Chord Backup Workshop 3

Things to learn, review and practice:

• Double Stops 1.1
• Double Stops 1.2
• Double Stops 1.3
• Oh Susannah

What questions do you have about chord backup?

Simple approach to learning chord backup

• Learn and practice double stops (two notes at once)
• Learn three chords
• Practice single chords with simple rhythms
• Practice transitions between chords
• Practice chord backup on 20 songs

After you do that you can deepen your skills and knowledge by learning more chords, more rhythms and theory. Until then, don’t get bogged down by with complexity and theory.

Warm-up with simple rhythms

• Half notes
• Quarter notes
• Hoedown
• Tucka
• Train
• Chucks

Get a good sound with Double stops

Remember that playing double stops takes no extra effort or pressure. There’s a core exercise you can practice to get the pressure right:

Single Stop/Double Stop Alternation

D0-A0-D0A0-D0A0, two bows

Apply that to the other string pairs. Then do the same exercise with fingerings added. See these lessons for more exercises:

• Double Stops 1.1
• Double Stops 1.2
• Double Stops 1.3

Chords on D and A strings

If you’re serious about learning chords, then memorize these three chords:

• D Major: 0|0
• A Major: 1|0
• G Major: 0|1

Oh Susannah on D string

Start with half notes. Then add rhythms.

Chords on G and D strings

Next we’ll play the same song using G and D strings. Not that though the chords are the same (it’s still in D Major) the fingerings are different.

If you’re serious about learning chords, then also memorize these three chords:

Shapes:

• D Major: 1|0
• A Major: 1|1
• G Major: 0|0

Oh Susannah on G string

Start with half notes. Then add rhythms.

Takeaways

• It’s possible to play two-note chords on the fiddle.
• Add a little pause
• Learn a handful of simple chords.
• Don’t worry much about theory at first. (not today anyway)
• Practice backup on twenty songs.
• Start with songs that you can already play the melody.
• Alternate between the fiddling the melody and playing chords. Eventually they’ll come together.
• Alternate between singing the melody and playing chords.
• Chords sound good on G and D strings or D and A strings.
• Vera: I think it’s like learning a language: better to learn to speak before you learn grammar.

Questions and Challenges

Do you decide which chord to play based on proximity to the previous chord?

Yes. If you’re playing a chord on G and D strings, try to play the other chords there too.

I have difficulty choosing what two notes to play fast enough.

Simply memorize the basic chords on G and D, D and A. Learn to play chord backup on twenty songs. Then see if it’s less difficult.

How do you know what chords to play for a song?

Simply look it up on the internet. There are some guitar sites like Ultimate Guitar. You can use the “transpose” feature to set the key.

I’m a little intimidated to play chords (double stops) throughout a tune, because it’s very loud/overwhelming and it sounds bad. How much of a tune should I be playing double-stops/chords? Is there a good percentage or rule of thumb to keep in mind.

Use this tool to figure out chord progressions for most fiddle tunes and folk songs!

You can play all of these songs from the FiddleHed course with D, A and G Major chords. Start with super simple rhythms (half notes and quarter notes). Slowly work your way through the list. Take note of questions as well as your rate of learning.

1. Angeline The Baker
2. Arkansas Traveller
3. Bile ’em Cabbage Down – Variation 1
4. Boys of Bluehill
5. Carry Me Back to Old Virginia
6. Fais Do Do
7. Fisher’s Hornpipe
8. Harvest Home
9. Haste to The Wedding
10. I’ll Fly Away
11. John Ryan’s Polka
12. Joy To The World
13. Kerfunken Jig
14. La Valse Des Jonglements
15. Little Liza Jane
16. Ode To Joy
17. Oh Susannah
18. Soldier’s Joy – Intermediate
19. Tobin’s Jig
20. Whiskey Before Breakfast
21. Wildwood Flower

I realize I may be running the risk of giving you option anxiety here! Instead, I hope you realize how powerful it is to master just three simple chords.

Remember that you can use online tools like Ultimate Guitar ao set the key to D Major. You just have to suffer through all the ads and pop-ups on the page 🤯

1. This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
2. Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
3. House of the Rising Sun – Traditional
4. Freight Train – Elizabeth Cotten
5. The Midnight Special – Traditional
6. I’ve Been Working on the Railroad – Traditional
7. Wayfaring Stranger – Traditional
8. Michael Row the Boat Ashore – Traditional
9. Amazing Grace – Traditional
10. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
11. The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
12. Louie Louie – The Kingsmen
13. Twist and Shout – The Beatles
14. La Bamba – Ritchie Valens
15. That’ll Be the Day – Buddy Holly
16. John Henry – Traditional
17. Frankie and Johnny – Traditional
18. Shenandoah – Traditional
19. Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
20. You Really Got Me – The Kinks
21. Gloria – Them
22. Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
23. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
24. Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival
25. Born on the Bayou – Creedence Clearwater Revival
26. Susie Q – Creedence Clearwater Revival
27. Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash
28. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
29. Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
30. Cotton Eyed Joe – Traditional
31. Casey Jones – Traditional
32. Tom Dooley – Traditional
33. Red River Valley – Traditional
34. Turkey in the Straw – Traditional
35. The Riddle Song – Traditional
36. Polly Wolly Doodle – Traditional
37. Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill – Traditional
38. Froggie Went A-Courtin’ – Traditional
39. Down in the Valley – Traditional
40. Oh, My Darling Clementine – Traditional
41. The Erie Canal – Traditional
42. The Girl I Left Behind Me – Traditional
43. Sweet Betsy from Pike – Traditional
44. Goodnight, Irene – Lead Belly
45. Jesse James – Traditional
46. St. James Infirmary – Traditional
47. Frankie’s Man, Johnny – Johnny Cash
48. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad – Traditional
49. The Cuckoo – Traditional
50. Sloop John B – Traditional
51. The Streets of Laredo – Traditional
52. The Battle of New Orleans – Johnny Horton
53. Auld Lang Syne – Traditional
54. The Water is Wide – Traditional
55. Banks of the Ohio – Traditional
56. The Foggy Dew – Traditional
57. The Wild Rover – Traditional
58. Gypsy Rover – Traditional
59. The Black Velvet Band – Traditional
60. The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond – Traditional
61. The Rising of the Moon – Traditional
62. The Rose of Tralee – Traditional
63. The Parting Glass – Traditional
64. Wild Mountain Thyme – Traditional
65. Molly Malone – Traditional
66. Banks of the Ohio – Olivia Newton-John
67. The Streets of Laredo – Marty Robbins
68. Molly Malone – The Dubliners
69. The Wild Rover – The Dubliners
70. The Water is Wide – Eva Cassidy
71. Worried Man Blues

Further Practice

Beginner goals: Memorize and practice these shapes in order of priority: 0|0, 1|0, 0|1

Intermediate goals: Memorize and practice these shapes: 1|1, 1|L2

Advanced goals: Memorize and practice these shapes: 3|1, 2|1, L2|L1, 1|2

Let’s meet for another workshop next month to assess 🤓

• We’ll talk about theory a bit then.
• We’ll play with some other shapes and voicing

Take the principles of this workshop and do it on your own. You’ll get the most out of this workshop if you do that. Try it on other songs and skills. Experiment  and personalize it. Share what you discover in a comment below.

Further Learning

Chord Backup Central

Chord Backup Workshop 1

Chord Backup Workshop 2

How To Play Back-up Chords On The Fiddle

Feel free to continue the discussion in the comments below.

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