3 string chop chords when 4th finger is disabled

[Timothy]

I am right handed and a new comer to chording and bluegrass. My left hand 4th finger was damaged several years back and cannot bend at the 2nd and 3rd knuckles from the finger tip. It is a permanent condition which does not effect playing most of the classical music I have worked with to this point (Bach etc). It is very painful and a physical impossibility to use that 4th finger for a full four fingered chop chords. Because I cannot bend the finger enough to avoid it lying on adjacent strings while trying to chord it further eliminates the utility of 4 fingered chop chords. I have searched and googled for charts of three fingered chop chords (index, middle, and ring finger chords) to be USED ON THE BOTTOM )G, D, A) three strings. I would like to develop a chord chart for this but am VERY limited in theory and chord knowledge background. Can some one point me to 3 finger charts or make recommendations. As I say - I can play a Back partita - but when it comes to learning chop chords I have to over come this issue. Your kindness in any help is most appreciated. Regards, Tim

[Eric F.]

Tim, one of Anthony Hannigan's lessons at www.musicmoose.org is on three-finger chords. That might be somewhat helpful. I don't know of any chord chart specifically on three-finger chords, but closed chords can be moved all around the fretboard, so if you can make a three-finger C you can make a three-finger D by moving up a step, and so on. Obviously you're going to lose some thunk as you go up the fretboard. You can make a pretty decent rendition of the four-finger chop using just the two bass strings, also. Try making the four-finger G using just the G and D strings. It ought to give you at least 80 percent of the whomp of the four-finger chord.

[picksnbits]

The chord chart here Mandolin Cafe Chord Chart
should be pretty helpful.

The chop-chord shape that it shows for a G and A is the same as the 3-fingered C that Eric mentions. Just move that thing all over the place to play your major chords in any key. Just leave off the string the pinky would have covered (the G string in this case). You'll probably mute it without even meaning to, which is good.

[mishima]

Thank You very much for the suggestions to play three finger chords. I revist four finger chords and find that my fingers and brain apparently do not listen to each other effectively yet.

[JGWoods]

I would be tempted to form 3 finger chop chords leaving out the high note. It's the bass that carries the chop so you need to have the G and D courses in play, you can even just play those two courses and get pretty good sound.

PS I don't play BG, though I use the chord forms once in a while

[Eric F.]

I would be tempted to form 3 finger chop chords leaving out the high note. It's the bass that carries the chop so you need to have the G and D courses in play, you can even just play those two courses and get pretty good sound.

Exactly.

[Timothy]

I would like to thank all of you for the excellent input - it's been most helpful and has my head going in the right direction now. Thanks! Tim

[Dan McIntyre]

another good three string chop chord that I use a lot is really a 2 finger chord using the G, D and A strings and muting the E string. For example I use it to make an F chop chord (2,3,3,x). The index finger gets the G string at the 2d fret and the middle finger is rotated slightly to the side to fret the D and A string in the 3d fret and the rest of the left hand is available to mute the E string. This can be moved up 2 frets to make the G chord if you don't like making the stretched chop chord, I even use it on up the neck to make the A chord sometimes. If I'm doing this wrong, please sombody tell me because I'm just learning myself. Thanks, Dan

[sbarnes]

if you check out the jethro book suggested above....
jethro didn't even like 4 finger chords....he recommended 3 finger chords.....

[AlanN]

if you check out the jethro book suggested above....
jethro didn't even like 4 finger chords....he recommended 3 finger chords.....

Well, I know it is documented that he said that, and it's been taken into the folklore as such, but...

look at the album he did with Red Rector. There are several photos of ('fro) getting a chop chord...just more fuel to the fire

[Peter Hackman]

if you check out the jethro book suggested above....
jethro didn't even like 4 finger chords....he recommended 3 finger chords.....

That's two statements. Judging from his book
the second is true and the first is false.

[AlanN]

I think what he meant was 4 finger chord like 7523, chop G.

Fro certainly used 4 finger chords, such as the gorgeous b5 in his solo on Swing 39 off the Back to Back record: 9895. Can't be done with fewer than 4 fingers.

[John Gardinsky]

JG Woods hit the nail on the head. Ronnie McCoury sometimes makes a "G" chord with only three fingers (752X).

[Peter Hackman]

I think what he meant was 4 finger chord like 7523, chop G.

