I want to learn David Bowie's Space Oddity on CBG but there are a couple of chords in there that I am not sure how to play. Am7/G and C/E. This type of chord confuses me even on a regular guitar. Can someone please help?
Rusty
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
Replies
I guess the way I would approach this would be to learn it on 6-string first, then see how many of those chord fingerings fit within a 4-string tuned A-D-F#-B (the middle 4 strings on a 6-stringer, with the G tuned down a half step to F#), then step that down to a 3-stringer tuned A-D-F#.
Lotta times, you can merely suggest the chord the way jazzbos do, with passing notes. But that presumes you have your fingerboard mapped out, and really understand the chord arrangement.
Which is no a bad exercise in itself: fretboard mapping for your particular tuning.
Good ideas Ron!
https://youtu.be/XHllKZlU4Ro
OK so here's a link to a quick vid showing some of the chords. There's more in the song but this shows most of the first couple of parts. Forgive the singing - I never could do justice to any of his wonderful songs!
What tuning are you using?
GDG
OK, I was fooling around with it on 4 string so I could get some more of the notes in on those chords. In GDG you're gonna have to leave out or hint at some of those chord extensions. I hate to assume stuff so I'll ask if you understand that Am/G means Am chord with a G bass? If so you can often find ways to get a similar sound on 3 strings but not the whole deal like on 6 string. I'll try to post a bit of how I'd do it maybe later today.
To figure this out fully, you do need a proper understanding of chord structure...it's not that hard, and if it's something you want to learn how to play it might just ease you into it. However, as Jim says, he'd tried with 4 strings but with 3 you simply won't have enough strings to do it properly. With an Am chord you need 3 notes (root, flattened 3rd and the 5th), and the 7th adds another. To further complicate things the slash means you play it with a G in the bass. C/E, (C major over E in the bass) is in theory do-able with 3 strings - root, third (played in the bass) and a fifth.
Having said all this, a lot depends on how accurately the music had been transcribed into the chords, and indeed, it might need a full 6 string chord for the voicing to sound something near to how it was intended. Maybe figure it out on the 6 string and then see if you can identify the salient notes to use on the 3 string.
Well said John. With the students I have I try to not throw the entire chord theory thing at them at once but ease them in by showing them a chord, let's say C/E and trying to let them see what has happened to the plain old C chord. A lot of folks want to learn how to play a song and their eyes glaze over if I start talking theory to them. I well remember how slowly it came to me.
Ahh... but now I feel challenged to do this on 3 string! Let's see how it goes!
Thanks clarifying that. Like I said, that confuses me even on the 6 string. I would appreciate the post on how to do it.