M.Ted,

Okay, suppose you wanted to play an F chord up the neck. One of the fingerings I see Merle use on the video tape is to make a standard three-fingered D pattern at the fifth fret (A F# C), add the Bb (8th fret) with the fourth finger and catch a bass A on the sixth string using the thumb. As is often the case, the fifth string is not played.

Merle seemed to use this pattern quite a lot. Of course he would use a lot of seventh, ninth and diminished chords staying away from major triads as much as possible. Rick may have additional (or better) information, this is just what I have surmised watching his hands on the video tape.

Sean (et al.),

As for the pain involved in these chords... just get over it. After using them extensively for a year or two you'll either get used to the pain or learn to play through it; I forget which. If you need to play comfortably I suspect you've chosen the wrong instrument. Many years ago in a late-night bluegrass jam session, I watched the bass player stop to wipe his own blood from his strings and fingerboard, then wrap the ends of his fingers with tape so he could keep playing. Now that's determination.

Good luck,

- Mark