I-iv-v in all keys

[Curtis]

Has anyone put together chord charts for these three chords in all keys? Now that it's summer I have extra time to practice. I figure I can churn this out fairly quickly. . . or I SHOULD be able to.

[Bob Wiegers]

there's lots of options, but I like this: http://www.chordwheel.com/

[Curtis]

I don't think that's what I'm looking for. I know theory. I'm looking for chord diagrams specific to mando for the smoothest flow for each key.

[recon]

I-IV-V chord chart

Curtis,
Try the chart at the bottom of the page of this link. I reduced the size and have a copy on the side of my mandolin for easy reference.

[Matt Hutchinson]

This is a good point of reference from Jazzmando. Should give you a sense of a few shapes which (like chop chords) can be moved to suit different keys. Gives you, as it says, some 'home positions' to start from.

Matt

[mando.player]

I'm on the process of coming up with some ii-V-I patterns for 3 note chords. Ideally, I'd to come up with 3 or 4 patterns that can be moved around the fretboard. I'm out of town on business this week and I'm hoping I'll have some time to work these up.

[Curtis]

@mando.player I posted something similar to what I think you're looking for. See if you can do a search by me as author or thread starter.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for. The jazzmando link comes close but it's ii-V and not IV-V.

By the way, the thread title should be all capital.

[Chip Booth]

Curtis rather than try to find one why not make one yourself? #Figuring it out for yourself is one of the best ways to retain the knowledge. #Also rather than learn all keys, learn I-IV-V starting from several common chord shapes. #You can then simply slide the patterns around for whatever key you are in. #When I play in somewhat unfamiliar keys I tend to think purely numerically rather than what chord I'm on, and rely on these memorized chord patterns.

For example in the key of A my I chord might be the common shape 2245. The IV chord would be 2455. The V chord would be 1224. To play in Bb I slide those up one fret. Now find a different chord shape for A and do the same thing...

That being said, I think I can come up with a chart I made for some students that will help if you can't find one. Let me know if you want it.

Chip

[Matt Hutchinson]

I still haven't found what I'm looking for. The jazzmando link comes close but it's ii-V and not IV-V.

Oops, misread your question!

Matt

[David Lloyd]

mando mode explorer was/is a big help for me in that department.
http://www.grovelandsoftwarelabs.com/modeexp....er.aspx
One of the guys from Groveland software is a regular in here.
Dave

[mandodan1960]

Curtis
I can completely understand your frustration!
It's a big dark secret/conspiracy that no one has ever put together a chord chart that says.

1. This is the I IV V chords for each key.

2. You play them in this manner (shapes/tab)

3. They can be moved all around the fretboard and for those of us who have been at this for a long time we found these shapes to be the easiest to use together to transition from the one to the four to the five in an efficient manner.

4. Yes we could figure out ourselves and thats a great memory aid but how can I be sure that the chords that I choose are the "best/easiest" I IV V pattern to use.

I have asked this question myself in a thread and never really got a good answer but I have great confidence that a teacher somewhere will be willing to unveil the secret code.

Good luck!!

[Chip Booth]

Mandodan, I'll do my best to get you guys my chart. #I have put together pretty much exactly what you describe. #As for whether you would choose the "best/easiest" patterns, I'd say remember that music is art, and only you can decide what's best. #Also what is easy and intuitive for me may be difficult and confusing for you and vise versa. #I try to let my students find their own way whenever possible and give guidance and tips rather than force feed them what is "right". #

I'll go look for that chart.
Chip

Hmm, the file is not on my home computer I must have made it on the computer at work. Maybe I'll get it posted this evening...

[JeffD]

Here is a little something to get you started. I would like to tell you I learned it from some quirky charismatic player somewhere, but truth is I don't know who showed it to me so many years ago.

Its the two finger "cheat" chord system. And it allows you to find the I, IV, and V for any key anywhere, without a chart.

Pick any note anywhere (except on the E string). Put your index finger on it. Then on the next higher string put your middle finger one fret higher. Those two together, in a pinch, are the I cheat chord for the note you finger on the higher string.

From there, if you want to go to the IV, just move both fingers down a string, keeping the same frets. That is the cheat IV.

Now if thats IV, then you can go to V easily by moving both fingers up two frets. I find it easier, however, to use the middle and third finger for that move, so you don't have to shift your palm.

There you have the I, IV, and V two finger cheat chords in the key of any note on the A string or the E string- all the way up the neck.

Once you have that down you can read the following.

There is a way of doing something similar on the bottom two strings. Pick any note anywhere, put your middle finger on it and your third finger one string and one fret higher. Thats your I, in the key of where ever you put your third finger. Move the whole configuration up a string, same frets, for your V. And from there move it down two frets, (or again use your index and middle finger so as to not have to shift your palm) and thats your IV.

There's your I IV and V the key of any note anywhere on the D string or A string all the way up the neck.


Of course from those two finger cheaters you can add other fingers to make formal three and four finger chords. What ever you want to do from there.

The beauty is you don't need a chart for the cheater chords, because it works the same way just about anywhere on the neck.

In fact you don't even need to know the names of the chords. Just find the key your song is in and go.

CAVEOT EMPTOR

Of course of course of course this is no substitute for knowing what you are doing, and learning all your chords proper, etc. This is just a way of getting started, that is painless and a lot of fun, and gets you playing in a jam, and will give you some chops that are still usefull when you do learn all the I, IV and V chords in the entire circle of fifths.

