Open chords vs closed chords for chops n chucks

[mbruno]

Mbruno you are right about chording to fit the situation. I am a diehard BG'er but I don't play only chop chords rhythm for one thing as Mr Burns said it would bore me to death.I do disagree with your statement that anyone starting out should be 95% focused on making the mandolin sound like they would like. Someone starting out on anything needs to learn the tried and true way things are done ( in the case of BG rhythm on mandolin that is chop chords) as he learns more about it he can and should venture out to his own way but he needs the fundamentals first. Not trying to be arrogant or negitive but some one just starting doesn't know how they want the mandolin to sound.

I don't think we actually disagree.

If the person is learning bluegrass, then yes, learning the bluegrass chop is going to important to making it sound like what they want. The chop is "tried and true" and a key part of the BG sound for mandolin.

If they have no interest in learning bluegrass and would rather learn to play more in a classical, jazz, rock, etc vein - then the chop chord may not be the best to start with. In this case, tried and true typically focuses on other types of chords and rhythmic ideas (i.e. 7th's for jazz, counter point for classical etc).

If however a player doesn't know what they want to sound like at all, I would suggest that person would have a really hard time getting better at any instrument - even from the beginning. If that's the case, then before even picking up the instrument, the first "practice" should be to listen to music and find someone / something you'd like to sound like.

Back to the OP - if you like those chords, play em. They definitely have their place and in the right setting, the openness of the voicing is perfect! That said, watch out for the "comfort trap" where you only play those chords because "they sound nice...and are easy". I know a good number of players from BG jams that fell into the "easy chord" trap and never got out (or took a long time to get out). Best advise to you is to play the same song in multiple different positions (but in the same key) which will force you to experiment with different chord voicings which can be really helpful.

[Ky Slim]

The lowest 2 courses G and D are going to give the best chop. That's where the meat is. Even if I finger an entire chop chord I focus the strike on these courses because in chopping I am going for a more percussive and chunky rhythmic thud. The higher courses are ok when played in a chop but not as ok as the lower courses IMO lol. There is not going to be a lower voiced "power chord" than the open G and open D. To get a chop out of these open strings you will need to use some kind of muting technique. This isn't "easy" and requires practice to get it timed right. In the key of A the second fret offers a chop power chord (A and E notes barred at the 2nd fret) that is muted by lifting the fretting fingers just after the strike. Again, this requires practice to get the muting timed right.
I play with a banjo player that likes to say "mandolins don't have chords." He is joking of course but his meaning is that he doesn't need to hear the mandolin voicing 4 notes in every chop. What he needs to hear is a solid snare drum like rhythm out of the mandolin. "The guitar has chords..."
To the OP - BG isn't easy. I think that because some or perhaps many bluegrass songs and tunes do not have a lot of chords people have a habit of considering it easy. "It only has G, C and D...." Folks that take an attitude that any style of music is easy or should be easy typically don't play it that well. This is my opinion. Thanks and Good Luck!

[Drew Egerton]

A lot of it depends on your playing situation as well. If you are in a full band with 4 or 5 pieces then a closed chop is really all you need so you are driving the beat without stepping on anyone else. If the guitar takes a break or you are playing with less than a full group, I am much more inclined to use more open sounding positions.
Jazz chords can be much trickier than the standard G chop, but are often reduced to only the bottom 3 strings. Again, if you have a bass and guitar hitting the root you may not need it.
It's good to shake things up. I will use a couple of different positions throughout the same song depending on what I am going for sound-wise, or just general boredom at a jam

[Scott Rucker]

Due to some hand problems, I can't hold the just G chord shape, C shape, and D shape for whole sessions any longer. I use a variety of shapes while I'm playing to minimize stretching my hands, stretch them in different ways, and to just break things up as I'm playing. Playing the chop only the two wound courses works when it's close, too. A good chop can be gotten by pinky muting open chords, too, as I've watched Sam Bush do it my whole life.