Chop Chords

[Scott Crabtree]

I'm new to the mandolin and I am looking at finding some new bluegrass chop chords.

(G) 2x3x5x7
(A) 4x5x7x9

Any other ones? suggestion?

[Rob Gerety]

If you go to the cafe home page and look at the top left and poke around you'll find what you are looking for.

[mandroid]

4 finger movable closed chords when you let up LH pressure, chop the ringing of the vibrating string short.

Any can be chopped short with RH damping on the strings, in mho.

now the chord harmony DGBG, of your 7523, and 3G's of 0523, GGBG

would sound a bit different, for that short time the strings ring before stopping the ringing,

but the backing percussion is, as I understand the function.

staying with the rhythm of the song, till you have to say something..

[AlanN]

Yep, any shape can be 'chopped' for rhythm.

The 7-5-2-3 has a somewhat 'perfect' sound and gestalt for bluegrass, due to the interval leap and just its 'thing', but any can do. Check Tim O'Brien (for just one) who effectively uses other voicings for rhythm groove.

[Scott Crabtree]

Thanks all...
other chord patterns are greatly appreciated, any and are welcomed...
I really like the 0523

[Michael Gowell]

Do a search on chop chords - there are several helpful threads.

[sasquatchmedicine]

howdy....(first post.....u guys are great here on the cafe ! )

im new myself and i wanted to ask this without creating another redundant post.....

i dont know if this is kosher, but it seems so easy...for example

(in A for example), i play


5
4
2
2
for the ONE

then

2
0
0
2
for the FOUR...then 2 frets up for the FIVE

i move this around and if the second chord i showed is lower on the fretboard i use it for the one.......

when i practice, i can make it around the neck pretty easy in various keys(following along with pretty easy songs), and it seems that that the notes are all bundled together so you can get a nice chop....

i dunno if im goin down the wrong path with chords phrasing....but its sounds so right

[Jim Broyles]

sas, it's easier to know what you mean about a chord shape if you go 2245 - low to high - because even making a column, it depends on which way you look at it. This way there's no mistake.

Those chords are not the "classic" chop chord shapes in A. Those would be 9745, 745x and 967x or 9674, which some don't like. Of course, you can chop whatever shapes you want, and I do it all the time, so if it sounds good to you, do it. Some BG police don't allow open strings for a chop chord. I do that all the time too, especially for a 5301 F major.