I'm kinda sick of writing songs with simple chords like major and minor.
Where should I start in order to find some cool sounding chords? like more colourful sounding chords?
(Please have a listen to Hollow Years- by Dream Theater). It's that sort of feel I want to get.

Just look for tabs of Dream Theater stuff and find out about the type of chord voicing Petrucci uses. You can probably find some info on that within the lessons he has online at Guitar World it's compiled here just look for the Petrucci lessons and check in there, there oughta be something of interest for you. I know he uses some add9#11 chords as I got one of these off a tab I've seen and love that chord.

Confessed Pickaholic!

Here's a few voicings for a C add 9 # 11 chord -

E --2-------2----------
B --3-------3-------7--
G --0-------0-------7--
D --2-------4-------5--
A --3-------3-------3--
E ---------------------

Technically an "add 9" chord must contain the triad (1,3,5), and "add" the 9. The first example is the only one that includes the 3rd, and represents the correct spelling (1,3,5,9,#11). The natural or flatted 3rd is key in determining the basic tonality of a chord, and its omission yields a slightly more ambiguous sound.

The second example contains both the #4 & #11 (the same note, only an octave apart).

The third example is spelled 1,5,9,#11. I believe I've heard this voicing used in a Rolling Stones song, but which tune it is escapes me at the moment. Of course it was likely played in an open tuning, which would require a different fingering than I've notated here.

The 3rd can be easily added in the bass to these chords by playing an open E.

Thanks Corleone for the first 2 chord shapes, surely will try and play with these a bit. Was familiar with the 3rd one but not the first 2 ones, these might come in handy.

Confessed Pickaholic!

As usual Corleone - great voicings. Especially #2. I don't think I've ever used that particular open-string Cmaj9#11. Very hip.

Thanks guys. One more variation on the first two shapes is to not fret the 4th string at all; mute it with the back of the finger that's fretting the 5th string. I mention this because it's an easier fingering to grab on the fly.

poet, you might also want to check out Andy Summers' work with The Police for an interesting approach to voicings & extensions over basic chord progressions. I'm pretty sure Glorbz & klasaine would agree.

Agreed why didn't I mentioned teh Andy Summers reference guess I just plain forgot

Confessed Pickaholic!

Andy Summers probably did as much for rock "chord" vocabulary as, dare I say it, Jimi did for lead.

Thanks guys. Any particluar songs by The Police I should check out?

"Message In A bottle" pretty much says it all. Invisible sun, Every Breath You Take are fairly easy to figure out and use a lot of his classic voicings.

Firstly, I applaud the mention of Andy Summers. Sting actually suggested that he use stacked triads for "Message in a Bottle". Thanks for the voicings Corleone. I'm still a stock chord guy for the most part but I use such chords for embellishments.

I suggest you read Brian Mays lesson from Guitar World:
http://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artists/1999/0499.may.html

quote:

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Originally posted by guysmy:
Firstly, I applaud the mention of Andy Summers. Sting actually suggested that he use stacked triads for "Message in a Bottle".

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Interesting. I think it was on "Hey Jude" that George wanted to use call & response guitar phrases to echo the vocal melodies, but Paul vetoed that rather quickly. I'm cetainly glad Summers won that argument - that particular tune completely turned my head around about "parts playing" within the pop/rock format.

Those were some nice chords Corleone. Got any more? I'm particularly interested in new inversions involving open strings.

chords are everything

Hey thanks medi... for now, scroll down the page & look for a thread called "Dissonant chords". I've gotta get out of here for now, but I'll throw out some other stuff when I get a chance.

There's a bunch of ways to dress up simple chords. I'm often given very basic progressions & a vocal melody by writers, & have a few pet devices that I call on when doing arrangements. The following examples include use of a common tonality on top of the chords, "cluster" minor 2nd interval arpeggios that imply the chords at hand, & ascending or descending bass lines that use either the root or 3rd of the chord.

First example turns Emin - D - G - Amin - G - D into
Emin7 - Dsus4/F# - G - Amin7 - G/B - Dsus4:

E --3--3--3--3--3--3--
B --3--3--3--1--3--3--
G --0--2--0--0--0--2--
D --2--0--0--2--0--0--
A --2--x--x--0--2-----
E --0--2--3-----------

Over a basic framework of D - C - Bmin - G. Listen for the "color" notes over each chord: 3rd & suspended 4th over D; raised 4th over C; minor 6th over B minor; major 7th over G:

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

Over basic framework of G#min - F# - E:

E -----------2-----------2-----------2--
B --------0-----------0-----------0-----
G -----3-----------3-----------3--------
D --------------------------------------
A --------------------------------------
E --4-----------2-----------0-----------

Over basic framework of B - G#min - A - E:

E -----0-----------0-----------0-----------0--------
B --------4-----------4-----------4-----------4-----
G -----------4-----------4-----------4-----------4--
D --------------------------------------------------
A --2-----------------------0-----------------------
E --------------4-----------------------0-----------

The 1 - 5 - 9 shape from "Message In A Bottle" is something I use a lot. Here's a simple move that yields the 1,5, & 9 of D, & by moving one finger implies an A chord (intervals 3 - 1 -5). D to A:

E --------
B --5--5--
G --x--x--
D --7--7--
A --5--4--
E --------

This stuff works pretty well for tunes that require maximum jangle. Let the notes ring out. Your ears will tell you what strings need to be muted/damped.

One guy (of many) who is a master at dressing up simple chords is Bert Jansch. It is a mind-blowing experience to hear his guitar work on his first record (recorded in his kitchen, no less). This is the record that flipped Jimmy Page out and caused a nearly 1 1/2 year obsession with Jansch. Black Mountain Side is a "borowing" of a Jansch tune. Just incredible...

Also, there are a number of African acoustic fingerstyle players who recorded sporatically in the 60s & 70s who were monsters at dressing up 2 chords with really interesting syncopations. Stefen Grossman sells a DVD called "African Fingerstyle Guitar" which is just crazy.

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Go listen to sum eric johnson or pete townsend. Chord vocing masters right there