[Trippy]

I've been playing, on an electric, for 4.5 months. I took the decision to start with rhythm first, and leave lead until later.

I bought the Oasis Chord Songbook at Christmas, and am learning some of the songs in that. They use quite a few slash chords, and 'partial' chords. Although there are chord boxes showing which strings to fret, I'm not sure the best way to play some of them, and how best to change between combinations of some of them. I'm sure that personal preference will come into it, but I'm looking for preferred methods. Ok, here goes...

When there's a partial chord. eg. playing the first 4 stings of F or Fm, should I fret the full chord, and just play the first 4 strings, or just fret the strings needed? (Similarly, I've just found an F# which only uses strings 3-6).

I've got a song that goes A -> D/A -> A in one bar (D/A is X3240X). I normally play A with 3 fingers. The best, in fact only, way I can see to play this change quickly is to play a barred A, then leave the barre on and add the notes at the 3rd and 4th frets with separate fingers to make the D/A, then remove again for the second A. Did that make sense? And if so what do you think of the method?

When I've got a chord like G5 which is 3300X3, do I just lean the 1st finger in to touch and therefore mute the 5th string?

Finally, this one is similar to the first question. I've got G5 as XXX553. I think this is a powerchord(?). I was initially missing the first 3 strings, and stretching my 1st finger over to the 6th string. Then I thought just bar the 3rd fret. Same with B5 as XX442X. Where I was just fretting the played strings, I could use a barre and still just play the 3 strings. This seems much easier and more comfortable. Is this the way I should do it?

Thanks.

[GuitarJim]

Lets see if I can do this without confusing you. I would say that you have it figured out. The A to D\A is a pretty common progression in rock. I use the Bar A and add the other fingers. Areosmith uses the same progression in Sweet Emotion. As for the G5 open chord, yes just deaden the string by resting your finger on the string you don't need. This is a common way to deaden strings. For the "Power Chords" I bar the whole thing and deaden the strings not needed. You sound as if you have a pretty good handle on things. Good Job.

[allthumbs]

Your doing fine. You might want to do your chord diagrams with the low E string on the left to the high E string on the right. It is the standard way of writing them.

[Akirakun]

Ah ha - someone is awake! I thought about that (the X3240X) and said - hold up, that's a D7... in normal phrasing...)

[allthumbs]

Originally Posted by Akirakun

Ah ha - someone is awake! I thought about that (the X3240X) and said - hold up, that's a D7... in normal phrasing...)

Closer to a CMaj7, I think, if you played it like that. It is actually a neat way to play a Maj7. Cool.
Thinking of it s a D chord of some kind is trickier. D9+6 maybe. The intervals are b7,2,6,6.

[Trippy]

Thanks for the advice and indeed encouragement.

When I wrote the post, I did wonder If I'd got the chord 'diagrams' the right way.

It's all a bit confusing at first... the lowest line on a guitar tab is the the highest physically when playing (ie. nearest the ceiling), although that's the lowest string musically. Chord boxes are vertical. Plus, I never know when my hand goes towards the bridge, if I'm going up or down the neck.

[Fretsource]

Moving down towards the bridge is going UP the neck and on tab upward pointing arrows are - you guessed it - DOWNSTROKES. That's why there are so many good Aussie guitarists on this site. Doing everything upside down is more natural for them