View Full Version : Chords Chords Chords
Hey i play bluegrass mandolin so i do a lot of chopping. I have to say that i use G,C,D,and A a whole lot. They seem like they go with anything! What kind of chords are the most popular played on your mandolin?
Bruce Evans
Aug-09-2004, 6:04am
And Bm.
Scotti Adams
Aug-09-2004, 7:03am
..uh..boys..doesnt this depend on what song and what key it is you are playing?...If Im playing alot in B..Im sure not gonna use a G, C And D very often...
Yea of course dude! In my gospel bluegrass band im in play alot of songs in G and D. Which of course a C goes along in there. Hey yea we have been playing in F and D lately!
fatt-dad
Aug-09-2004, 7:48am
Get the Jethro Burns instruciton book and he can show you all sorts of ways to get more of those off chords into the music. He must have been a genius!
f-d
Bruce Evans
Aug-09-2004, 10:31am
..uh..boys..doesnt this depend on what song and what key it is you are playing?...If Im playing alot in B..Im sure not gonna use a G, C And D very often...
Of course.
But from his statment of experience and his question, it is apparent to me that he plays mostly tunes and songs in the keys of G and D, as do I and probably you too, and not many in B... or Bb... or Ab.
The best advice? Learn 'em all.
It seemed a simple question. We (the first two respondents) endeavored to supply a simple answer.
patsites
Aug-09-2004, 10:40am
G/C/D and anything minor. I use the 3 finger seventh shape to make the monroe box a little more intersting in 1/4/5 bluegrass songs. I really like to use diminished chords or minor sevenths for turnarounds, etc. It can really spice up a standard tune.
Also, I use a lot of different chord shapes for G/C/D further up the neck, especially when other mando's are in the jam because most chop a monroe box, so a little variety is good.
M. Hollen
Aug-09-2004, 8:17pm
This is the first time I have heard of a Monroe box. Would you expand on it a bit? Sounds interesting. Thanks:)
SmallFry
Aug-10-2004, 12:02am
I play in the praise band at my a church and we play contemporary christian music. Id say the chords i use most are F#m, Bm, Em7, there are a lot of songs in F, Esus4 or 2, Asus 4 or 2.
patsites
Aug-10-2004, 3:32pm
M. Hollen,
The Monroe Box is a standard 4 finger chop G, then move vertically up one set of strings for a 3 finger chop C (slightly muting the open E string), then the 4 finger chop D.
These 3 chord shapes are commonly referred to the monroe box. You can play any 1/4/5 song in any key if you have this box down.
I'm not sure why they call it the Monroe box, probably because he invented these chord shapes but I don't know for sure.