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So I'm learning this song and in the progression it goes from Am to Am7. Simple enough, just plop my pinky down on the e string. That's where the trouble lies. I can barely make the shape. My pinky and ring finger don't want to spread out enough for me to fret the e string 3rd fret. A substitute was Am7sus4 (x02030) but that didn't sound quite right. I want to keep the Am7 in. Any tips for stretching my fingers out?
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Lift up your ring finger.
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Ok, so after researching this a little more I'm confused. I found the fingering for what BGD said. I'll try it. Don't think I'll like the low E in it tho. But....
How can all 3 of these be the same chord? They come right off of our Chordie chart.
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Take a look at what the notes are that each of those voicings would produce. Go string by string and identify the note at the played fret. Then you'll have your answer as to how they can all be the same chord. There's one more. Don't play the g on the high e string and play it as an open e. That's how I'd get from Am to Am7.
- Zurf
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And mute the low e string. Zurf, my brother in bald moderation, is spot on.
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I think I figured it out. Technically these are all actually different chords, not just diff fingerings for Am7. I know, a little picky, but that's what confused me. So it looks like I gotta work on my pinky stretches.
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Same chords - different voicing.
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Exact same chord. It's like playing an open d vs playing a d in the e barre chord shape on the 10th fret. Same notes, just in different places.
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zguitar wrote:
Ok, so after researching this a little more I'm confused. I found the fingering for what BGD said. I'll try it. Don't think I'll like the low E in it tho. But....
[three pictures]
How can all 3 of these be the same chord? They come right off of our Chordie chart.
This is one of those rare occasions where I can actually contribute to a theory thread, so I'm on it.
The first chord (002013) is an INVERSION of Am7, but it's still an Am7. The low E sounds "off" because it's the bass but not the root. Another way to write it would be Am7/E. BGD is right; mute the low E and it will sound better.
The second chord (002213) is an inverted Am7 also.
The third chord (x02213) is not an inversion (just a straight Am7), but is tough to play unless your pinky is mutated, which mine is not.
As BGD said (again), unless you really need that high G to ring out, get your G from the open G string: x02010. Easy: Just an Am with a lifted ring finger.
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You guys work fast!
Overall lesson objective: Find a place for a G in the chord. Mission accomplished.
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