Cowboy chords

[DanvillRob]

17 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

Whenever we discuss songs I am attempting to learn, he admonishes me because many of them contain exotic chords, and he is of the opinion that I should stick to  playing songs with simpler (cowboy I assume) chords.

While it is true that I may encounter some of these only once, in a particular song, I nevertheless prefer to go through the "struggle' to learn these strange beasts, rather than always sticking to simple tunes, or what I refer to as "sanitized' versions of more difficult songs.

I can't play even the simplest of lead guitar parts or riffs, but I would have been a pretty decent rhythm guitarist.

RBSinTo

You can play a song in THOUSANDS of different chord configurations.   I do several songs that I can play 'easy' or 'harder', such as "'Till The Was You", "Cheek To Cheek", and even "Georgia On My Mind".    If they sound good to you when you're done...then that's it!

[Whitefang]

17 hours ago, jdgm said:

 

The singer in my 1st or 2nd band had the right idea.  All chords were 3 notes off the E or A string, based on the bottom 3 notes of those shapes, played with 1st and 3rd finger or for A and E, just the 1st.  He never sounded wrong!!

Ain't that what some call "power" chords?    

19 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

 

How about Augmented, and Diminished chords? And the dreaded fifths?

17 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

I think only Bob Wills used those chords back then!

 

 

But Bob Wills didn't play cowboy music.

Whitefang

[DanvillRob]

49 minutes ago, Whitefang said:

Ain't that what some call "power" chords?    

But Bob Wills didn't play cowboy music.

Whitefang

Wonder why he's in the Country Music Hall of Fame then?  

He's called "The King Of Country Swing".

[Sgt. Pepper]

14 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

Wonder why he's in the Country Music Hall of Fame then?  

He's called "The King Of Country Swing".

Most of what comes out of Nashville now isn’t country. It’s pop with a pretty girl who sings with a twang in her voice, and then they put on a tad bit of steel guitar, and call it country, but it’s really just trash.

What was that c-rap with Billy Ray Cyrus and that fruit loop sexually confused guy he recorded that lame song with. Not Country.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[DanvillRob]

2 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Most of what comes out of Nashville now isn’t country. It’s pop with a pretty girl who sings with a twang in her voice, and then they put on a tad bit of steel guitar, and call it country, but it’s really just trash.

What was that c-rap with Billy Ray Cyrus and that fruit loop sexually confused guy he recorded that lame song with. Not Country.

I agree.... Nashville is the hub for recording all genres of music....but some (most?) of the stuff labeled C&W now isn't.  I like Country music....but I like ALL music.... so I play "Tempted" by both Squeeze and Marty Stuart!

[merciful-evans]

 

[Californiaman]

I'm not going to bother looking through all of the previous posts, but I wanted to reply with what I know about cowboy chord progressions.

Generally speaking typical country progressions often involve only the I chord, the IV chord, the V chord and maybe the VI minor chord.  In addition, the typical keys country songs are in is simply because they are the easiest to play on the guitar.

 

In the key of G this would be: G, C, D7 and E minor.

In the key of A this would be: A, D, E7 and F# minor.

In the key of D this would be D, G, A7 and B minor.

In the key of E this would be: E, A, B7 and C# minor.

In the key of C this would be: C, F, G7 and A minor.

I hope this helps anyone wanting to broaden their playing repertoire.

 

https://i.imgur.com/qQHW0PHm.jpg

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Californiaman
Added a Photo

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

I agree.... Nashville is the hub for recording all genres of music....but some (most?) of the stuff labeled C&W now isn't.  I like Country music....but I like ALL music.... so I play "Tempted" by both Squeeze and Marty Stuart!

I saw Marty he is the real deal and can make a Tele his B Eye Itch.

[Californiaman]

1 hour ago, merciful-evans said:

 

Thank you ME.  Appreciate that.

[RBSinTo]

3 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

You can play a song in THOUSANDS of different chord configurations.   I do several songs that I can play 'easy' or 'harder', such as "'Till The Was You", "Cheek To Cheek", and even "Georgia On My Mind".    If they sound good to you when you're done...then that's it!

DanvillRob,

Curious about your versions of "Till there was you" (Beatles cover) and "Georgia on my mind", as I also play them, and am curious what you consider to be "easy" or "harder". 

RBSinTo

[mihcmac]

So I guess the "Cowboy Song" isn't cowboy enough cause it uses a few bar chords?

A            E     F#m     E            D
I am just a cowboy     lonesome on the trail
A               C#m7/G#               F#m   E  D
a STARRY night,   the CAMPFIRE light
A                  E F#m                    E      D
  The coyote call,      and the howling winds wail
A           C#m7/G#            F#m     E D
  So I'll ride out to the old sundow

[Sgt. Pepper]

6 minutes ago, mihcmac said:

So I guess the "Cowboy Song" isn't cowboy enough cause it uses a few bar chords?

