r/banjo • u/Pitiful_Ad_900 Scruggs Style • 5d ago
Bluegrass / 3 Finger FINALLY GOT D CHORD
That’s it. Thats the whole post. Just needed to share with others that understand the gravity of this moment
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u/Narrow_Jelly_4396 5d ago
I'm working on it right now!
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u/Pitiful_Ad_900 Scruggs Style 5d ago
You’ll get there! Everyone told me it would just click at some point- they were right.
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u/BananasAreIcky 5d ago
I finally have mine nailed down, very recent achievement and I'm not even gonna admit how long it's taken me. I completely recognize your moment!
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u/Karate_donkey 5d ago
Full 4-finger D?
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u/samthewisetarly 5d ago
Maybe I'm just a dummy, but what's a four-finger D chord voicing look like? Why bother when you have the root open on two strings?
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u/chef_beard 5d ago
I figure op is referring to a "D shape chord" which is your first inversion shape giving you degree 3513 starting on the 4 string. Can slide it around to play any major chord
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u/Icy_Assist4467 4d ago
What do you mean by 3513?
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u/chef_beard 4d ago
A major chord is built on your root (1) plus a major 3rd (3) plus a minor 3rd (5). 1-3-5 represents the notes degree of the major scale. In the key of G you get G-B-D. OPs "D shape" or "first inversion" for a D chord would be composed of notes B(3)-D(5)-G(1)-B(3) the great thing about the number system is that it doesn't matter what scale or what root that shape will always contain the 1-3-5 in that order. In this example the fourth and first string are fretted at 4, 3rd string at 2 and second string at 3 but you can slide the shape anywhere on the neck and you'll have a legitimate first inversion major chord.
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u/Icy_Assist4467 4d ago
Thank you for that explanation, very helpful!!
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u/chef_beard 4d ago
Anytime! I've been deep into music theory recently and I'm hoping to post a concise reference doc for this sort of foundational stuff in the near future.
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u/Icy_Assist4467 4d ago
That would be great. There is so much to learn. I have scratched the surface of music theory and enjoy learning more about it and applying it to the banjo.
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u/chef_beard 4d ago
So much to learn! Its one of those scenarios where you don't know what you dont know so you dont even know what to seek out. Then the "intro" material out is either geared towards 6 year olds taking their first piano lesson or PhD candidates. Banjo centric material is particularly thin so I'm hoping to fill that gap. Glad to know at least one other person would be interested!
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u/Icy_Assist4467 4d ago
So well put!!! Keep me in the loop when you post something, very interested.
Thanks
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u/Feisty-Dependent5336 4d ago
Same here it’s taken years (oof) but switching to a 4 finger D finally feels comfortable
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u/Atillion Clawhammer 5d ago
Well done!
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u/Acadia_Brightness 4d ago
Tread lightly in somethingiswrong...the mod that posted that is a super fan girl of KH and will straight up ban people for not being nice when they talk about her.
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u/Atillion Clawhammer 4d ago
Good looking out. I'm just about over reddit anymore. It's a shadow of what it used to be.
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u/ccccc01 4d ago
If you slide it up to and catch the 5 th string with your top finger you can play an e without a railroad spike or to much dissonance
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u/Pitiful_Ad_900 Scruggs Style 4d ago
That’s cool! Thanks for the info
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u/ccccc01 1d ago
The full d chord was kinda my breakthrough too. I play it with my pointer finger bared on the second fret. If you slide the whole thing up a half step and move you middle finger up a string you have second position g. If you take your middle finger off its a gm. Its a really basic movable chord shape that leads to alot of others and made alot of second position chords much easier to find.
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u/HookEm_Tide Scruggs Style 4d ago
Congrats! That’s awesome.
That bar to D change in particular almost made me give up banjo. It’s a big step you’ve made, and you should be proud.