattern.

So with all twelve notes laid out you have the chromatic scale:

A A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab

Once you understand the idea of half steps you can just write out your chromatic scale like this to save space and make it a tad clearer.
The " | " symbol will be used to represent a half step.

A | B C | D | E F | G |

To hear this on your banjo play the third string at the second fret
(an A note) and play that string on each fret all the way through twelve frets for each note of the chromatic scale.

To figure out the notes of the C scale we need to lay out the string of notes starting with our root note. In this case the root note is C so we start with the C note. Because we are only working with the letters A through G the notes after the G note is going to be A.
It might help to think of the notes as being laid out in a loop or circle.

C | D | E F | G | A | B C

Now if you notice we started on C and ended on C. That second C is called the octave. It is the same note as the root but higher in pitch.

What we have here now is a chromatic scale starting on C and ending on C.
Root, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.

C is the root.
1. a whole step from C is D.
2. a whole step from D is E.
3. a half step from E is F
4. a whole step from F is G
5. a whole step from G is A
6. a whole step from A is B
7. a half step from B is C

So your C scale is
C D E F G A B C

Now, try writing out some scales on your own.

Once you have a scale laid out- and it might be a good idea to sit down and work out A couple of scales here for keys you will be using a lot on the banjo like A,D and G andd keeping them handy to use in the next step- go ahead and number each note:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
C D E F G A B C

The notes numbered 1, 4 and 5 (C, F and G) will be your major chords for the key of C.

Go back and look at all the songs in the key of G that know (that is, if you are already playing a couple of songs.) You will notice that almost all of them use some combination of G, C and D. Some songs will only have two of the chords but most of the time you will see all three.

The note numbered 6 is going to be your relative minor. In this case Am.

Every root chord has a relative minor chord. We'll go into this in more detail later on, but every key has a unique number of sharps and flats. The key of C has no sharps or flats and the key of G has one sharp (F#.) The same rule applies to minor keys. Any minor key that has the same number of sharps and flats as a major key is the relative minor of that major key.

The key of Am has no sharps or flats therefore it is the relative minor of C.

It is good to know your relative minor chords (the 6 chord in the number system) because you can swap them around in some situations. If you are playing a song and cannot remember how to make an Am chord you can just play a C chord. It is different but it is close enough that you may get away with it.

The note numbered 2 is going to be both a minor chord and a major chord. In this case Am and A.

Number 3 is where it gets kind of neat because in folk music this is often referred to as an "off chord." In the key of C your off chord is E (remember when I mentioned Freight Train?.)

Your 6 chord can be played as a major chord as well. But it is kind of funky. You will really only use the major 6 once in a great while. In some songs like "Little Maggie" you might run into what some players call a mountain seven. That is when you flat the 7 chord. That is why "Little Maggie" goes from G to F rather than G to F# (it's actually a mode, but modes complicate things at this point - if you want to learn about modes look for the free online edition of "A Book Of Five Strings" by yours truly at http://www.ezfolk.com)

So right now we know how to build a scale and how to build a chord progression and your head hasn't exploded yet. Let's take this over to the guitar.

Just about every fretted instrument you are going to run into is laid out so that the fretboard follows the concept of the chromatic scale. This goes back to ancient Greece when a bunch of old fat guys in togas were spending all day plunking on a monochord.

If your guitar is in standard tuning your first string is tuned to E. If you fret that E string at the first fret you end up with an F note. Fret that E string at the third fret and you get an F#. If you lay out a chromatic scale staring on E you can see you each fret moves along the chromatic scale.

E F F#/Gb G G#/Ab A A#/Bb B C C#/Db D D#/Eb E

It's the same for each of your string. The tird string is tuned to G so you you waled down the fetboard you'd end up with this string of notes:

G G#/Ab   A A#/Bb B    C C#/Db D D#/Eb E    F   F#/Gb G

To hear this on your guitar play the third string at the second fret (an A note).

Then play that string on each fret all the way through twelve frets. You have just played each note of the chromatic scale. This works because the fretboard is laid out to follow the chromatic scale.

Look at it this way. The third string of your guitar is tuned to G. If we fret the G string at the first fret we get a G#/Ab. Keep that idea moving down the fetboard and . . .
   
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|---0----1----2----3----4----5----6----7----8----9----10----11----12-|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
   G G#/Ab   A A#/Bb B    C C#/Db D D#/Eb E    F   F#/Gb G

Each string on your guitar follows the same pattern. The first string is tuned to E so fretting the first string at the first fret gets you an F note and fretting at the third fret gets you a . . . come on, figure this one out on your own . . . if you said "G" you've got the idea!

