Welcome to Chord du Jour

We have finished only one twelve-week cycle this calendar year (thus far). After some format retooling, we hope to return by November 1st, 2009! Until then, feel free to browse or search this somewhat chaotic blog-scape of musical information from the past two years of Chord du Jour.

If you like the content of this blog, please support us by (1) spreading the word! and/or (2) buying some Chord du Jour merchandise at our new CafePress shop. While the new store is under construction, we still have merchandise available at our old DeRamos.org's Daily Chord store, the Right-Handed Blues/Mixolydian Cheat Shirt store, and the Left-Handed Blues/Mixolydian Cheat Shirt store.

We hope you enjoy your stay at Chord du Jour, and please stay tuned!

F Major Diatonic without Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Thursday's awesomeness, tabbed in (low to high) E A D G B E standard tuning:

    F
e |-13------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B |-10------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G |-10------------------|--------------------|-----------------10--|
D |-10------------------|------10-----10-12--|-10-12-14--12-14-----|
A |-12-10-12--10-12-13--|-12-13----13--------|---------------------|
E |-13------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

                                                
e |---------------------|--------------------|-------10-----10-12--|
B |-----------------10--|---10-11--10-11-13--|-11-13-----13--------|
G |----10-12--10-12-----|-12-----------------|---------------------|
D |-14------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

              F           Bb       F
e |-10-12-13--13--------|-13-------13--------|
B |----------(13)-------|-15-------13--------|
G |-----------10--------|-15-------14--------|
D |-----------10--------|-15-------15--------|
A |-----------12--------|-13-------15--------|
E |-----------13--------|(13)------13--------|

F Major Pentatonic without Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Wednesday's ascending awesomeness, tabbed in (low to high) E A D G B E standard tuning:

    F
e |-8-------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
B |-10------------------|---------------------|-----------------10--|
G |-10------------------|-----------------10--|----10-12--10-12-----|
D |-10--------------10--|----10-12--10-12-----|-12------------------|
A |-8--10-12--10-12-----|-12------------------|---------------------|
E |(8)------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

e |-----------------10--|----10-13--13--------|
B |----10-13--10-13-----|-13--------10--------|
G |-12------------------|-----------10--------|
D |---------------------|-----------10--------|
A |---------------------|-----------12--------|
E |---------------------|-----------13--------|

G Major in F with Capo or Full-Step Down Tuning

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the eighth fret:

     F
c |--5--|
G |--2--|
Eb|--2--|
Bb|--2--|
F |--4--|
C |--5--|

Today, we'll play something valid either while capo'd at the 10th fret or with no capo but tuned down to (from low to high) D G C F A D:

    F
d |-3-------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A |-0-------------|---------------|---------------|------------0--|
F |-0-------------|---------------|------------0--|---0-2--0-2----|
C |-0-------------|-----0----0-2--|-0-2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|
G |-2-0-2--0-2-3--|-2-3----3------|---------------|---------------|
D |-3-------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|

                                           F        Bb     F
d |---------------|-----0----0-2--|-0-2-3--3------|-3------3------|
A |---0-1--0-1-3--|-1-3----3------|--------3------|-5------3------|
F |-2-------------|---------------|--------0------|-5------4------|
C |---------------|---------------|--------0------|-5------5------|
G |---------------|---------------|--------2------|-3------5------|
D |---------------|---------------|--------3------|(3)-----3------|

A Major in F with Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the fifth fret:

     F
a |--3--|
E |--5--|
C |--5--|
G |--5--|
D |--3--|
A |-(3)-|

Let's capo the eighth fret, play the F major chord, go through a neat-sounding ascending F major pentatonic scale, and preview tomorrow's F chord (sans capo):

    F
c |-0-------------|---------------|---------------|------------2--|
G |-2-------------|---------------|------------2--|---2-5--2-5----|
Eb|-2-------------|------------2--|---2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|
Bb|-2----------2--|---2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|---------------|
F |-0-2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|---------------|---------------|
C |(0)------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|

c |---2-5--5------|
G |-5------2------|
Eb|--------2------|
Bb|--------2------|
F |--------4------|
C |--------5------|

C Major in F with Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the third fret:

     F
g |--2-----------------------|
D |--3-----------------------|
Bb|--2-----------------------|
F |--4-----------------------|
C |--5-----------------------|
G |--------------------------|

Let's capo the fifth fret:

     F  Gm Am Bb C  Dm Edim     F
a |--0--1--0--1--3--0--------|--3--|
E |--1--3--0--1--3--1--3-----|--5--|
C |--0--2--0--2--0--2--4-----|--5--|
G |--2--0--2--3--0--2--3-----|--5--|
D |--3-(0)-2--3--2--0--2-----|--3--|
A |-(3)----0--1--3-(0)-------|-(3)-|

D Major in F with Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Do you remember the last chord shape from yesterday's lesson (in bold), with the capo on the first fret?

