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Learning the ‘Jangly’ Chords

There are certain chord shapes and forms that tend to be classified as “jangly”, and this is due to the use of suspensions, connecting notes, and also the stylistic way in which they are played. Many of these chords simulate the use of a 12-string guitar, and many came about as the result of the “Folk Rock” boom of the mid ‘60s.

Still very useful, these chord shapes and forms find their way back to their Bluegrass origins, pure country and even many hard Rock songs.

This is a great lesson in having positions that can be played in lieu of other chord positions being played by the other players in the band, or even during the recording process in an effort to help create the overall “palette” and textures in sound we need to draw upon.

The backwards strum will also be shown in this lesson, as this is an important approach when it comes to creating many of these jangly chord sounds.

Enjoy!—Arlen Roth

Click here to check out the 1957 Les Paul Goldtop V.O.S. from Gibson Custom that Arlen is playing!
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