Enjoy.

[mandodan1960]

Chip,
That would be great! I hope my post wasn't to snippy.
It does amaze me that it is so difficult to get charts of pentatonic scales or arpeggios and such. I've figured out some of it on my own and did learn from that process. Brad Laird's Mandolin Master Class was a big help. I don't know why there's not a bluegrass chord reference book for beginners that shows I IV V patterns. Explains how to use a metronome. Explains how to Practice rhythm playing. Explains a good way to practice changing to 4 finger positions without doing it one finger at a time. I guess that’s what a teacher is for but I've never had much luck with them frankly. There are a lot of beginner’s books but they really don't spend much time supporting "How to Jam"
There just seems to be a hole in the teaching material biz. I don't know that some hot picker with natural talent is going to be the guy who comes up with something we can use. I have had instruction from good players who were not near as good at explaining as they were doing. Anyway thanks for looking for that chart.

Mando Dan

[Matt Hutchinson]

Mike Marshall's 2nd DVD has a great explanation of how to build chords all over the neck using 3 basic shapes. Absolutely essential stuff IMHO

Matt

[Chip Booth]

OK, here's a couple of things that may be useful. #The first is a three finger chord 1-4-5 method that was explained to me by Radim Zenkl. #It uses only three chord shapes, and moves each shape up the neck to become the root chord. #The other two chord shapes will then be used for the IV and V chords. #Also each shape consists of only the notes of the basic triad. #This is great becasue you can also learn where the root, third, and fifth is and learn to easily manipulate these shapes into other chords such and minors, 7ths etc.

Radim Zenkl's Three Finger I-IV-V Chords

The next sheet shows classic chop chords from the two most common position, using the "G chop" shape as the root, and also using what I refer to as the "D" chop shape as the root.

I - IV - V chop chords

Hope these help some. #The darker dots on each chord are the roots. #Obviously this isn't all the chords in all the keys, just one example, but the information is all there. #Now it's up to you to use your knowledge of the fretboard to move these patterns around to play in any key you want. #Ask me any questions you like, but I'm sure there is someone smarter than me around here who can debunk all the stuff I just posted and give you the "right" answer! #

Chip

[Chip Booth]

I just found another chart I made that MandoDan might find helpful. It's a few common arpeggios and a sort of layout of intervals useful for learning double stops.

Arpeggios and Intervals

Hope that helps,
Chip

[Jim Broyles]

Curtis, are you looking for bluegrass chops of I, IV and V in every key, or are you looking for all the open chords as I, IV and V? #If you know the basic shape of the bluegrass G and C chops, you can easily move those around to #play I, IV and V in every key. #This is not a chart you would really need to use for very long once you learn #how to name the chop chords. If you are looking for the open ones, it's a little different, but still, not something that would be # readily available, but more of a specialty item #made for oneself by oneself.
The G chop is named by the 3rd or 1st string. The C chop is named by the 4th or 2nd string. #Move it up two frets and it's a D chop. Now I=G,IV=C, and V=D, so now all you have to do is form those chords on different frets and you have the I, IV and V in a bunch of keys. When the chords get too high to use those forms, use the D chop as your I, the G as your IV and move the G up two frets for your V. Now you have #at your fingertips all the I, IV,V you will need for bluegrass. If this isn't what you wanted...never mind!

[JeffD]

One pic being worth all of my words - here is what I meant. Two finger cheat chords, very easy, works on every fret it is tried.

[bradlaird]

Curtis... I think working in the direction of being able to "churn them out" on your own is the way to go. Thanks to closed chords it's just a matter of moving them around the neck. Mando Dan mentioned my book "Mandolin Master Class" (Thanks!) and a section of the book is devoted to something I call "Triangulation". In short, I simply lay out the process for learning where I, IV, and V are located depending on where you place your beginning chord, the I. From that basic triangle, I show how to locate the other common chords (II, bVII, etc.) using the I,IV,V points as a reference.

With my students (of which I am also one) on mandolin and bass I preach the value of I-IV-V as the basis for understanding the layout of the neck. (Really, it begins with I-V and IV is the first branch.) In this support of this I include a CD with my 2nd book, "Mandolin Training Camp" which has 12 bluegrassy rhythm tracks, rolling along at a gentle 80BPM, which follow the I-IV-I-V-I progression in all 12 major keys. I use those tracks for mando and bass students.

The curious can egress to my website if so inclined.
www.mandouniversity.com

Brad

[gregjones]

Thanks to closed chords it's just a matter of moving them around the neck. Mando Dan mentioned my book "Mandolin Master Class" (Thanks!) and a section of the book is devoted to something I call "Triangulation".

I have Brad's book and that section was the first thing that kinda "put everything together" for me on the mando fretboard.

No matter what I've learned since, that's still the basic pattern I go back to.

[Curtis]

I'll check all these resources out thanks.

[Bigd18]

like jeffd displayed above your IV chord is above the I. I use numbers also because I was taught, on guitar, the nashville numbering system. This system helped me greatly with improvising and learning to play no matter what key. At that point all you are concerned with then is finding the root note and proceeding from there. It is basic theory with numbers instead of roman numerals. Having just started playing the mandolin last friday this has helped me tremendously in being able to traverse up and down the fretboard.