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Collins - Posted - 08/19/2020: 16:56:49
When someone says they are playing in the key of A or the key of B this really confuses me. Is there a good chart or book that explains the chords?
farmerjones - Posted - 08/19/2020: 18:40:12
Mel Bay has a book entitled "Fiddle Chords." May or may not be still in print? Can't imagine why it would not.
carlb - Posted - 08/20/2020: 04:34:07
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjones
Mel Bay has a book entitled "Fiddle Chords." May or may not be still in print? Can't imagine why it would not.
If this is the book you mean, there's lots of copies out there for not much money.
bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&a...%2520book
Swing - Posted - 08/20/2020: 04:38:31
Don't go buying a book, here is a site that will give you all the information that you need pertaining to Keys and chords....select a Key and it will give you the chords
guitar-chords.org.uk/chords-key-e.html
Play Happy
Swing
UsuallyPickin - Posted - 08/20/2020: 06:09:20
That Mel Bay chord book is exceptionally detailed and probably more than you want to deal with. What chords go with what keys is more likely to be helpful information. In most "folk" type music there are three primary chords and three secondary chords. Most western music is based around the I (one) IV (four) and V ( five) chords. The secondary ( less often used) chords are the VI ( six) minor and the II ( two) major or minor. Yes the III (three) VI (six) major and VII ( seven) are used just not often. So. ...... the key of "C" is called .... the most likely chords will be C, F and G in the C scale ... C D E F G A B C the I, IV and V are the first fourth and fifth "degrees" of the C scale. Sooooo here are the chords listed in their relationships. Any mandolin chord chart will show the same chords as used on a fiddle. Enjoy the process ... it can last a lifetime. R/ 
farmerjones - Posted - 08/20/2020: 14:26:27
The root/I, IV, & V, chords in D, G, A, C, & E are good solid essentials, granted. On a fiddle, seeing how you can only get two of the three tones of a chord, those seem like they are all over the fingerboard. Voicings are what they're called. For every three note chord, there are three iterations or inversions. I didn't know i was using a rootless inversion until i started learning chords on a piano. I guess what i don't know is how far down the rabbit-hole one wants to go? I didn't learn piano to intensionally advance my chord theory, but it did.
Lonesome Fiddler - Posted - 08/20/2020: 14:28:36
I don't know if this is what you truly need to get into gear, but a healthy majority of Old Time fiddle tunes can be backed up pretty much with just two chords.
If a fiddler shouts "Let's play in A!", start off strumming an A Chord. When the time is right (don't worry, after a couple verses your ear will tell you when), switch to an E Chord. When your ear tells you, go back to the A Chord.
If a fiddler shouts "We're doing D tunes!", start off with the D. Then, when your ear tells you, go to an A Chord. Then back again.
If the fiddler yells G, start off with a G and alternate it with the D.
BTW, what you are doing here is alternating the I Chord (aka the Tonic) with the V (or Dominant). Chord numbers, by-the-way, are written as Roman Numerals.
If you're a Do-Re-Mi type thinker, think of the Tonic/I chord as "Do" and the Dominant/V chord as "So." Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So...
Good luck! Have fun!
mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 08/20/2020: 16:45:58
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjones
..........For every three note chord, there are three iterations or inversions. I didn't know i was using a rootless inversion until i started learning chords on a piano......
Here's the six shapes,
sbhikes2 - Posted - 08/20/2020: 18:24:42
You'll need the D chord for A tunes and the G chord for D tunes and the C chord for G tunes every now and then. Not just the I and V chords but also the IV. Sometimes you don't but lots of times you do.
tluncan - Posted - 08/21/2020: 15:17:53
I’m working on chords as well. Found mel bay chords book used and I do like it. Also watched Jam With Lauren chords walk through. She wrote an e book that is very well done. Goes over key signatures, arpeggios and chords. Teaches a process to find chords in any key.
Brian Wood - Posted - 08/21/2020: 16:44:55
It's great to play a chord instrument, and many of us play mandolin. If you get a mandolin for learning chords things on the fiddle would make sense faster.
sbhikes2 - Posted - 08/21/2020: 17:35:34
I think over time you learn the chords naturally. At least two-finger chords.
Flat_the_3rd_n7th - Posted - 08/21/2020: 18:56:44
quote:
Originally posted by mmuussiiccaall
quote:
Originally posted by farmerjones
..........For every three note chord, there are three iterations or inversions. I didn't know i was using a rootless inversion until i started learning chords on a piano......
Here's the six shapes,
Thanks for this. Shapes are a MUST learn. Unless you're memorizing a concerto from notation--PATTERNS and SHAPES, is all that matters on the fiddle fingerboard. It's like a checkerboard, it just continues up, just like on a mandolin. Keys only repeat the shapes: A is G-shape plus 2, F is G-shape minus 2; Bb is C-shape minus 1; B is C-shape minus 1/2, etc
'Crossing the Ocean' 13 hrs
'Crossing The Ocean' 13 hrs
