View Full Version : C5 chord... etc
Is it possible to play C5, F5... all those wonderful '5' chords? I can not figure them out. Thanks.
mandofiddle
Apr-08-2004, 4:18pm
I don't know if I'm following the question...? #Do you mean, how do you play a 5 chord? #For instance, in the key of G a 5 chord would be a D. #Major and Minor chords both have a 5 in it anyhow, so I don't know why you'd call it a C5 for instance... #I'm so confused...
Bruce Evans
Apr-08-2004, 4:19pm
This is one of the more confusing chrod designations. Oddly enough, what the '5' means is that there is no 3rd in the chord, only the root and the 5th.
C5 means the only notes in the chord are C and G.
F5 means the only notes in the chord are F and C.
Is it possible to play them? Of course!
Examples:
C5 x533 or x538
F5 5338
mandofiddle
Apr-08-2004, 4:23pm
So essentially its a double stop with the 1 and 5, but adding other strings on the 1 and 5 notes to make it a chord instead of a double stop? Seems I've played these many times before, just without knowing the names...
Andrew Reckhart
Apr-08-2004, 4:52pm
No it is actually a chord designation, not a double stop (although they can be used as such. #All 5th chords are double stops, but not all double stops are 5th chords) #Most of the time the "5" chords are used in Rock and Roll and are often referred to as 'power chords'. #On a guitar a G5 chord is noted on the 3rd fret of the sixth string (G note) and the 5th fret of the 5th string (D note). #So therefore you could play the same 5th chord on a mandolin by noting the 1st string on the 3rd fret (G note) and the second string on the 5th fret (D note). #I hope that this is a help and not more confusion.
mandocrucian
Apr-08-2004, 7:10pm
<span style='font-family:courier'>##F5 # C5 # C5 #C5 #C5
==1=====3===8===8===3=
==3=====3===3===3===3=
==3=====5===5===5===5=
==5=====5===5===0===0=</span>
mandofiddle
Apr-09-2004, 9:54am
Interestingly enough, at rehearsal last night we were jamming on "Pretty Polly" in C. Our fiddle player says "Play a C chord but leave out the 3." Well hot diggity dawg, thats a C5 chord. The reasoning behind the usage in this tune is because the lead vocal sometimes sang a minor 3rd over the C chord and sometimes a major 3rd. So in leaving out the 3rd, there wasn't the issue of her singing a minor over a major chord, and vice versa.
Ken Sager
Apr-09-2004, 10:05am
Kinda like the Bluegrass G Power Chord on guitar
#G5
==3==
==3==
==0==
==0==
==x==
==3==
All G's and D's.
Leaving out the 3rd on some chords (even on mando chords) lends a strong quality when at times certain chords in certain contexts seem weakened by the 3rd.
Joy to all,
Ken
Bruce Evans
Apr-09-2004, 10:16am
Interestingly enough, at rehearsal last night we were jamming on "Pretty Polly" in C. #Our fiddle player says "Play a C chord but leave out the 3." #Well hot diggity dawg, thats a C5 chord. #
A fiddler figured that out? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Well hot diggity dawg.
mandofiddle
Apr-09-2004, 10:23am
A fiddler figured that out? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
Well hot diggity dawg.
Yeah, our fiddle player was classically trained at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan School of Music, and is currently getting her Master's Degree in music at Colorado State University. Not to mention that she also has a BS and Masters Degree in Engineering. The woman is scary smart!
G5 Bb5 C5
G5 Bb5 C#5->C5
G5 Bb5 C5 Bb5 G5
Smoke on the wa-ter.
Fire in the sky.
Smoke on the wa-ter.
G5 Bb5 C5
G5 Bb5 C#5->C5
G5 Bb5 C5 Bb5 G5