     F
f |--0-----------------------|--0--------------------4--|
C |--0-----------------------|-----4--2--0-----------5--|
Ab|--1-----------------------|--------------2--1-----4--|
Eb|--2-----------------1--2--|--------------------4--2--|
Bb|--2--------0--2--4--------|--------------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--------------------------|

If we remove the capo, it would be tabbed like this:

     F
e |--5--|
B |--6--|
G |--5--|
D |--3--|
A |-----|
E |-----|

And if we capo the third fret:

     F
g |--2--2--2-----------2--2--|--2-----------------------|
D |--3--3--3--3--3--3--2--3--|--3-----------------------|
Bb|--2--X--2--0--2--4--------|--2-----------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--4-----------------------|
C |--------------------------|--5-----------------------|
G |--------------------------|--------------------------|

E Major in F with Capo

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We'll use a capo on the first fret with typical Key of E open chords, letting us play in F. Notice that compared to standard E A D G B E tuning, our capo'd tuning sounds a bit "brighter," just as tuning the guitar down to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb sort of makes open chords sound "darker":

     F
f |--0-----------------------|--0--------------------4--|
C |--0-----------------------|-----4--2--0-----------5--|
Ab|--1-----------------------|--------------2--1-----4--|
Eb|--2-----------------1--2--|--------------------4--2--|
Bb|--2--------0--2--4--------|--------------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--------------------------|

The XLR Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain XLR connectors better than me. Hint: The XLR is the usual cable for microphones. Another hint: Many XLR cables have a male plug on one side, while the other side is a female jack; many TRS cables have male connectors on both ends. Read more about the analogy between connector gender and zoological anatomy.

The TRS Connector

While there is some risk in degrees of accuracy, Wikipedia can explain TRS connectors better than me. Hint: Larger guitar cables have this in common with the usually-smaller headphone cables. Another hint: While the black rings often tell you whether a given cable is mono (one black ring), stereo (two black rings), stereo + video (three rings), or stereo + power (three rings), the rings are merely insulation to separate the important metal contacts that actually do the dirty work. Just hope that the work a TRS connector cable does is not so dirty as it is crystal clear quality.

Quick Topic: B-flat Instruments

Wikipedia has a list of instruments that play (sound) in Bb for music written in C notation (no sharps or flats). Something like that. Click through the links for more information, and if you find that interesting, go to a library or take a course to gain solid, non-Wikified info regarding Bb instruments.

B Baritone horn Bass clarinet C Contrabass clarinet

C cont. Cornet F Flugelhorn S Soprano clarinet Subcontrabass clarinet

S cont. Subcontrabass saxophone T Trombone Trumpet

Bb Groove in Standard Tuning, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to play a similar progression like yesterday's lesson, but in standard tuning (from low to high: E A D G B E), no capo. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

     Bbsus4
e|---------------------|---------------6--6--|
B|---------------------|---------------6--6--|
G|------------8--------|------------8--8--8--|
D|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|
A|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|
E|-4/6--6--6--6--6--6--|-4/6--6--6--6--6--6--|

     F     Fsus4 F         Eb   Ebsus2 Eb
e|------------8--8--8--|------------6--6--6--|
B|------10-10-11-10-10-|------8--8--6--8--8--|
G|-8/10-10-10-10-10-10-|--(8)-8--8--8--8--8--|
D|-8/10-10-10-10-10-10-|-8(8)-8--8--8--8--8--|
A|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-5/6--6--6--6--6--6--|
E|---------------------|---------------------|

A Groove in Bb with Capo, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're going to play a similar progression like yesterday's lesson, but in standard tuning (from low to high: E A D G B E, with a capo on the first fret (F Bb Eb Ab C F). The tab numbers are relative to the capo. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

      Bbsus4
f |------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
C |------------3--3--3--|------------3--3--3--|
Ab|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Bb|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|
F |---------------------|---------------------|

      Fsus4       F         Ebsus2    Eb
f |------------0--0--0--|---0--0--0-h2--2--2--|
C |------------0--0--0--|---3--3--3--3--3--3--|
Ab|------------2--1--1--|-1/2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|
Bb|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|---------------------|
F |---0--0--0--0--0--0--|---------------------|

B Groove in Bb, Half-Step Down Tuning, 6/8

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

We're back to the same (from low to high) Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb from last week's set of lessons. We're just going to get you started with a B-flat groove, which is usually B in standard tuning. Then take this little thread and make it a song (or at least a freeform jam), if you so choose. Tomorrow, we're probably going to try something else. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

     Bbsus4
eb|------------0-----0--|------------0-----0--|
Bb|------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
Gb|---4--------4--4--4--|---4--------4--4--4--|
Db|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|
Ab|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|---------------------|---------------------|

    F7add4                Eb
eb|------------0-----0--|------------0-----0--|
Bb|------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
Gb|------------3--3--3--|------------1--1--1--|
Db|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Ab|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0----0--0--0--0--0--|