In this second volume of Chord Studies: Slash Chords, you'll continue to expand your chord and progression vocabulary with lush, full-sounding harmonic options. These 15 studies will also help you understand the principles behind the construction and labeling of slash chords so that you can construct your own when composing or finding the perfect voicings for comping.
About the Chord Studies Series
If Forest Gump’s shrimp-loving Bubba played guitar, his take on chords might go something like this, ”You can strum ‘em, fingerpick ‘em, arpeggiate ‘em, mute ‘em, alternate tune ‘em, voice lead ‘em. Dey’s uh, barre chords, altered chords, extended chords, moveable chords, cluster chords, slash chords, inversions, triads, diads. There’s jazz chords, power chords, blues chords, cowboy chords, block chords, open chords…”
Bubba would be right — there’s a wide and wonderful world of chords for we guitarists to explore. But what’s the best way to do that? Chord dictionaries might be handy references but there’s no context (and really, when’s the last time you looked at one of those?).
Theory and harmony instructionals are filled with chord construction strategies and applications and we highly recommend digging as deep into the science of chords as your left brain will allow you.
However, learning new chords, progressions, applications and right-hand techniques in a musical context (songs, etudes, jamming with other players, etc.) is the most popular approach and that is the educational premise behind Brad’s Carlton’s Chord Studies course seres.
Each edition of Chord Studies features 15 play-along and jammable chord studies, which are focused on a particular chord type, chord progression or chord application. While Brad does touch on rhythmic qualities, this is not a rhythm guitar course — these studies are specifically designed to significantly expand your chord know-how and vocabulary.
Brad covers a range of styles, levels , chord types and progressions across 10 editions: CAGED Chords, Jazz Blues Progressions, Open String Chords, Rock and Pop Progressions, Slow Blues Progressions, Evolving Blues, Evolving Triads, Slash Chords, Power Chords and Beginner Chords.
Each of the 15 Studies within an edition includes an overview from Brad followed by a performance and play-along of the chord study over a rhythm track. Chord grid charts and a chord lead sheet accompanies each study. Plus, you’ll get all of the practice rhythm tracks to work with on your own.
Reference the chord charts to become familiar with the voicings and their fingerings, and then use the lead sheet to play-along with Brad’s video performance. Try different rhythmic patterns over the supplied rhythm tracks and then take it all to your own playlist of songs and jam tracks.
What you'll learn
Execute a pedal tone progression with moving sus2 chords
Apply hinge barre technique for efficient chord transitions
Minimize finger motion when changing between complex chord voicings
Understand the harmonic relationship between sus2 slash chords and their extended chord equivalents
Understand two different fingering approaches for the same chord progression
In this second volume of Chord Studies: Slash Chords, you'll continue to expand your chord and progression vocabulary with lush, full-sounding harmonic options. These 15 studies will also help you understand the principles behind the construction and labeling of slash chords so that you can construct your own when composing or finding the perfect voicings for comping.
2Slash Chords Vol. 2
In this second volume of Chord Studies: Slash Chords, you'll continue to expand your chord and progression vocabulary with lush, full-sounding harmonic options. These 15 studies will also help you understand the principles behind the construction and labeling of slash chords so that you can construct your own when composing or finding the perfect voicings for comping.
3No Guide Back
These four chords all have B in the bass. Our first chord is Bm, which you'll notice comes right out of your Am form with an omitted fifth string. Rotate your hand and squeeze the second and third fingers in there to get the A/B. Your second finger will act as a guide when going to the G/B, and your fourth finger will be a guide when going to the E / B. To start over, you simply move back down to Bm, but this time there are no guide fingers. Try hybrid picking this for a keyboard-type sound.
4No Guide Back
These four chords all have B in the bass. Our first chord is Bm, which you'll notice comes right out of your Am form with an omitted fifth string. Rotate your hand and squeeze the second and third fingers in there to get the A/B. Your second finger will act as a guide when going to the G/B, and your fourth finger will be a guide when going to the E / B. To start over, you simply move back down to Bm, but this time there are no guide fingers. Try hybrid picking this for a keyboard-type sound.
5Dim the Lights
Here we have four different chords that are utilizing slash chord principles. Our first chord is a D, but the fingering is a bit unorthodox. Barre across strings four, three, and two with finger one and reach up with finger three to get the D in the bass.
For the next chord, E/D, you simply slide finger one up a whole step. Using fingers two and four, play the F/C and then you are in position to get the B in the bass for our next chord. Move the little finger up a whole step and you've got G/B. You'll notice the chords are moving whole step, half step, whole step; coming right out of the whole-half diminished scale.
6Dim the Lights
Here we have four different chords that are utilizing slash chord principles. Our first chord is a D, but the fingering is a bit unorthodox. Barre across strings four, three, and two with finger one and reach up with finger three to get the D in the bass.
For the next chord, E/D, you simply slide finger one up a whole step. Using fingers two and four, play the F/C and then you are in position to get the B in the bass for our next chord. Move the little finger up a whole step and you've got G/B. You'll notice the chords are moving whole step, half step, whole step; coming right out of the whole-half diminished scale.
7Sus4 Connection
Here we have four voicings of a sus4 chord with an A in the bass. Our first voicing of Asus4 has the A on the twelfth fret on string five. Move everything down one fret and bring in the second finger for the Gsus4/A. Then we move down and switch fingerings to get the Csus4. Notice we then move the top voicings up a whole step and change our fingering for the Dsus4 with A in the bass. You could try it with the fifth string open for a different sound.
This is one in a series of chord study courses that Brad Carlton has produced with TrueFire.
Like the other courses, this one follows the blueprint of presenting 15 chord progressions using different voicings (slash chords, in this instance) that the student can watch and play along with.
This is a really good and enjoyable way of embedding some new chord voicings into your playing (as well as seriously strengthening your rhythm playing) and Brad also provides some useful insights about each example.
R
RikJansen
Verified buyer
11/12/20
a new approach to playing chords.
This great course by Brad Carlton will make you aware of a way of playing chords that you might never have thought of yourself. The slash chords provide rich, beautiful sounds.