Now let's go back to the goold old C scale we worked out earlier: C D E F G A B C.

To play this on the guitar we could use the same formula that we used to play the A chromatic scale. We can start this on the second string at the first fret.
Why? Because the second string is tuned to B and as a result fretting that B string at the first fret gives you a C note.

A whole step from C is D:
|--------|
|---1--3-|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
   C D

A whole step from D is E:
|-----------|
|---1--3--5-|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|
|-----------|
   C D E

A half step from E is F:
|--------------|
|---1--3--5--6-|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|
    C D E F

A whole step from F is G:
|-----------------|
|---1--3--5--6--8-|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|-----------------|
    C D E F G

A whole step from G is A:
|---------------------|
|---1--3--5--6--8--10-|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
|---------------------|
   C D E F G A

A whole step from A is B:
|------------------------|
|---1--3--5--6--8-10--11-|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
|------------------------|
   C D E F G A   B

A half step from B is C:
|----------------------------|
|---1--3--5--6--8-10--11--12-|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
|----------------------------|
   C D E F G A   B   C

And that gives us a C scale.

That isn't the only C scale on your guitar. You can play a C scale anywhere on the fretboard. Try playing a C scale staring on the fifth string at the third fret.

That's a C note because the fifth string is tuned to A:   

|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|--------------------|
|---0----1----2----3-|
|--------------------|
    A A#/Bb B    C

So we start with C:
|-----|
|-----|
|-----|
|-----|
|---3-|
|-----|
   C

The next note in the scale is D- and that just happens to be the next open string:
|--------|
|--------|
|--------|
|------0-|
|---3----|
|--------|
    C D

After D comes E and F:

|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|------0--2--3-|
|---3----------|
|--------------|
    C D E F

The next note in the scale in G- and we can move over to the next open string for that note:

|-----------------|
|-----------------|
|---------------0-|
|------0--2--3----|
|---3-------------|
|-----------------|
    C D E F G

And you just keep that idea going until you hit the next C note:
   
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|--------0--1-|
|---------------|--0--2-------|
|------0--2--3--|-------------|
|---3-----------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
    C D E F    G A B C

And you can start another C scale from that C note:

|---------0--1--|--3--5--7--8-|
|---1--3--------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
   C D E F    G A B C

So playing a major scale isn't a big deal. In fact, it's nothing more than playing a simple pattern of whole and half steps on the fretboard.

Try working out some more scales on your own. For the next part of this mini workshop we will be using the C, F and G scales.
To save time I'll tab the bass-string scales out for you.

C:
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|--------0--1-|
|---------------|--0--2-------|
|------0--2--3--|-------------|
|---3-----------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
    C D E F    G A B C

F:
|---------------|--------------|
|---------------|--------------|
|---------------|--------------|
|---------------|-----0--2--3--|
|---------0--1--|--3-----------|
|---1--3--------|--------------|
    F G A Bb    C D E   F

G:
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|-----------0-|
|---------------|--0--2--4----|
|------0--2--3--|-------------|
|---3-----------|-------------|
    G A B C    D E F# G


ALTERNATING BASS:

Using the root note for the bass sounds good but it's kind of boring. In order to give the song a feeling of motion we can alternate the bass. To do this we play the root note for the first bass strum in a measure and either the fifth or the third note of the scale to start the second bass strum:

C:
|---------------|-------------|
|---------------|--------0--1-|
|---------------|--0--2-------|
|------0--2--3--|-------------|
|---3-----------|-------------|
|---------------|-------------|
    C D E F    G A B C
Root   3rd      5th

So if we use the root and the third note for our bass notes for a C chord we get an alternating bass pattern like this:

    C
|-----0-----0--|-|
|-----1-----1--|-|
|-----0-----0--|-|
|-----2---2-2--|-|
|---3-3-----3--|-|
|-----x-----x--|-|

For an F chord it's a bit tricker because of the sixth string F note at the first fret. In the beginning you can just fudge a root-five for the F chord.

