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How do you find an elusive chord?


Acooljt

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I was just doing some writing and I couldn't figure out the chord that I was hearing in my head. I went through all of the usual suspects, triads, dominant 7, m7, dim, but couldn't quite get there though I was close with a 7#9 and a diminished. Eventually I tried going one note at a time. So I knew my root was D, and then I would just try the next string on different frets until I heard what I wanted to hear, then moved on to the next string. I ended up with a Dmmaj9 which is definitely not a chord I've ever used before but had the dissonant quality of a diminished without the bluesy feel of a 7#9, exactly what I wanted! How do you guys go about finding those elusive, strange chords that you hear in your head but have trouble finding on the fretboard? My one-note-at-a-time trial and error approach worked, but I was wondering if you guys have better ways.

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. . . Eventually I tried going one note at a time. . . . How do you guys go about finding those elusive' date=' strange chords that you hear in your head but have trouble finding on the fretboard? My one-note-at-a-time trial and error approach worked, but I was wondering if you guys have better ways.[/quote']

 

I do exactly what you did. A lot of my songs are just simple three- and four-chord tunes, but a lot of them aren't. And you're right, sometimes you definitely want something (or a group of somethings) bluesy or swampy or smoky or folky or spooky or whistful or sleazy or regal or petulant or cloying or soothing or annoying - and sometimes you definitely don't.

 

So yeah, sometimes I do it by finding one note that I want, then look for the second note, and so on until I have the sound I want.

 

And it's huge fun!

 

Del

http://www.thefullertons.net

( •)—:::

 

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That's a great way of developing your musicianship.

 

Instead of writing something that leaves a gap, I transpose it to take advantage of known structures. That's for composing. I'm continuously exploring the fretboard to coax melodies from it, and have been for many years, and that has given me a rather comprehensive sonic knowledge of the board.

 

I don't normally listen to music. I haven't for 40 years. But, if I hear something publicly played that's interesting I can usually be playing it within a couple minutes of picking my guitar up when I get home. That's what your exercise in finding a chord will develop in you.

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IHow do you guys go about finding those elusive' date=' strange chords that you hear in your head but have trouble finding on the fretboard? My one-note-at-a-time trial and error approach worked, but I was wondering if you guys have better ways.[/quote']

 

I've done that a few times.

 

The "better way" is to know what you're doing! But that hasn't stopped me!

 

 

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