Chop Chords

[Torpedotom]

This is really a newb question. Is there a place, page, website that shows chop chord shapes for each key whether they be three or four finger shapes. This is confusing to me. Thanks

[Mark Gunter]

Hi Tom. There probably is such a page somewhere, and I say that because you can find just about anything on the internet nowadays.

I think the reason you don't find a lot of that is because it's not really seen as necessary. What a musician has to do is learn where the notes are on the fretboard - and not even necessarily to memorize them, but at least know how to figure out what note is at this fret on this string.

I hope I don't sound too pedantic, but the simple thing is that these chords are movable and with just a little bit of practice you can know what the chord changes to if you move it up or down a fret or two.

Example: The C chord at 5-2-3-x > if you slide that chord up two frets, it becomes D (if you only slide it one fret from C, it would be a C# or Db chord)

Example: The A chord at 2-2-4-5 > if you slide that chord up two frets, it becomes B (if you only slide it one fret from A, it would be a Bb chord)

Example: The F chord at 2-3-3-5 > if you slide it up two frets it becomes a G chord ... and slide it up two more frets it becomes an A chord

So usually a person will teach the shape and simply say that it is movable, rather than showing the same chord in multiple positions to name every chord it can become by moving it.

Trying to show every chord position would be tedious and really unnecessary. By simply knowing the 12 notes of music, you can figure out where the chords are when you use movable shapes.

I understand that you are finding this confusing; I'd like to help. Can you say which part is giving you trouble?

[Mark Wilson]

This is really a newb question. Is there a place, page, website that shows chop chord shapes for each key whether they be three or four finger shapes. This is confusing to me. Thanks

mandolincafe.com chord library Under the Learn/Listen tab above

here is a basic 3 finger chord chard I used getting started:

[MontanaMatt]

mandolincafe.com chord library Under the Learn/Listen tab above

here is a basic 3 finger chord chard I used getting started:

Chord chard, the least tasty of the greens!

[MontanaMatt]

On a serious note, chord chops take a while to develop, keep working knowing that it takes a while to develop the timing and muscle memory. Watch lots of videos to see the many ways of making and explaining percussion sounds on a mandolin.
Also know that the shapes for chops don't need to be the contorted uncomfortable chord shape. There are lots of options for muting strings.

[Mark Wilson]

A steady chop chop chop without feel or thought to the song is my least favorite mandolin creation

[MontanaMatt]

A steady chop chop chop without feel or thought to the song is my least favorite mandolin creation

I concur. Drumming can be so much more than a click track.

[DavidKOS]

Other than rhythmic style, what makes a "chop chord" different from any other chord?

[billhay4]

It's attenuated and percussive.
Bill

[DavidKOS]

It's attenuated and percussive.
Bill

That IS rhythmic style!

[Mark Wilson]

Other than rhythmic style, what makes a "chop chord" different from any other chord?

a big rounded tip pick?

[jshane]

In my opinion, ANY chord can be a chop chord. The trick is in knowing how to produce a "chop".... There are at least 2 methods-- the "quick release" which seems to be what everyone uses when they describe "chop chords", and the "deaden by laying on a finger" that allows virtually any other chord to be "chopped". Sam Bush describes this latter method in his Rhythm instruction CD. It seems to me that learning the "How's" of producing the chop sound is more valuable than learning specific chords to use when chopping. It certainly allows more variety......

[dadsaster]

There are basically two chop chord shapes I use. There is the 4-finger G shape and the 3-finger C shape. The 3-finger C shape is just the 4-finger shape moved up a string. With either shape whatever note your middle finger is on is the name of the chord. There are other shapes for chop chords but these two will be enough for a beginner.

[Mark Gunter]

The shape(s) dadsaster mentioned are really useful shapes, and it's worth noting that both the middle finger and the ring finger are on the root for those chords. The note under the middle finger and the note under the ring finger are octave notes - the same note names, one octave apart. This is just the kind of thing I was getting at in my earlier post, if you can figure out the root note for the key on the 3rd or 4th string (D or G string) and put your ring finger there, make that three-note chord shape and you have the major chord. This will give you the I chord in a major key.

If you're more comfortable finding the correct note on the 1st or 2nd string (the E and A strings), put your middle finger on the note and make that same three-note chord shape.

You can do the same thing with other shapes, like the ones I used for examples in post #2 above.

And in the chord chart sheet that was shared by Mark Wilson in post #3, the root notes are shown in red - you can move those chords around pretty easily just by learning the note names on your strings/frets and knowing where the root notes are in each chord shape.

[Pete Martin]

The power of the chop comes mostly from the G and D strings. My bet is Monroe settled on the common voicing because it frets the G and D string higher and gives more power and "throatiness" to the chop sound.

Play an A major chord with the 2 2 4 5 (G to E) voicing, then the common 9 7 4 5 voicing. You will hear this, especially on an F hole mandolin.