And when you apply that to a song like Boil Them Cabbage Down:

    C                F               C
|-------0-------0---|-----1-------1-|-----0-------0---|
|-------1-------1---|-----1-------1-|-----1-------1---|
|-------0-------0---|-----2---2---2-|-----0-------0---|
|-------2---2---2---|-3---3-------3-|-----2---2---2---|
|---3---3-------3---|-----3-------3-|-3---3-------3---|
|-------x-------x---|-----x-------x-|-----x-------x---|
boil them cab-bage   down    down bake them hoe-cakes
   
    G               C               F
|-------3-------3-|-----0-------0---|-----1-------1-|
|-------0-------0-|-----1-------1---|-----1-------1-|
|-------0-------0-|-----0-------0---|-----2---2---2-|
|-------0-------0-|-----2---2---2---|-3---3-------3-|
|-------2---2---2-|-3---3-------3---|-----3-------3-|
|---3---3-------3-|-----x-------x---|-----x-------x-|
   brown brown   the only song that I can sing is

    C       G      C
|-------0-------3---|-----0-------0--|-|
|-------1-------0---|-----1-------1--|-|
|-------0-------0---|-----0-------0-*|-|
|-------2-------0---|-----2---2---2-*|-|
|---3---3-------2---|-3---3-------3--|-|
|-------x---3---3---|-----x-------x--|-|
boil them cab-bage down


Bass Runs:

If you mess around with your scales it's easy to add bass runs into the mix. Let's look at the first few measures of Boil Them Cabbage Down:

    C                F               C
|-------0-------0---|-------------|-----0-------0---|
|-------1-------1---|-------------|-----1-------1---|
|-------0-------0---|-------------|-----0-------0---|
|-------2---2---2---|-------------|-----2---2---2---|
|---3---3-------3---|-------0--2--|-3---3-------3---|
|-------x-------x---|-1--3--------|-----x-------x---|
boil them cab-bage   down   down bake them hoe-cakes

    G               C               
|--------------|-----0-------0---|
|--------------|-----1-------1---|
|--------------|-----0-------0---|
|--------------|-----2---2---2---|
|-----0--2-----|-3---3-------3---|
|--3--------3--|-----x-------x---|
brown brown   the only song that. . .



Okay, We've got some bass line stuff to mix in, what about the melody? Here's the trick: Hold a C chord and while you are holding the chord play this little piece of a C scale:

-----------0--1--3--1--0-------------------
-----1--3-----------------3--1-------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------

Just mess about with holding a C chord and playing that little bit of a scale now and then.

Now play a couple of measures of C with a simple thumb-brush:

     ------0--------0---+-----0-------0----
     ------1--------1---+-----1-------1----
     ------0--------0---+-----0-------0----
     ------2--------2---+-----2-------2----
     ---3--3--------3---+--3--3-------3----
     ------3----3---3---+-----3----3--3----
   
Count:  1  2    3   4   |  1  2    3  4 

(we're playing a simple quarter note strum here)

And once you practice that for a little while and use it in a jam it's easy to move on to the Carter Strum (which is actually nothing more than the "bump dit-ty" from frailing banjo, but since the idiots in Banjo Newsletter and banjo camps can't play the "bump dit-ty" that technique has been labeled 'untraditional' with a whole cock and bull story about the technique being invented by Pete Seeger . . . I really freaking hate the music community!)
Where was I? Oh yeah, the Carter strum:

     ------0--0------0--0--+-----0--0-------0--0--
     ------1--1------1--1--+-----1--1-------1--1--
     ------0---------0-----+-----0----------0-----
     ------2---------2-----+-----2----------2-----
     ---3--3---------3-----+--3--3----------3-----
     ------3-----3---3-----+-----3-------3--3-----
   
Count:  1  2  &  3   4  &  |  1  2  &    3  4  &

This isn't a quarter note strum, it's a quarter note and two eighth notes played in a "down, down, up" pattern. You can do it with a flatpick, but to "get" the rhythm down for fingerstyle guitar it's better to play the pattern with your thumb and index finger. Down with the thumb on the bass string, down with the thumb for the strum and then strum up with the index finger.

You jam with that for a while and the next step is to change up the rhythm into something more like fingerstyle guitar by replacing the strums with a single note.

     ------------0------------0--
     ----------------------------
     ------0------------0--------
     ----------------------------
     ---3-----------3------------
     ---------3-------------3----
   
Count:  1  &  2  &  3   &   4  & 

And it doesn't have to be single notes:

     ------------0------------0--
     ---1-----------1------------
     ------0------------0--------
     ---------2-------------2----
     ---3-----------3------------
     ---------3-------------3----
   
Count:  1  &  2  &  3   &   4  & 


Once you can keep the rhythm smooth playing a string of eighth notes the next step is to mix the alternating bass with the scale:

     -----------0--1--3--1--0----
     -----1--3-----------------3-
     ----------------------------
     -----------0-----------0----
     -----3----------3-----------
     ----------------------------
Count:  1  &  2  &  3   &   4  &

Now play that same pattern but switch your chord form to F, Am and G. Don't change the fingering of the scale pattern, just move the alternating bass to the right notes for the chord form.

And right here you have the pattern that Doc Watson uses for Doc's Guitar, Don't Think Twice, She's Gone Away, Deep River Blues and a bunch of other songs. It also shows up in the playing of musicians as divers as Merle Travis, Leo Kottke, Gary Davis, John Cephas and God only knows how many others.

