Dave’s Weird Chord Fingerings

So you're amazed as to how Dave's rhythm guitar slaps and strums so "perfectly"...but you can't. Ask all things about Dave and his guitars here.

Moderators: onid41, jkanter

User avatar
i like tictacs
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 8123
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 8:44 am
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Contact:

Unread post by i like tictacs » Wed Mar 08, 2006 6:30 pm

briguy945 wrote:I think if anything Dave Matthews is underrated. He has a unique style that many try to mimic, he's an excellent songwriter, and he has some of the most creative riffs I've heard. Take someone like Tim Reynolds. He is a guitar god, and his albums are very good. But I don't believe he has the same ability to write songs as Dave. Tim is much better suited to play lead guitar in a band in my opinion. Different people are just better at different things.
Truth.
sup d00d

Sciaracastro
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2257
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2003 3:53 pm
Location: Naples, Italy

Unread post by Sciaracastro » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:07 pm

b_fost wrote:
fedelm wrote:
briguy945 wrote:I think if anything Dave Matthews is underrated. He has a unique style that many try to mimic, he's an excellent songwriter, and he has some of the most creative riffs I've heard. Take someone like Tim Reynolds. He is a guitar god, and his albums are very good. But I don't believe he has the same ability to write songs as Dave. Tim is much better suited to play lead guitar in a band in my opinion. Different people are just better at different things.
Amen brother.

Fede
I agree, but that refers a lot to his ability as a songwriter/musician, as opposed to as a guitarist.
THAT'S the truth

User avatar
i am sam2
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 4277
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:31 pm
Location: nashburg/beantown

Unread post by i am sam2 » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:53 pm

i think its sad that people basically tend to think rhythm guitar players arent as good as lead guitarists. and while daves ability to write songs refers to songwriting and musicianship, his creativity and innovative-like style of playing rhythm parts with a kind of melody and making these parts so creative...that stuff IS part of being a good guitarist.
~marsh
"You? I'm more responsible than you."
"Don't be ridiculous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fill my freezer with my own blood."
-'Lainey and K-man

Sciaracastro
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2257
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2003 3:53 pm
Location: Naples, Italy

Unread post by Sciaracastro » Wed Mar 08, 2006 11:52 pm

i am sam2 wrote:i think its sad that people basically tend to think rhythm guitar players arent as good as lead guitarists. and while daves ability to write songs refers to songwriting and musicianship, his creativity and innovative-like style of playing rhythm parts with a kind of melody and making these parts so creative...that stuff IS part of being a good guitarist.
man, i do like Dave's playing very much, but taste is different from real skill...i agreed on creativity and innovation, but you should agree w/ me that, if dave has a very good tecnique (which together w/ creativity and innovation makes a good guitar player), he doesnt show it very much

User avatar
i am sam2
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 4277
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:31 pm
Location: nashburg/beantown

Unread post by i am sam2 » Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:17 am

Sciaracastro wrote:
i am sam2 wrote:i think its sad that people basically tend to think rhythm guitar players arent as good as lead guitarists. and while daves ability to write songs refers to songwriting and musicianship, his creativity and innovative-like style of playing rhythm parts with a kind of melody and making these parts so creative...that stuff IS part of being a good guitarist.
man, i do like Dave's playing very much, but taste is different from real skill...i agreed on creativity and innovation, but you should agree w/ me that, if dave has a very good tecnique (which together w/ creativity and innovation makes a good guitar player), he doesnt show it very much
yeah i agree...i think he definately doesnt show what he is capable of across the board so to speak. i mean look at it this way. hes been playing guitar since i dunno when. but its a long time, especially compared to anyone on these boards. the people on these boards get bored with just doin dave stuff and stuff like that and look for other things to work on, as some people even make threads about it. now, if dave has been playin for longer, wouldnt you say its safe to bet that at some point he learned some stuff other than what he plays in public?

theres no guarantee of that, but it makes sense. but i dont think you need to be really good at soloing to be a good guitarist...
~marsh
"You? I'm more responsible than you."
"Don't be ridiculous. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fill my freezer with my own blood."
-'Lainey and K-man

fede
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2769
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:25 pm
Political views: Socialist
Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": King Kong ain't got shit on me!
Location: home

Unread post by fede » Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:13 am

i am sam2 wrote:theres no guarantee of that, but it makes sense. but i dont think you need to be really good at soloing to be a good guitarist...
Absolutely. And in any case, dave does solo, a solo doesn't have to be as fast as the devil to be one, that's just another small detail you can add into it. If you can solo fast, you are showing your dedication and all the scales you have practiced to achieve such a speed. What about pacing, pausing, rithm, continuity??

Fede
DMB shows been too:
Jul. 12-2008 (West Palm Beach)
Oct. 3-2008 (Buenos Aires!)
Oct. 14-2010 (Buenos Aires!)

