Cowboy chords

[Whitefang]

My guess would be that "cowboy chords"  are mostly the major chords as seen in your MEL BAY guitar chords book on pages 6, 7 and pg 9 for B.  And of course, all corresponding minor chords.

Y'know...   C-Cm, F, Fm, G-Gm,  A-Am, D, Dm,  E-Em etc.

Whitefang 

[merciful-evans]

There's a reason you don't see cowboys playing jazz.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

4 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

There's a reason you don't see cowboys playing jazz.

 

I remember you posting the story about the guy all cowboyed up that came into a bar/pub/club you were at. The UK Cowboy.

Is a bar different than a pub in the UK?

Edited March 11, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[RBSinTo]

So playing an F as a barred chord is not a cowboy chord, but playing it un-barred is?

 

RBSinTo 

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

25 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

Am thats almost like Jazz. All dark sounding.

[NighthawkChris]

28 minutes ago, RBSinTo said:

So when is a chord, not a cowboy chord?

What's it to you city slicker?

[Sgt. Pepper]

6 minutes ago, RBSinTo said:

So playing an F as a barred chord is not a cowboy chord, but playing it un-barred is?

 

RBSinTo 

 

It is if you identify as a Cowboy. 

[merciful-evans]

15 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I remember you posting the story about the guy all cowboyed up that came into a bar/pub/club you were at. The UK Cowboy.

Is a bar different than a pub in the UK?

Pub is short for public house. We call the public rooms in a pub 'bars'. EG: there is a public bar (regular bar) and sometimes a saloon bar (a bit nicer where you could take your wife). There used to be little bars called snugs. This is how it all used to be anyway. 

The Cowboy at the gig was a complete surprise. He looked completely authentic. I have no clue why he was dressed that way. Good job he showed up between songs or our keyboard player might've stopped playing. 

[DanvillRob]

41 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

I don't see old C&W singers use the 4-fingered "G".... 3 fingers is the norm....once in a while I see the "G" played with the pinkie on the G note on the 1st string....but the  the index finger is not used, (actually, that's the way I play an open "G" chord (Cowboy Chord).

[DanvillRob]

24 minutes ago, RBSinTo said:

So playing an F as a barred chord is not a cowboy chord, but playing it un-barred is?

 

RBSinTo 

 

I rarely see old C&W singers use barre chords at all.

[Pinch]

54 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I remember you posting the story about the guy all cowboyed up that came into a bar/pub/club you were at. The UK Cowboy.

Is a bar different than a pub in the UK?

A bar in the UK is a pub under new management. 

[Larsongs]

34 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I don't see old C&W singers use the 4-fingered "G".... 3 fingers is the norm....once in a while I see the "G" played with the pinkie on the G note on the 1st string....but the  the index finger is not used, (actually, that's the way I play an open "G" chord (Cowboy Chord).

The basic Cowboy Chord progression is G, C, D. You can play about a thousand songs with them… 

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

The basic Cowboy Chord progression is G, C, D. You can play about a thousand songs with them… 

What about A, E & D. No songs were ever written with those 3. At least none form AC/DC. Brian was ridding the mechanical bull in the video if I recall correctly.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[DanvillRob]

6 minutes ago, Larsongs said:

The basic Cowboy Chord progression is G, C, D. You can play about a thousand songs with them… 

Abso-feckin'-lootley!

I think it's called "Three chords & the truth".

Edited March 11, 2022 by DanvillRob

[RBSinTo]

42 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I rarely see old C&W singers use barre chords at all.

DanvillRob,

I've got a bud who does not play barred chords, and it is painful to watch him play some chords that are otherwise just fret position variations of simple cowboy chords that are barred.

Playing the barred versions means learning fewer chord shapes, and at the same time expands my chord arsenal, and so makes my life much simpler when playing.

Thanks for the explanations everyone.

RBSinTo

[DanvillRob]

Just now, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

I've got a bud who does not play barred chords, and it is painful to watch him play some chords that are otherwise just fret position variations of simple cowboy chords that are barred.

Playing the barred versions means learning fewer chord shapes, and at the same time expands my chord arsenal, and so makes my life much simpler when playing.

Thanks for the explanations everyone.

RBSinTo

I still play barre chords....but it's becoming more and more painful.

Not sure when I'll have to stop them all together.

I can no longer play the "C" shaped barr chords....my hand just won't allow it.

[RBSinTo]

20 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

I still play barre chords....but it's becoming more and more painful.

Not sure when I'll have to stop them all together.

I can no longer play the "C" shaped barr chords....my hand just won't allow it.

DanvillRob,

That's the one I use in the third fret to play Eb.

RBSinTo

Edited March 11, 2022 by RBSinTo

[DanvillRob]

Just now, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

That's the one I use in the third fret to play Eb.

RBSinTo

Yes.... that's the best place to play one if you're already down on that part of the neck....you'll note that when I played "Mack The Knife", I had  to use an Barred A6 chord on the 6th fret, (without playing the 1st string)...I did that because the Eb down on the 3rd fret is no longer available to me.

[Larsongs]

3 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

I still play barre chords....but it's becoming more and more painful.

Not sure when I'll have to stop them all together.

I can no longer play the "C" shaped barr chords....my hand just won't allow it.

Lighter gauge Strings & better Setups are key. Nothing has to be sacrificed with regard to Tone & Sound.. 

[DanvillRob]

1 minute ago, Larsongs said:

Lighter gauge Strings & better Setups are key. Nothing has to be sacrificed with regard to Tone & Sound.. 

My issue is in my thumb.... clamping down in certain positions is painful.....

Fortunately, MOST of the chords I use go from no pain to little pain.

[zigzag]

Where "cowboy chords" are useful is for their shapes, because they form the foundation for the C-A-G-E-D system, which is the basis for learning the five Major scale patterns and all other scales derived from it... including the Major and minor Pentatonic scales. From it, you can also learn derivative scales like Blues, Melodic and Harmonic minor scales, and modes derived from them.

[Retired]

12 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I'm and electrician, so I must play electrical chords. Although the coiled up curly ones don't really get that loud or make a good sound.

Lol, Are the electrical chords those which shock you the most when playing? 

[Retired]

11 hours ago, NighthawkChris said:

Hey!  I'm offended!  I identify as a "cow person".  

I'm a wanna' be Cowboy and play those Cowboy Chords all the time.  When I first signed on here, I never knew that's what they called them either till someone told me. 

[Retired]

11 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

Yep! Those are the Cowboy Chords and strangely most of the early 60's 70's rock & roll songs can be played with them also.  I play all over the neck now but those chords make up most of my songs. 

[Retired]

2 hours ago, zigzag said:

Where "cowboy chords" are useful is for their shapes, because they form the foundation for the C-A-G-E-D system, which is the basis for learning the five Major scale patterns and all other scales derived from it... including the Major and minor Pentatonic scales. From it, you can also learn derivative scales like Blues, Melodic and Harmonic minor scales, and modes derived from them.

Yep and the 12 Bar Blues.  Part of my quest to learn blues was to find out,  What are the 12 bar blues?  I was shocked to find out the cowboy chords are the 12 bar blues and I've been playing them for decades Lol.