Two finger chords

[mangorockfish]

Who out there uses two finger chords and maybe a three finger one every once-in-a-while? When you use these, what genre of music are you playing? Is it by yourself or are you playing them in a band?

[arbarnhart]

I just came in from the garage, where I was playing blues and rock along with a couple of geetars and did a lot of 2 finger with the occasional 3 finger. With the shuffles, it's often 2 fingers holding each chord form but it varies as to which 2.

[EdSherry]

I play a lot of "two note chords" (dyads or double stops) when playing Celtic music, especially on the middle two strings and the top two (infrequently on the bottom two). #

I also play a lot of this playing 20s/30s swing, especially if others are playing rhythm (especially with a bass player). #

Years ago, a fine guitar player taught me that, if you play the 3rd and 7th of the chord, you can leave it to others to play the root and fifth.

I rarely play "by myself" (in the sense of Jethro Burns' "Tea for One" solo mandolin stuff). #When I'm noodling around the house by myself, I'll play two note chords all the time, hearing "in my head" how the rest of the "band" would (or, more accurately, "should"!) sound.

[mandroid]

you can [I] Use intervals as a scale harmonization, you will be able to go right up the scale .
2-3.3-5.5-7, 7-8,9-10, 10-12, 12-13, 14-15. as an example

describing 2/3rds of a chord or a hint of a more complex chord
harmonizing the melody line, or a jazzy impression, improvizing around the melody.

[Richard Russell]

I use two finger chords in celtic tunes and with the old-time/folk group that I play with. I use two finger a lot with my octave mandolin as well. On the mandolin, I do try to alternate from two finger to barred chords and then occasionally throw in chop style chords, but not to often. This works for me, but I don't play much bluegrass and I play a flat top oval.

[bjc]

I use two fingered chord in my country/folk duo...one. I can double stop walk up or down to color the melody and two. when I solo it's not like a big strumming mando is dropping out.

[jamie_t123]

I use them for old time pre-bluegrass and some bluegrass music...adds a lot of sparkle to the song...

[250sc]

3 finger chords are great for comping jazz and swing. I know what note to play on the E string but don't use it unless I need that 4th note.

[Jim Broyles]

...Years ago, a fine guitar player taught me that, if you play the 3rd and 7th of the chord, you can leave it to others to play the root and fifth...

If you slide that 3rd/7th double stop down a fret, you get the 7th/3rd of the IV chord; up a fret gives you the same notes for the V chord, so you can comp along with a lot of jazz, swing blues tunes and stay within 2 frets on the same two strings.

[Soupy1957]

The "two-finger" chords were the first ones I learned.

I especially liked them because they rang out so clearly in a Jam setting, where the 4-finger chords seemed to be less resonant.

I still use them from time to time.

-Soupy1957

[MikeVB]

jmcgann,

would you mind giving us an example of what you're talking about as far as some brief tab or something similar?

[Jim Broyles]

Are you talking to me? I have jmcgann quoted for my sig line but he didn't post in this thread, so I guess you mean me. Here's what I mean:
Play x-5-4-x. This is G, which is the flatted 7th, and C#, which is the 3rd, of an A major. Now slide it down to x-4-3-x. You now have F#, the 3rd and C, the flatted 7th of a D major. If you slide it up to x-6-5-x. you will have G# (3rd) and D (b7th) of an E major. I7, IV7 and V7 within two frets, using the exact same fingering for all three chords.

[Chip Booth]

jbmando, nice trick! I'll store that one away for later use.

Chip

[Furnman]

I use them frequently in a church praise music setting, as the more resonant, "ringing" tone fits exceptionally well.

[Soupy1957]

"the more resonant, "ringing" tone.."

See folks, that's what I'm saying.... The more I hold down multiple strings, the more the sound is muted. "Why?" I dunno, ...ask an Engineer....lol.
-Soupy1957

[Shana Aisenberg]

I use two finger chords and double stops quite a lot. Old time, Celtic, blues, song accompaniment, they pretty much work in any style.

Seth

[Jim Broyles]

"the more resonant, "ringing" tone.."

See folks, that's what I'm saying.... The more I hold down multiple strings, the more the sound is muted. "Why?" I dunno, ...ask an Engineer....lol.
-Soupy1957

Soupy, it is simply that open strings ring more than fretted strings, period. If you play chords with open strings it will automatically "ring" more than a closed 4-note chord.

[Soupy1957]

Take it a step further then..why does my guitar resonate more than my Mando?

I assume the following:

a) Longer String length, therefore more resonating
material

b) Bigger body for the sound to swirl around in

But in the end, my guitar sustains longer, even with strings I hold down.

Just thinkin out loud, is all.
-Soupy1957

[cooper4205]

Take it a step further then..why does my guitar resonate more than my Mando?

that oval sound hole has something to do with it too,
compared to the F-holes on the F5 mandolin

[Ken Sager]

Arched top/back instruments don't seem to resonate as much as flat plates do, either. Just listen to the percussive sound of an archtop guitar compared to a flattop. The arched plates are part of resonance, as are the string length, size and type of hole, mass of the instrument, relative humidity, string quality, action, type and mass of plectrum, and mental state of the picker.

Perhaps...

Best,
Ken

[250sc]

Soupy,
"Take it a step further then..why does my guitar resonate more than my Mando?"

You can't compare a flat topped instrument with an archtopped. Archtops tend to have a strong fundemental note with fewer overtones and less sustain.

On my instrument a 4 finger chord will ring just as long as a 2 finger one as long as they are both played in the same general part of the fingerboard. On the otherhand if I play a two finger chord at the second fret and move it up the the 14th fret it will sustain for a shorter amount of time.

[Soupy1957]

Valid points, all....
-Soupy1957

P.S. "thanks" for thinkin out loud with me!

[Slim Pickins]

Anthony Hannigan tells about a man in Galax Va who only had 2 fingers on his left hand and was a great mandolinist.

[tiltman]

I play bluegrass and occasionally use 2 finger chords.
It's a tip I picked up at a workshop with Roland White; easier to hit different chords without moving your hand all over the neck.
Kirk

[MikeVB]

I personally get a little tired of the over-chopping school of some hardcore bluegrassers - "you ain't playing it right. You got to chop it, boy!"

I love bluegrass, but I also love musicians that play what sounds good and feels right, and I can't think of better examples than Tm O'Brien and maybe Bush. They surely qualify as bluegrass, but they don't just chop, chop, chop, chop on every single rhythm passage, either.

I like to play it the way I feel it, but maybe that's just me.