If you tab out, say, Deep River Blues and Doc's Guitar on paper it looks like there is this long string of individual finger movements you have to memorize to play the song. The reality is that you only need to understand a few concepts to be able to play those songs and a thousand others.

The really wild thing about this concept is that the scales with alternating bass trick will work for any chord form.

The problem is that this:

     -----------0--1--3--1--0----
     -----1--3-----------------3-
     ----------------------------
     -----------0-----------0----
     -----3----------3-----------
     ----------------------------
Count:  1  &  2  &  3   &   4  &

will not work until you have mastered this:

     ------0--------0---+-----0-------0----
     ------1--------1---+-----1-------1----
     ------0--------0---+-----0-------0----
     ------2--------2---+-----2-------2----
     ---3--3--------3---+--3--3-------3----
     ------3----3---3---+-----3----3--3----
   
Count:  1  2    3   4   |  1  2    3  4 


-Patrick

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Anne M.
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 10:05 AM

I've been away for a few days, but, it was nice to get back and read your thoughtful posts. M Ted, Patrick C. ( great stuff! I must learn to read/play/understand Tab.), brucie and all others....I thank you! I now have a lot to try out :) I play modern fingerpicking with my fingers and sing/play simple folk music, and my tastes (so far) with accompaniment is to keep it pretty simple (since my voice is my main instrument.) Thanks again!

Love,
Anne

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,brucie
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 10:21 AM

Glad you're back, Anne M.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Mar 05 - 07:07 PM

three chords is enough for anybody
when I were a lad we thought ourselves lucky when we had two chords

we could only use three chords on sundays, but then we had to put it back

we though only degenerates messed about with minors

mind you they was happy days. folks knew where they were with two chords.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 10:40 AM

"I should-a learned to play the gittar; I should-a learned to play them drums" - come na little drummer boy - you can do better than that"!

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 11:09 AM

"Try not worrying too much about what chord it is but change the ones you play by hammering on and off, leaving one of your fingerings out( C major where you dont play the top C has a lovely sound. I'm sure it has a name but I dont know it."

That'll be a CMaj7 - learn those Major 7ths - they add real colour to your sound.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Grab
Date: 11 Mar 05 - 12:10 PM

Hmm. Major 7ths are nice occasionally, but don't over-use them or it sounds like cheesy soft-jazz.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 12:29 PM

"Hmm. Major 7ths are nice occasionally, but don't over-use them or it sounds like cheesy soft-jazz."

Hmm.. over-use of 3 chords all sounds like cheesy folk & country to me.

The more you learn, the more you have in your arsenal and the more versatile you can be. Spare me the 3 chord merchants who think they can play anything

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 08:32 PM

Patrick Costello -

WOW! I almost want to try the guitar now... your explanation is much clearer than many books I have looked at!

Thank You!

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Seaking
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 10:07 PM

Obvious thing to say but depends hugely on the song , with some 'less' is definitely 'more' (in terms of number of strings played or chord variations added) and others just cry out for a bit of filling out. Sometimes what you leave out is just as important as what you add in. What your right hand is doing all adds to the equation. Minors are really useful -and generally easy to play in most keys - but I agree that in general 7ths should be added with caution.

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Eric the Streetsinger
Date: 14 Mar 05 - 11:41 PM

Try this: hum the melody of the song.
Pick out the notes in that melody on
one or two strings. Then practice to
become fluent at playing the note
sequence.
When the melody is secure in your fingers,
try adding a second note in unison with
each of the melodic notes- its a bit hit/miss,
but you'll notice some notes sound good in
tandem, and others don't.
Once you've done that, try adding a third
note to create a triad.
Also try different positions on the same chords-
for example, if you move a B-flat shape up
to the fifth fret, it gives you a very nice variation
on a "D" chord, without having to barre anything.
When you are playing the chords of your songs in
sequence, try this: Pluck each of the stings of the
chord, and see which one is the root (melody) and
which ones are the harmonics.
When you practice, really take your chords apart
and listen to them!

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 12:13 AM

Hammer on

Hammer off

Flat the 5ths

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: cobber
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 04:37 AM

Two chords, littleweedrummer! Luxury! When I was a boy we only had a one string fiddle made from an old oil can...........

Subject: RE: Adding Variety To Three Chord Songs
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 15 Mar 05 - 11:25 PM

A bluesy flavor can be added to many songs by substituting 9th chords for the IV & V major chords. I use them in the bluegrass standard "Blue and Lonesome" and it totally changes the flavor of the song.