Fro certainly used 4 finger chords, such as the gorgeous b5 in his solo on Swing 39 off the Back to Back record: 9895. Can't be done with fewer than 4 fingers.

probably sounds as good as it looks, but it defies my anatomy.

[Cabbagehead]

Trying to revive this old thread. I just started playing 4 months ago, coming from 15 years or so on guitar. I decided to first start with theory which was my main focus for the first 3 months. I have gotten myself very comfortable with all scales and modes in all the keys in open style and Ffcp. I Got most of the chords under my belt including those weird 9ths, 6ths, sus, and dims. Along the way I started doing the G chop chord 752X, A chord 974X and so forth. Recently I have decided its time to start learning some songs now that have learned my way around the instrument. Now I see that no one chops this way. Is this frowned upon. Will I be laughed at in pickin parlors. It feels so much faster to me my way. But I know there has to be an advantage to do it the traditional way if I am alone in this sort of chopping this way. Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Laird]

This may be too obvious, but the two-finger G or C chord can be combined with a barre and slid up the fretboard to make other chords. This configuration can chop pretty effectively. Good luck!

[brianf]

I have the same problem . PLayed three finger chops in bands and on stage for many years, with no complaints from anyone. Had too much fun to worry about it, anyway.

[Elliot Luber]

Just remember that Django Rheinhart had a more severe injury, and he did well.

[mandroid]

Double stops and 3 note chords work nicely , Chop them short or let them ring ..

[Charley wild]

Trying to revive this old thread. I just started playing 4 months ago, coming from 15 years or so on guitar. I decided to first start with theory which was my main focus for the first 3 months. I have gotten myself very comfortable with all scales and modes in all the keys in open style and Ffcp. I Got most of the chords under my belt including those weird 9ths, 6ths, sus, and dims. Along the way I started doing the G chop chord 752X, A chord 974X and so forth. Recently I have decided its time to start learning some songs now that have learned my way around the instrument. Now I see that no one chops this way. Is this frowned upon. Will I be laughed at in pickin parlors. It feels so much faster to me my way. But I know there has to be an advantage to do it the traditional way if I am alone in this sort of chopping this way. Thanks in advance for any responses!

Make the chords any way you want! If they laugh at you that's their problem. I have no left hand medical issues but I never use the E string when I'm chopping rhythm. I've seen videos of Bill using the two finger chord on the G and D strings quite often, especially on turn arounds (G would be 45XX, etc.)

[Austin Koerner]

I mostly use one and two finger chop chords. I almost never use the four finger chop. It might not be no part of nuthin, but who cares.

[Laird]

I mostly use one and two finger chop chords. I almost never use the four finger chop. It might not be no part of nuthin, but who cares.

I wouldn't have thought it was possible to chop with open strings.

[Aisha]

I do not have any disability with my pinky but I have very small fingers and this is also problematic when it comes to chords that need stretch and strenght. Add to that my entire left hand gets painful very quickly, I don't know if it comes to the fact I want to play too quick stuff too soon (I feel a lot of tension in my fingers when I play without stopping for one minute or so) or if it's something else (tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrom tests are negative, no particular disease either).

Anyway, I've been learning mandolin for about a year (no 20 + years of guitar experience ) but I've been a bit discouraged learning bluegrass due to 4 finger chords; in my learning books/CD/DVD the G chop chord is introduced right after a few lessons, and -even with time- this one and some other 4 finger chords I've tried so far (not many I admit) just seem impossible to me. I thought that using only 3 or 2 finger chords to chop was wrong actually, so I got frustrated and moved on to learning only melodies in various styles, which I enjoy of course (the most ), but being able to accompany is important too. And if I learn bluegrass, I don't want to be able to play only melodies.

Now I'm optimistic again (some barred chords and 3 fingers chords are reachable ) and I'll go back to my bluegrass learning material since we can "cheat" a little bit !

[Canister]

My 1st and 3rd fingers are bent in the wrong direction. It wasn't until I got Jethro Burns' book that I started to "cheat" and just use what I have.

[Laird]

I wouldn't have thought it was possible to chop with open strings.

Just to clarify, my understanding of the chop is that it's the partial release of pressure after the strum, which mutes the strings and makes it a chop instead of a normal chord that sustains sound. With open strings, you wouldn't get the mute from the quick release--though I suppose there are other ways to mute the sustain.