mudbug - Posted - 09/06/2010:  03:02:30

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I started a blog on this and Ajisai suggested a thread.

Say you're doing a gig and a singer wants to sit in, but wants to sing a song in Eb, and you don't know the chord changes for a I-IV-V in that key. You can find any chord by finding the note, in this case low first finger D string, and barring the next higher pitch string, in this case a Bb on the A string. Voila! An Eb chord.

Any form (pattern, hand position) on the middle course of strings, can be played on the lower pitch course for the IV chord, and played on the higher piutch course for the V chord.

So even though you haven't memorised your chord changes for Eb, this tip can save you from embassassment, and having to slink off the stage, or stand there like Kalijah, feeling like a "poor ol' wooden head"

UsuallyPickin - Posted - 09/06/2010:  05:07:41

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Being tuned in fifths is great ain't it? Find the note is find the chord. Unless someone wants a 7th ... boo hiss. No accursed B string either. Even relative mionors, 6th's , can be played with a 1 and a 5 and we're off ! I still hate Eb and Ab though......Maybe it's a chromosome thing .... R/

ajisai - Posted - 09/06/2010:  05:32:04

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Here’s the pattern I shared on MudBug’s blog.

Pick any block of four notes. If you think of the left-to-right diagonal up as a I chord built on the note in the top right box, then switching the diagonal will get you the V7 chord.

And here’s another one.

If you build a I chord on the third-finger notes (C, G, and D) using the first and third fingers, then the IV chord is the diagonal below the first-finger note.

I've uploaded an image to my photos that illustrates the patterns (easier than explaining it) but I couldn't get it to post here.

ajisai - Posted - 09/06/2010:  05:44:34

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Okay, one more. For a dominant 7th chord, find the 3rd and add the close lower diagonal on the string below or the close upper diagonal on the string above (same note either way).

D7 = find the F# and add the C from the string below or the C from the string above.
E7 = find the G# and add the D from the string below.

I find it really hard to think about this unless I have an image of the fretboard with note names in front of me.

E F F# G G# A Bb
A Bb B C C# D D#
D Eb E F F# G G#
G Ab A Bb B C C#

fidnaz - Posted - 09/06/2010:  06:24:04

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quote:

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Originally posted by ajisai

Here’s the pattern I shared on MudBug’s blog.

Pick any block of four notes. If you think of the left-to-right diagonal up as a I chord built on the note in the top right box, then switching the diagonal will get you the V7 chord.

And here’s another one.

If you build a I chord on the third-finger notes (C, G, and D) using the first and third fingers, then the IV chord is the diagonal below the first-finger note.

I've uploaded an image to my photos that illustrates the patterns (easier than explaining it) but I couldn't get it to post here.

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Here's something you might like--- a map of the fiddle neck that slides behind an overlay of the major scale layout.
fiddlewidget.com/media/video/F...video.wmv

Scale tones are color coded so you always know where the major root chord is and they are all highlighted all the way up the neck, to 5th position if you want to go that far. This will show that your idea is dead on; move any 1 chord pattern down a string and you have the 4 chord. Move it up a string and you get the 5 chord.

Once you get the rules in your head for the different chord forms, in terms of the scale degrees of the key you're in, (fiddlewidget.com/chords.html) you can find about anything you want real easily in any key. 7ths, minors, the 4 chord, the 5 chord, the 2, whatever. Some keys are still awkward to play because you have to stretch your hand out of shape, or you don't have any open strings, but you'll know exactly what to try to do.

There are a bunch of patterns like this; I'm trying to use and internalize them one at a time so I get familiar with them and it really helped a lot when we played "Cotton Patch Gospel" in church and had things like flatted 7 chords moved to the key of E or F, etc.

Any stringed instrument is like this, but the fiddle being tuned in fifths makes it easier to remember.

coelhoe - Posted - 09/06/2010:  07:50:36

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Instead of all that, why not suggest that the vocalist stretch a bit up G or down to D? I tis hard for me to imagine that the average fiddle player is going to be comfortable playing a half step higher without practice, a lot of practice.

Yes, conceptually the fifths tuning makes half step or whole step key changes easy, but there is a big jump between concept and actuality.

ajisai - Posted - 09/06/2010:  08:15:57

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Fidnaz--Looks like Fiddlewidget is something you thought up?

wooliver - Posted - 09/06/2010:  08:49:56

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my index finger is my capo.
For a full explanation check out jazzmando.com. Subheading FFcP.