User avatar
briguy945
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 616
Joined: Mon May 24, 2004 12:48 pm
Contact:

Unread post by briguy945 » Thu Mar 09, 2006 1:39 pm

Different people just excel at different things. I'm sure Dave messes around soloing with scales and distortion on his own time. He either doesn't feel comfortable using these techniques or doesn't feel it would jive with his music well. Dave plays rhythm guitar, and he sticks to what he does well.
My rarity index: 32.07

User avatar
Nuladion
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 1577
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 2:43 pm
Location: Des Moines IA

Unread post by Nuladion » Thu Mar 09, 2006 7:55 pm

skoal wrote:
paulaitchison wrote:this is hard to explane, but dave isnt just intersted in the notes he plays but how they are played.,, by playing the billies A cord, the lengths of the strings are effected, whilst they may play the same notes, diffrent sounds come, the mutes are possible, and the sound (not the musical notes) but the total sound change.
also, this makes a familiar yet diffrent sound, not far from dmb's overall sound

i dont know how to explane, and dont know proper musical terminoloy but get out your guitar and it will make sense.
Yea I'm sure that's it . . . . change the string length . . .
Are you being sarcastic? Because I agree with him. The open chords is going to ring a lot longer. They arnt exactly the same thing

User avatar
paulaitchison
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 4278
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:07 am
Location: vancouver , london, henley and birmingham,

Unread post by paulaitchison » Fri Mar 10, 2006 5:26 am

Nuladion wrote:
skoal wrote:
paulaitchison wrote:this is hard to explane, but dave isnt just intersted in the notes he plays but how they are played.,, by playing the billies A cord, the lengths of the strings are effected, whilst they may play the same notes, diffrent sounds come, the mutes are possible, and the sound (not the musical notes) but the total sound change.
also, this makes a familiar yet diffrent sound, not far from dmb's overall sound

i dont know how to explane, and dont know proper musical terminoloy but get out your guitar and it will make sense.
Yea I'm sure that's it . . . . change the string length . . .
Are you being sarcastic? Because I agree with him. The open chords is going to ring a lot longer. They arnt exactly the same thing
yeah but my explanation was pretty crap.

ill give an easyer discription

the thick E played on the 5th threat is the same musical note as the open a, but there is a slight difference in actual sound and the strumming / mutting resistance of the string
Gervais on Rosa Parks "she was arrested but then that law was changed- but she didnt stop there, she started sitting in the seats saved for disabled people. unbelavable, she talked to the driver when the bus was in motion- did she have the correct change ready? - did she bollox!"

User avatar
jmack
DMBTabs.com Council
Posts: 649
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:21 pm
Location: Montreal, Quebec

Unread post by jmack » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:31 pm

why did you ask the exact same question at nancies.org?

http://nancies.org/boards/showthread.php?t=1678295831

User avatar
brian_ok
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 4108
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:06 pm
Location: Norman, OK

Unread post by brian_ok » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:40 pm

jmack wrote:why did you ask the exact same question at nancies.org?

http://nancies.org/boards/showthread.php?t=1678295831
why wouldn't he?
bbatsell wrote:I'm a sysop on Wikipedia

User avatar
paulaitchison
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 4278
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:07 am
Location: vancouver , london, henley and birmingham,

Unread post by paulaitchison » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:41 pm

jmack wrote:why did you ask the exact same question at nancies.org?

http://nancies.org/boards/showthread.php?t=1678295831
ha ha
Gervais on Rosa Parks "she was arrested but then that law was changed- but she didnt stop there, she started sitting in the seats saved for disabled people. unbelavable, she talked to the driver when the bus was in motion- did she have the correct change ready? - did she bollox!"

sanders4617
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:04 pm

Unread post by sanders4617 » Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:09 pm

Guitar is pretty much an art... it is so great that we can have so many variations of things. For instance, an artist drawing a painting of a city or landscape... that person has his/her own style that goes into it.. and will be different from how other people do it. So that is how I feel on that issue.. many people just want to be different, so they find other ways to do certain things. Wouldn't music be boring if everybody did everything the same way? Just try to record one of his songs, simply using the "usual" open chords.. the song will sound very different, and you probably won't even like it.

fede
DMBTabs.com Authority
Posts: 2769
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 3:25 pm
Political views: Socialist
Random movie quote to make you seem hip and "with it": King Kong ain't got shit on me!
Location: home

Unread post by fede » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:37 pm

sanders4617 wrote:Guitar is pretty much an art... it is so great that we can have so many variations of things. For instance, an artist drawing a painting of a city or landscape... that person has his/her own style that goes into it.. and will be different from how other people do it. So that is how I feel on that issue.. many people just want to be different, so they find other ways to do certain things. Wouldn't music be boring if everybody did everything the same way? Just try to record one of his songs, simply using the "usual" open chords.. the song will sound very different, and you probably won't even like it.
That's the answer you are looking for m8.

Well said.

Fede
DMB shows been too:
Jul. 12-2008 (West Palm Beach)
Oct. 3-2008 (Buenos Aires!)
Oct. 14-2010 (Buenos Aires!)

Post Reply

Return to “Dave's Guitar Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 129 guests