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Thread: Chop chord

  1. #1
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    Does anyone know of a site on the internet that has a free chop chord sheet. Also what do you use chop chords for.
    I want a grand piano, if you would like to donate just e-mail me. Just joking, kind of.

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    Registered User tkdboyd's Avatar
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    There is three on this web site. I'll hunt them down and post the link....

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    Quote Originally Posted by (firstchair @ July 30 2007, 12:22)
    Also what do you use chop chords for.
    Why, to scare people off, of course.

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    The Bloomingtones earthsave's Avatar
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    Chop chords generally occur on the BACKbeat. #Like the snap of a snare drum, the chick to the boom, they add a percussive sound to the music.

    Hold your chord, and release it as you quickly drive/snap the pick across/through the strings.

    Along with scaring off people, it does also keep the bears and elephants away.



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    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    I use it to annoy my wife, but most people use it as a percussive backing rhythm for BlueGrass. Read that whole sheet not just the charts, it's good stuff. I just learned something new from it, about not playing the chords like a guitarist would, be to play and release pressure just in time.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by
    Chop chords generally occur on the downbeat
    You mean offbeat or back beat, maybe?

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    ive been trying to play mandolin for a while now and im still a bit confused about what to do on the "on-beat" when chopping. Tap my feet or tap the strings? what do you all do

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    I take a drink of my beer

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    Quote Originally Posted by (austinbristow @ July 30 2007, 13:52)
    ive been trying to play mandolin for a while now and im still a bit confused about what to do on the "on-beat" when chopping. Tap my feet or tap the strings? what do you all do
    Shoot, I'd be happy to just a recognize a beat.
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  11. #11

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    Ahhh the down beat...my favorite beat of all. If your playin a song in 4/4 time(1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 etc.) the down beats would be the 2's and the 4's. I usually just mute the chord on the 1 and 3's. This also can be reversed and you can play on the 1 and 3s and mute on 2 and 4. Rhythm really hard to teach so its just about playin around...Try choppin out chords while playing along with some Del McCoury band tunes. When Ronnie Chops you def know its him and that Gil.

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    Registered User Mike Crater's Avatar
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    Um, were talking about the same beat for the chop, 2 and 4 for 4/4, but I've always referred to the 1 and 3 as the downbeat, with 2 and 4 being the back beat.

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/downbeat

    Unless you're playing "choro", where the downbeats are 2 and 4.
    Mike Crater

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  13. #13

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    I;ve always considered the downbeat the first beat of a measure and the upbeat to immediately proceed the downbeat.

    There's an interesting discussion of beats
    here.

    Don

  14. #14

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    Bluegrass is usually in 2/4 time..tap toe on beats one and two, chop on the off beats. 1 and, 2 and.....tap on 1 and 2, chop on the "ands". There can be variations of course.

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    The Bloomingtones earthsave's Avatar
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    Whatever ya call it I mean the 2 and the 4 in 4/4.

    Bass goes boom, I got chick, bass goes boom, I go chick.

    A lot of times I hit the boom too, but my boom aint gonna come through over the guitar and bass hitting the 1.
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    Registered User ApK's Avatar
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    Yeah, chops (and snares) usually go on the 2 & 4, the backbeats. That's the exact opposite of downbeat.

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    Good catch about the snare drum (speaking as an ex-drummer, and yes I drool out of both sides of my mouth when the riser is level). The bluegrass chop is a snare drum substitute, since y'all don't allow drummers in that format. The timbre has a similar crack/pop that helps drive the music on the backbeat.

    Question: is the "chop" ever found outside its natural habitat in bluegrass and its derivatives like Dawg music?

    I'm asking because I'm fairly new to mandolin (transitioning from guitar) and I'll probably end up playing mostly blues, beginner jazz, maybe a little Celtic. I can sorta do a chop but it's not very clean. Okay, it's actually pretty weak. If I never plan to play bluegrass, should I still invest the time to practice it?
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    Quote Originally Posted by (foldedpath @ July 31 2007, 21:14)
    Question: is the "chop" ever found outside its natural habitat in bluegrass and its derivatives like Dawg music?
    I'd say yes it is. When you listen to other music listen to the rhythm guitar and their use of mutes. For example Barenaked Ladies "One Week" if you were playing that on mandolin you'd be chopping there. Not much difference other than the guitar there is allowed to ring out a little more.

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    If you want to hear 6 string chop, listen to John Doyle playing rhythm celtic guitar
    Style is the sum total of your limitations

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    Registered User ApK's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (foldedpath @ July 31 2007, 21:14)
    Good catch about the snare drum (speaking as an ex-drummer, and yes I drool out of both sides of my mouth when the riser is level). The bluegrass chop is a snare drum substitute, since y'all don't allow drummers in that format. The timbre has a similar crack/pop that helps drive the music on the backbeat.

    Question: is the "chop" ever found outside its natural habitat in bluegrass and its derivatives like Dawg music?

    I'm asking because I'm fairly new to mandolin (transitioning from guitar) and I'll probably end up playing mostly blues, beginner jazz, maybe a little Celtic. I can sorta do a chop but it's not very clean. Okay, it's actually pretty weak. If I never plan to play bluegrass, should I still invest the time to practice it?
    Muted, percussive chords are used in rhythm in a lot of styles on a lot of instruments. #Rock guitar among them. #I'd say a chop chord is probably the one technique that will let a mandolin fit in anywhere!

    This analysis based on my weeks of mando experience. Anyone disagree?
    (edit: Just noticed eff said basically the same thing. I didn;t copy, I promise.)




  21. #21
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    I was listening to some Simon Mayor last night, and I noticed he does a couple of chops as a lead-in to the first track on "New Celtic Mandolin," although it might have been a sort of joke reference, I'm not sure. I didn't notice the technique in the rest of the CD. Anyway, I'll keep my ears open for more non-Bluegrassy chops.
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    "Also what do you use chop chords for. "

    A rhythmic accompaniment for various styles of barnyard music,

    Curt

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    My brother pointed out to me that he's seen some people just hold the chord shape on the strings and not press down on them sorta like muting the string would that work?

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    Quote Originally Posted by (Mando-guy @ Aug. 15 2007, 13:28)
    My brother pointed out to me that he's seen some people just hold the chord shape on the strings and not press down on them sorta like muting the string would that work?
    Muting all strings is what someone on the acoustic guitar forum recently called "the Universal Chord."
    Would it work? #Sure.
    So would holding a small piece of two-by-four instead of a mandolin and striking it with a pick in the right rhythm.




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    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (foldedpath @ July 31 2007, 21:14)
    Question: is the "chop" ever found outside its natural habitat in bluegrass and its derivatives like Dawg music?
    I would say in general no.

    When it is used outside of BG and BD derivatives, it is a new thing, an innovation for an audience used to hearing a mandolin in a BG setting - or someone who comes from a BG background and has the habit of using chop chords.

    There are no other types of music where chop chords are required, though there are probably lots of places they would work.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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