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--|

Jam / Mix in Bb (Major) 2.0

A website called in Bb 2.o features YouTube videos of various musicians playing in Bb major, allowing you to mix the videos' audio and listen to them blend together. You are also encouraged to jam along with them, and possibly videotape a performance to contribute to the experiment.

If you are a guitar player, here's a tablature sample of the Bb major scale (Bb C D Eb F G A), for you to improvise notes and play along with the other B-flat musicians. This example is in standard (low to high) E A D G B E tuning:

e|------------------------------------------------6--8--10--|
B|--------------------------------------6--8--10------------|
G|--------------------------------7--8----------------------|
D|----------------------7--8--10----------------------------|
A|------------6--8--10--------------------------------------|
E|--6--8--10------------------------------------------------|

E Riff in Eb, Bass Variation

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

We'll embellish yesterday's bassline with slides. We'll even let the first guitar copy this modified bass line. We modified the second guitar to play Wednesday's bass guitar part (open Low Eb) while playing the octave lead. In any case, you can see that there are myriad possibilities even in the constraints of rather generic chord progressions:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|-----------5-----------7--|
Eb|--0--0-/3-----0--0-/6-----|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-16-16/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
Ab|--7--7-/10\9--14-14/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|-----------5-----------7--|
Eb|--0--0-/3-----0--0-/6-----|

E Riff in Eb, Guitar 2 Variation

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

We'll have the Low Eb drone for the second guitar, and modify the last bit. We'll also have the bass play throughout the measure:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------5--5--------7--7--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--6--5--|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-16-16/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
Ab|--7--7-/10\9--14-14/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|-----------------------2--|
Ab|-----------5--------1-----|
Eb|--0--0--3-----0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Guitar 1 Variation

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

The focus here is the variation in the rhythm guitar part. We've also (re-)added lower bass notes for the second guitar to fill as an interesting fill in the blank when the bass isn't playing:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------5--5--------7--7--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--6--5--|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-9--9-/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X-X--X---X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-7--7-/13\12-|
Eb|--------0--10-------0--0--|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Bass

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

We're slightly modifying the second guitar part, to add more breathing room to the bass guitar part we've added. Notice that the bass only plays the open Eb (for now) notes at "1-and" as well as "3-and." We'll propose various modifications and variations to the parts in the near future:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-9--9-/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X-X--X---X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-7--7-/13\12-|
Eb|--------------------------|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Second Guitar

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

We're adding a second guitar part to yesterday's heavy-sounding riff:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Just imagine a lot of fuzz and wah for the lead guitar:

     Eb5   Gb Db Ebm   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-12-12/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X--X--X--X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-10-10/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0-----10--0--0-----0-|

E Riff in Eb

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

Using yesterday's Eb tuning, we'll use typically-E open chords and voicings to play in Eb. If you compare the same riff in E and in Eb, you'll notice that the lower tuning may seem "darker" and possibly easier to play, due to looser strings:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Half-Step Down Tuning in Eb

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

As mentioned yesterday, we're going to tune all the strings of a standard (low to high) E A D G B E tuned guitar down one half step to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. We'll start by loosening the Low E to go down to Low Eb, so that fretting the 6th fret on that string will play the same note as an open A string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |--------------------------
D |--------------------------
A |-----0--------------------
Eb|--6-----------------------

Then tune down the A string to Ab, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open D string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |--------------------------
D |-----0--------------------
Ab|--6-----------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the D string to Db, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open G string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |-----0--------------------
Db|--6-----------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the G string to Gb, so that the 5th fret plays the same note as the open B string:

e |--------------------------
B |-----0--------------------
Gb|--5-----------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the B string to Bb, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open High E string:

e |-----0--------------------
Bb|--6-----------------------
Gb|--------------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Finally tune down the High E string to High Eb, so that fretting the 7th fret is one octave higher than the open Bb string:

eb|--7-----------------------
Bb|-----0--------------------
Gb|--------------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Check the tuning with unison notes:

eb|--------------0-----------
Bb|-----------0--5-----------
Gb|--------0--4--------------
Db|-----0--5-----------------
Ab|--0--5--------------------
Eb|--5-----------------------

Check the tuning with octaves:

eb|--------------7-----------
Bb|-----------8--0-----------
Gb|--------7--0--------------
Db|-----7--0-----------------
Ab|--7--0--------------------
Eb|--0-----------------------

We'll use Eb tuning for the rest of this week's lessons.

Variation in Ab in Half-Step Down Tuning

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

This time, let's tune our guitars a half-step down, from low to high: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. We'll probably get into more detail about this tuning next week, when we are in E-flat. This time, we're playing the A, D, and E open chord voicings, since we're a half-step down, the key is Ab. Remember, like yesterday, keep it strum-happy and loose:

     Ab          Absus2   Ab                Absus2   Ab
eb|--------0-----------0--0--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Bb|--------2-----------0--2--|--------2-----------0--2--|
Gb|--------2-----------2--2--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Db|--------2-----------2--2--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Ab|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|
Eb|--------------------------|--------------------------|

     Db          Dbsus2   Db    Eb          Ebsus4   Eb
eb|--------2-----------0--2--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Bb|--------3-----------3--3--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Gb|--------2-----------2--2--|--------1-----------2--1--|
Db|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Ab|--------------------------|--------2-----------2--2--|
Eb|--------------------------|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|

Variation in G# with a Capo

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

We're essentially the same I IV V chords in Ab, but with a capo on the first fret. We're using the G, Cadd9, and D chord shapes (with a capo on the first fret, those chords are a half-step higher). So to try to make it easier to remember which chords you're playing, we're treating this key in G#. All finger positions in the tablature below are relative to the capo, i.e. and 0 = capo on the first fret, 1 = second fret, 2 = 3rd fret, etc. We're dealing with open chords, so feel free to be looser, strummy, and not precise to the written tablature:

    G#
e|--------3--------------3--|--------3-----------3-----|
B|--------3--------------3--|--------3-----------3-----|
G|--------0--------------0--|--------0-----------0-----|
D|--------0-----------0-----|--------0--------------0--|
A|--------2-----------2-----|--------2--------------2--|
E|--3--3--3-----3--3--3-----|--3--3--3-----3--3-----3--|

    C#add9                     D#sus2      D#sus4   D#
e|--------3--------------3--|--------0-----------3--2--|
B|--------3--------------3--|--------3-----------3--3--|
G|--------0-----------0--0--|--------2-----------2--2--|
D|--------2-----------2-----|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|
A|--3--3--3-----3--3--3-----|--------------------------|
E|--------------------------|--------------------------|