Comments

• ivyguitar New

  September 2017 Posts: 12

  Also- soundslice is pretty unbelievable
• Russell Letson Prodigy

  September 2017 Posts: 355

  Perhaps I'm confused--the video is about the use of what American big-band players call shell chords, and specifically three-note voicings that require minimal shifting. The "Daphne" snippet (starting at 5:13) demonstrates those in contrast to the big-jump full-chord approach. I've watched that section again, and what I see is three-note voicings that stay in the 5th-3rd-fret space, and not the six-string fingerings for the D6/9 and G6/9 charted in Adrian's Soundslice demo.
  
  I recall quite vividly the difference between the approaches advocated in workshops and instruction books (including Michael's Gypsy Rhythm*) on GJ and straight-ahead American rhythm playing I've encountered over the last two decades: la pompe, I was told, uses full-chord fingerings rather than the three-note/four-string fingerings of the shell-chord approach.
  
  * Many of Michael's basic and intermediate fingerings omit the A or the high E string, but they are fuller voicings than the three-note chords that, he writes, "Django used mostly as passing chords."
  
• NylonDave Glasgow✭✭✭ Perez Valbuena Flamenca 1991

  September 2017 edited September 2017 Posts: 462

  The 'magic chord' is mostly minor Sixth in root position or second inversion dominant,
  
  By raising the interval between the third and fourth strings to a perfect fifth, as is demonstrated in the video, the similar shape becomes a minor triad in first inversion but can also be other things like a rootless Major seventh in second inversion.
  
  I don't know if the root being in the middle of the voicing qualifies as 'shell' I am not sure but usually shell means the guide tones, third and seventh and maybe a colour tone on top.
  
  The definitive book on Freddie Green playing has to be Jim Ferguson's although it is a bit frustrating that he limits his focus to the Blues.
  
  I would say that the Daphne example is mostly about elegant voice leading. Minimum movement is always best whether one is considering the guitar or the movement of the individual lines in the (for the example) mostly three part harmony with a pedal ninth(with regard to the tonic) on the second string(with the exception of the G#diminished).
  
  I don't really mind how a player plays rhythm so long as they don't jump around all the time, completely ignore voice leading or drown me out. Mostly they do though.
  
  D.
  
  
• Bones Moderator

  September 2017 Posts: 3,319

  Here's my personal preference.
  
  (first measure):
  
  D6-9/A
  5x44(5)x
  
  Note that the 5 on the B string is in parens because I try not to emphasize that higher register color tone. It's fretted with the 3rd finger but I really try to damp it more than fret it. I don't want to drive that sound upon the lead player too much.
  
  (second measure):
  
  Em7/G
  3x24xx
  A7
  5456xx
  
  (fifth measure):
  
  D6-9/A
  D7
  5x45xx
  
  (sixth measure):
  
  G
  x554xx
  G#dim
  4x34xx
  
  Again, assuming there is a bass player. Then no need for me to get the root note in there unless it is 'convenient'.
  
  Alternatively,
  
  D/A
  554xxx (even less 'color' tones for a very dry sound. I like triads a lot sometimes. Try triads and see how you like it for a variety. Even over a V chord it is cool. Especially in a 'latin' tune or 'bossa'.)
  
  Em7/D
  x554xx
• dennis Montreal, QuebecModerator

  September 2017 Posts: 2,161

  Re: which notes to play when using a full chord, it all happens in the moment and is not always an exact science. The best thing to do is to notate it the way Adrian notated it in soundslice, and then depending on the situation, you can choose not to play certain notes for various reasons, whether musical or practical, or a combination of both.
  
  In the end as nylonstringdave said, in this case, it's for both practical and musical reasons. The voice leading is cool and typical of Django, but it's also less effort on the left hand. If Samy played it slower maybe he'd have reached for more notes.
  
  In the end, it's not about being dogmatic but about figuring what sound you want to go for, and then going for it.

  

  www.facebook.com/denischangmusic
  www.denischang.com
  www.dc-musicschool.com
• NylonDave Glasgow✭✭✭ Perez Valbuena Flamenca 1991

  September 2017 Posts: 462

  Bones wrote: »

  
  554xxx (even less 'color' tones for a very dry sound. I like triads a lot sometimes. Try triads and see how you like it for a variety. Even over a V chord it is cool. Especially in a 'latin' tune or 'bossa'.)
  
  Em7/D
  x554xx
  

  
  Nice post Bones ! This is turning into an enjoyable thread, very generous of Adrian and Dennis and yourself to take the time to tab out the chords, makes me realise how lazy I am.
  
  While we are talking about books I always like to take the opportunity to recommend Nelson Faria's excellent The Brazilian Guitar book. He explains lots of transcriptions of people like Joao Gilberto and the clarity and sparseness of the Brazilian aesthetic struck me at the time as being very similar to Django's concept, beautiful sparse voice leading and tasteful chromaticism. Unfortunately for non readers it is notation only, but for the rest of us that means more material and less wasted paper.
  
  I laughed when I saw Samy jumping around using 'conventional' voicings as I have uncomfortable memories of doing just that at jam sessions and tying myself in knots.
  
  D.
  
  
  
  
  
• Bones Moderator

  September 2017 edited September 2017 Posts: 3,319

  I probably should have clarified that the Em7/D example that I tabbed was not technically related to the previous sentence about triads. It was just showing the movement from the D triad to the Em7/D shape. Er, well...note however that it is (technically) identically equal to a G triad (Em7 is the relative minor to G, hey...I know some theory!!!). Then if you just use an A triad for the A7 (omitting the b7 note) you can just move the Em7/D shape up 2 frets to get the A. Same finger shape for all 3 chords just in a slightly different position. Doesn't get much easier than that :-) I, IV, V...same diff...or just use this A7 shape if you want the b7 in there.
  
  5456xx
  
  Again, with these minimalist voicings you have to learn to damp out the open strings but it isn't that hard if you concentrate on using the fingers of the left hand to just touch those strings lightly. Be careful to not fret them by pressing too hard but that is pretty easy since we are not really pressing the chord down very hard anyway since we want to quickly damping the sound. Practice slowly and hit all six strings. Make sure the extra strings don't ring open or fretted.
  
  Also watch out for creating harmonics while you are damping those unwanted strings especially on frets like the 5th, 7th, etc. A trick I have found that works well is just shift the chord shape back like a third of the fret spacing so that your damping finger is not right over the fret creating the ringing harmonic. But don't go too far back or your fretted notes won't sound cleanly.
  
  To be clear you want to hit all six strings on every beat for maximum percussive effect. (Although obviously you can sometimes emphasize the bass strings if you want that sound you just don't want to have that 'boom-chick' thing going on all the time).
  
  All this stuff depends on the context and personal preference. To get away with minimal voicings you need at least a bass player. Prob not a great idea in a duo setting. Plus if you have another rhythm player (or several in a jam) who is using fuller voicings why not use the minimal voicings to just add a bit more tone to the triad sounds and some percussion without burying the soloist. In this style the soloist usually has so much going on that it is generally better to keep the clutter in the rhythm section down a bit.