Ok! So, since I joined GMC Ive gained alot of skills, I feel ive progressed really well with all the lessons, always striving for perfection. Since ive been doing Muris's alternate picking lessons I feel my alternate picking has come on leaps and bounds!! Technically, I can see no limits in terms of being able to play - as long as I put in the hard work which I do. I started here with no skills and a cheap guitar, which in the long run has paid of because I had no "bad habits" to correct

In the back of my mind though, something is forever bothering me....... CHORDS!!! Who saw that comeing?

I have studied intervals hard, and after reading andrews cool lessons on chooseing chords for scales I understand how chords are contructed.

Im still baffled about how to really get creative with Chords. Some Guitarist ive spokn say they just form chord progressions on the fly, in there heads - but this is really of no use to me

Can anyone please give me some step by step advice on how to get creative with chords/ chord progressions? The thing is, I could quite happily sit down and work out what chords go with which scale, but is this how you guys do it?

Also, how do I know which fingering I should be useing anyway? I know the fretboard pitches inside out, but im never sure if im useing the right fingers. Where should I learn?

Ive long admired Muris and Gabriels backing tracks, maybe you guys could guide me a little?


Many thanks!!!

Im not a master at making chord progressions but ill give you some bits of advice that have helped me.

1. A good way to learn how to make chord progressions is try and work out the chords for already exisitng tunes. This is a lot easier if you can read music and even more if you can play the keyboard. To start of with just use the major 1st, 4th and 5th (i think this only works with major tunes). Then try adding in minor 2nds and 6ths. You might already know this but the way to work out chords for tunes, is when the tune sounds like a new chord should start look at what the notes are that will play over the chord and choose what chord fits in best with these notes. e.g. if a tune goes. G, D, C, A, F, then the chord progressions would be G-----F.
-------------------------------------------------g--d--c--a--f---------------------------------------------------.
2. If you can do this then one way to make a chord progression is to think of a melody, then work out the chords for that. You can make the chords not entirely follow the melody e.g. an A with a C chord doesnt make much sense but it sounds quite good. e.g

CHORDS---A--------------------------------G--------------------------E-----------------F---------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--13-12----------------------------------------------12-13--------pb15-------------pb13--------------------------
G----------14-----12-----------------12----16--14-----------12----------16-----------------14---------------------
D----------------------14-12-----14-------------------------------------------14-------------------12----------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHORDS--A--------------------------------G-------------------------E----------------F---------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B--C-B------------------------------------------------B--C--------pbD-------------pbC--------------------------
G----------A-----G-----------------G-------B----A------------G----------B-----------------A---------------------
D----------------------E--D-----E---------------------------------------------E-------------------D----------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This a chord progression i made up by thinking of a melody then working out its chords. I then wrote a solo around the chords this melody. I could make this more intersting by changing the chords. eg.
Am-add9--------------------G7-------------Em-add6-----------F7-add6.

e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G---2-----4------------------------------------------------------------0----------------------------------
D---2-----2--------------------4-------------------- 0----------------0--3---------------------------------------
A---0-----0--------------5-----5--------------2-----2----------3-----3--3----------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------3-----3--------------0-----0----------1-----1--1---------------------------------------------------

I made up this change on the basic progression by experimenting with chord shapes like power chords, then combining the new chords with power chords to make the tab above.

You can then use arpeggios or palm muting or added notes of the scale to make this more interesting but this how i write chord progressions. If you have trouble thinking of a melody i strongly advice david wallimanns advice of singing a meldoy then playing it on guitar.

You can also make chord progressions just by experimenting for ages until you find something you like but i think this is quite a good method.

I'll finish with just a few touches you can do to make chords better.

1. Try and change as little of the notes of the previous chord as possible to make the chords flow a bit better. "In this river" by BLS is an example if that (the piano intro).

2. Play the same chords in different ways. Hangar 18 by megadeth uses the same chord progression but in different ways for all the riffs up to the solo.

Also if you want to see how to make a tune put of a basic chord progression try looking at the tab for tommy emmanuels "angelina".

Hope this helps you mate.

Matt

In addition to what Matt23 says above perhaps also a) take a look at how a standard has been interpreted by different musicians and the chord progressions and voicings that they use have a look at some of the jazz primers that look specifically at turnarounds and common progressions - may give you some interesting/different ideas on chord substitutions.

I'd also highly recommend Ted Greene's 'Chord Chemistry'. Great book although I'm not sure if it's still in print.

Cheers,
Tony

Thankyou so much for the help guys!! And thanks for your effort there matt trying to help me - very kind

I was wondering if Nicks Improvisation lesson might help? he really knows his sutff!! I was also hopeing if any of our instructors might give a more in depth look at how they go about creating chord progressions for there lessons

thanks again!

p.s Tony i will look on amazon for that book!

Matt - if you can't find it try the library as well - amazon might not have out of print stuff.

Cheers,
Tony

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chord-Chemistry-Te...9944&sr=8-1

I'm currently preparing one songwriting lesson, that I hope it will be live soon by the end of March so you can have there some creative tips how to make your progressions sound better and more interesting "on the fly"! Just be patient for a while!