New Mandolin Family Chord Book - What are your thoughts

[stevehorn]

Here's the page link:
http://ouibis.com/mandoSymmetry/mand...n-chord-guide/
just click on the link to the PDF for the actual chord book.

I posted this in the Mandolin Classifieds a week or so ago. I wonder what people think about it so I'm asking here as well. Please take a look at this free book.

I wanted but couldn't find an extensive book on chords although since I've published this one, I see more with Google searches than I ever did before (I never understand Google). Anyway, I had trouble understanding complex harmonies as used in many jazz standards and was envious of the extensive amount of chordbook information available for guitar.

I have been working on this, off and on, for a couple of years. I hope you like it and can make good use of it. I'm all ears to hear your comments.

Thanks for taking a look.

Steve Horn

[Perry]

Here's the page link:
http://ouibis.com/mandoSymmetry/mand...n-chord-guide/
just click on the link to the PDF for the actual chord book.

I posted this in the Mandolin Classifieds a week or so ago. I wonder what people think about it so I'm asking here as well. Please take a look at this free book.

I wanted but couldn't find an extensive book on chords although since I've published this one, I see more with Google searches than I ever did before (I never understand Google). Anyway, I had trouble understanding complex harmonies as used in many jazz standards and was envious of the extensive amount of chordbook information available for guitar.

I have been working on this, off and on, for a couple of years. I hope you like it and can make good use of it. I'm all ears to hear your comments.

Thanks for taking a look.

Steve Horn

Looks interesting. I hear you about the plethora of guitar chord books. The Joe Pass and Ted Green books contain enough info for two lifetimes. Besides there obviously being more demand for guitar chord books I think there is just so much more there to explore on the guitar. Still there is plenty to explore on the mandolin too.

Thanks for sharing.

[LarryMando]

Thanks for this resource.

This may be something I missed - and I may not have enough music theory to ask this question - however, I see on page 13 you have suggested patterns for the ii-V-I progression. I do not see suggested patterns for the I-IV-V progression. You do mention that "Moving a typical G-C-D-G progression up a fret makes playing the same tune in A-flat a simple task. It’s a breeze....once you get it down." Do you have recommended patterns that fit together for the I-IV-V progression that are a natural to move up and down frets?

[JonZ]

Nicely done.

[stevehorn]

Looks interesting. I hear you about the plethora of guitar chord books. The Joe Pass and Ted Green books contain enough info for two lifetimes. Besides there obviously being more demand for guitar chord books I think there is just so much more there to explore on the guitar. Still there is plenty to explore on the mandolin too.

Thanks for sharing.

The mandolin has such a different role in a band that it can take liberties, omitting some key elements that guitar or bass are responsible for providing. Mandolin can afford to focus more on color since its not responsible for the harmonic foundation. This may appear to be a limitation but actually offers great freedom for exploration.

[Bob Bronow]

Very nice Steve! I've been looking for this!

[stevehorn]

The IV-V-I progression has much in common with ii-V-I since both the IV and ii serve the same function theorists call the subdominant. The subdominant-to-dominant-to-tonic progression is found in just about all music. The ii-V-I is more common in jazz while the IV-V-I is more common in traditional music such as old time and bluegrass.

This chord book focuses mainly on 4-note chords (tetrads) such as seventh chords or six chords. I think if I were to add examples of the IV-V-I progression, I would expand on that and do a whole section on 3-note chords (triads). This is simpler and clearer and, especially for the IV chord, it is more appropriate for traditional styles unless you want to take the sound a bit off the beaten path. The nice thing about using 3-note chords on mandolin is that it gives you more room to move, more variation in range since you can move your chord shapes across the strings.

Your suggestion is good food for thought.

[JonZ]

I was thinking the same thing stevehorn. Three-note chords also give you an extra finger for melody notes. Both 3 and 4 note chords have their place, and this is a nice reference on the 4 note chords.

I think it might be harder to do a comprehensive reference on 3 note chords, because you start getting into multiple variables of which tones you can leave out. But based on what you have done here, I think you are up to the task.

So I am going to volunteer you.

[stevehorn]

I was thinking the same thing stevehorn. Three-note chords also give you an extra finger for melody notes. Both 3 and 4 note chords have their place, and this is a nice reference on the 4 note chords.

I think it might be harder to do a comprehensive reference on 3 note chords, because you start getting into multiple variables of which tones you can leave out. But based on what you have done here, I think you are up to the task.

So I am going to volunteer you.

Although I put all this together, I don't have it all down pat. But I do notice from my time spent with this that many of the 4-note shapes lend themselves well to embellishments with the pinky (as you mention doing with the 3-note shapes). You might change a dominant 7 chord to a 9 or a 13. I don't always fully understand it theoretically, but if it sounds good, the theory should find a way to back it up. If I raise too many eyebrows, I can either stop or find another audience.

I'll give this all some thought. I also have some other projects in the making that I'm excited about.

[SincereCorgi]

Wow, nice job. This is better than any of the mando chord books from the big-name publishers, although I think your idea for an appendix on three-note voicings would be a great addition (I use mostly those).

[Beanzy]

I know it's only a little comment but I really rate your wavey line to show the movement of the 3rd etc in the Maj/Min
Really nice touch makes it so clear and really shows the logic behind the shapes at work.

[Grommet]

Steve- Thanks for making your effort available to us! I like your approach to presentation of realted shapes, and movement between them. This will be a big help.

Scott