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2 Responses to “Not Hitting the E When You’re in D”

1. 1 Will Rieske August 23, 2010 at 2:25 pm

   What about tuning to drop D, or thumbing an F#? I didn’t think letting it ring during an A chord was a big deal

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   • 2 Jamie Brown August 23, 2010 at 2:35 pm

     Hi Will. I generally like to make sure that the lowest note sounding on the guitar is the same as what the bass player is playing. So dropping the E string to D would come in handy when the D is in the bass. Similarly, I would thumb (or an pointer finger) an F# if that note was in the bass, like for a D/F# or G/F# for example. Regarding playing the open E string when you’re playing an A chord, I would usually only do that if the E was in the bass. If it’s not, and the chord is supposed to be a straight “A”, then I wouldn’t want to hit the E string – so that the lowest note sounding on the guitar would be the A string. Doing this keeps the bass line clear and un-muddied, and keeps the bass player happy that you’re not messing with the progression.

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