Hey friends, just had a question about some chords. Ive been playing in a gospel group for awhile now with a really awesome piano player. This is the first time Ive actually in a band where the Piano is the lead instrument. Meaning a lot of the songs are piano driven, Im not used to some of the chords we play like for example an A2? Can anyone give my some advice on playin some of those tough chord pianists use? Thanks..

Well, how about a quick lesson then?

Obviously you cannot play as many notes on a six string instrument as he/she can with ten fingers and 88 keys, so, you have to prioritize.

First priority- don't clash. That is, if he plays a C maj 7 chord you don't want to have a b flat note (the minor 7th of the chord) ringing out and hurting folks' ears.

Second, learn to play the chords with the root of the chord on the bottom, then the third, then the fifth, etc., until you can comfortably play inversions of all the chords. Starting in the key of C play a major chord with a C on bottom, then with the third or E as the low or bass, then the fifth or G. so the chords are stacked CEG. (135) EGC, (351) GCE, (513) then you repeat an octave higher.

If you don't know exactly what he is playing then you can play a three note chord consisting of the root, the fifth and either maj or min 3rd, and that will blend nicely and make pretty music and glorify our creator. If you aren't sure if it's major or minor, a 6th, minor or maj 7th, then play the root, the fifth and an octave of one or the other, such as the lowest three notes of a regular first position F barre chord (F-C-F)

Then, it's a question of either learning his exact chords from the music or by ear training. (I can turn my back and tell you what the chords are. It's not really that hard if you practice recognizing intervals, minors, majors, major & min 7ths, 6ths, flat 9s, 11s, diminished and augmented chords, etc.,. and I taught my son how to do it in a day. Then it's a question of practicing and recognizing chords that you don't often hear in basic rock & roll or blues progressions.)

Also, you'll find that in religious hymns they often use the fifth as the bass note of a chord such as an A with an E on the bottom to give it that unresolved sound, and then when the big payoff comes you all hit the root together and Hallelujah!

(A pop music example of this is BLUE BAYOU by Linda Ronstadt. At the end of the verse when she sings "That familiar sunrise.....Through sleepy eyes" the bass player is playing the fifth or E against an A chord and then when Linda sings "How HAPPY I'd be" everyone jumps on the A bass note and the ear goes, "Yes! That's what I was waiting for!")


If a piano player moves up and uses the fifth note of the scale on the bottom it may not be that crucial what fingering position or inversion you use as long as you don't play notes that clash! (This may include avoiding the root if he's avoiding it, waiting for the aforementioned payoff. Chords are moods and are used to build the suspense. Learn to use them for that and what not to play and when.

When in doubt keep it simple until you're comfy with the exact chords, and then you can either play those chords or extend off of them by playing additional notes that fit right in! (I may add a 6th or a maj 7th and "pretty up" the chord while he plays a basic triad for instance)

Keep in mind that you can actually play fancy chords such as an A 9th and the chord won't even have an A note in it! But, if you have the 3rd, the 7th and the 9th then it's an A9 chord sure as my name is HOUNDDAWG!

So, don't try to grab 6 string barre chords for everything, take your time and learn to stack the chords anywhere on the neck.

You may find that by trying to play six string barre chords in all of the songs you feel like you stick out with ill fitting chords, but, trust me. 3 or four note chords on the guitar are not only beautiful and appropriate but they fill wonderfully if well chosen and played tastefully.

Once you ask the piano player for the dominant note(s) in any mystery chords and learn them, then it's a matter of practicing them so you can grab them in any position on the neck. You can play that note and one or two of the basic maj or minor chords in any position on the neck and sound like a million bux!

And, when you see "A2" (A- second inversion) you'll know that the chord is an A with the 5th or E as the bass note. (The first inversion would be with the third or C# as the bass or root of the chord) and because you've practiced making those inversions up and down the neck and you know that you don't have to play complete barre chords all the time, you can have fun moving from one chord to the next while playing the same notes but simply stacking them in different ways. And, with practice you'll learn to add the 6th, the maj 7th, the 9th, the suspended 4th etc., (while dropping one of the original notes or keeping it in if it pleases you!) as you move around and really fatten up the music!

And, before you know it you're the high priest of the gospel music guitar!