A            E     F#m     E            D
I am just a cowboy     lonesome on the trail
A               C#m7/G#               F#m   E  D
a STARRY night,   the CAMPFIRE light
A                  E F#m                    E      D
  The coyote call,      and the howling winds wail
A           C#m7/G#            F#m     E D
  So I'll ride out to the old sundow

Last I checked Thin Lizzy was a rock band. Robbo Robertson was Scottish and Scott Gorham was from LA.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[Larsongs]

1 hour ago, mihcmac said:

So I guess the "Cowboy Song" isn't cowboy enough cause it uses a few bar chords?

A            E     F#m     E            D
I am just a cowboy     lonesome on the trail
A               C#m7/G#               F#m   E  D
a STARRY night,   the CAMPFIRE light
A                  E F#m                    E      D
  The coyote call,      and the howling winds wail
A           C#m7/G#            F#m     E D
  So I'll ride out to the old sundow

Modern Country…. Quite away down the Evolution Road…

Edited March 13, 2022 by Larsongs

[DanvillRob]

3 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

Curious about your versions of "Till there was you" (Beatles cover) and "Georgia on my mind", as I also play them, and am curious what you consider to be "easy" or "harder". 

RBSinTo

Here's my chart fort 'Till There Was You:

[DanvillRob]

3 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

Curious about your versions of "Till there was you" (Beatles cover) and "Georgia on my mind", as I also play them, and am curious what you consider to be "easy" or "harder". 

RBSinTo

Georgia On My Mind

[jdgm]

Hmmm.....

Cowboy songs.....

Edited March 13, 2022 by jdgm

[DanvillRob]

3 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

DanvillRob,

Curious about your versions of "Till there was you" (Beatles cover) and "Georgia on my mind", as I also play them, and am curious what you consider to be "easy" or "harder". 

RBSinTo

Here's a simple arrangement of 'Till There Was You, (I don't have a simple arrangement of Georgia in the computer).

 

 

 

 

[jdgm]

Cowboy lead - 

Stunningly cool - Glen Campbell on a 12, in his prime - and Roy Clark -

And Jazzmaster guys have to check this one  -

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by jdgm

[DanvillRob]

8 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I saw Marty he is the real deal and can make a Tele his B Eye Itch.

Marty’sTele originally belonged to Clearance White…(The Byrds).  

[RBSinTo]

13 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

Here's my chart fort 'Till There Was You:

DanvillRob,

Your chart is similar to mine, but respectfully, not entirely correct.

This is the chart I use:

Additionally, here is  a link to a correctly played version of the George Harrison solo, which corresponds to the chart I've attached.

RBSinTo  

[fortyearspickn]

RBSinTo   -   Maybe, since you're the OP and were asking about Cowboy Chords, DanRob sent you his Cowboy Chord version and not the entirely correct one. 🙃

[fortyearspickn]

Here's a clip of 3  'well known' songs (I didn't recognize the 3rd)  which only use TWO chords - which include open strings.  So, based on the direction we're going after 4 pages -   I'm thinking there are only two kinds of chords - Cowboy and Jazz.  

[RBSinTo]

9 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said:

RBSinTo   -   Maybe, since you're the OP and were asking about Cowboy Chords, DanRob sent you his Cowboy Chord version and not the entirely correct one. 🙃

fyp.,

DanvillRob said he had two versions of this particular song, one easy and a harder version. He posted both, and the former is a "cowboy chord" version, while the latter isn't. However it isn't entirely correct, which was all I was pointing out.

Actually, the version I show, has one chord that I got from one version and have never seen anywhere else, and could easily be substituted:

In the solo, the F#7-9b5, can be replaced by a C9.

However, it is a really nice sounding chord despite never having been played by any cowboy.

RBSinTo

 

[DanvillRob]

2 hours ago, fortyearspickn said:

RBSinTo   -   Maybe, since you're the OP and were asking about Cowboy Chords, DanRob sent you his Cowboy Chord version and not the entirely correct one. 🙃

My charts are for my playing.... I probably don't do ANY song exactly the way it was written, nor exactly like someone else does it.... I do them the way I do them..... I do "Cheek To Cheek" WAY more differently than it is written....but I do it so it fits my style.   Also, I have to modify songs based on my hands ability to play them.... so there is that too.   I think you need to play the chords that are important to the song....the sheet music for songs is often, (usually?) NOT the way they're played.

Edited March 14, 2022 by DanvillRob

[fortyearspickn]

18 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

My charts are for my playing.... I probably don't do ANY song exactly the way it was written, nor exactly like someone else does it.... I do them the way I do them..... I do "Cheek To Cheek" WAY more differently than it is written....but I do it so it fits my style.   Also, I have to modify songs based on my hands ability to play them.... so there is that too.   I think you need to play the chords that are important to the song....the sheet music for songs is often, (usually?) NOT the way they're played.

Agree.   I noodle through the basic cords for a song and find there is a note I can add to it with one finger somewhere that will support the melody.  Sometimes I find that jury-rigged contraption is actually a fancy chord.