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How to Play Intro to Tom Petty's AMERICAN GIRL


75guitar

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Hi,

 

Playing on my Taylor 810 dreadnaught ...

 

Below is the American Girl intro in Key of D. How can a get a similar distinctive sound in the intro in the key of G ? THANKS!

 

 

 

Intro Riff / Chord

 

Here is how you play the distinctive D chord heard in the intro (and in between many of the verses). The trick here is to mute the B string with your index finger (which should be used to play the 7th fret on the G string).

 

 

 

e-|---10---- <--- pinky

 

B-|----x---- <--- muted with index finger

 

G-|----7---- <--- index finger

 

D-|----0----

 

A-|--------- Listen along for the strumming pattern.

 

E-|---------

 

D

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

Rick

 

 

 

 

 

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Three choices:

 

E: -- -- 3

B: -- -- mute with 2nd finger

G: -- -- 0

D: -- -- 5 (optional)

 

E: -- -- X

B: -- -- 8

G: -- -- 0

D: -- -- 5

 

E: -- -- 15

B: -- -- mute

G: -- -- 0

D: -- -- 17 (optional

 

You could get a similar configuration on lower strings but it won't sound so good.

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Hi,

 

Playing on my Taylor 810 dreadnaught ...

Below is the American Girl intro in Key of D. How can a get a similar distinctive sound in the intro in the key of G ? THANKS!

 

Intro Riff / Chord

Here is how you play the distinctive D chord heard in the intro (and in between many of the verses). The trick here is to mute the B string with your index finger (which should be used to play the 7th fret on the G string).

 

e-|---10---- <--- pinky

B-|----x---- <--- muted with index finger

G-|----7---- <--- index finger

D-|----0----

A-|--------- Listen along for the strumming pattern.

E-|---------

D

 

Thanks,

 

Rick

 

 

 

I've never paid any attention to the Tom Petty song, but if you barre the first three or four strings at 7 and play the first at 10 you've got a nice complete D chord and don't have to mute the second string (it is an F# which is part of the D triad). Interestingly if you barre all 4 strings you get an A on the fourth (also part of the triad), if you only barre three you get a D on the fourth which of course is the root. I like the all three notes of the chord.

 

Really, its just the old folkie "long A" chord moved from the second fret to the seventh

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THANKS to ALL !

 

You're welcome.

 

PS. The "distinctive D chord" in the song isn't actually a D chord at all. A true D major chord is made up of three notes: D F# A (viz the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes in the key). The intro "chord" is actually three D notes being played an octave apart: D3, D4, D5.

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