• Registered: 2008-02-02
  • Posts: 51

Topic: Not a gear question

Can anyone tell me what chord Joe plays on some tracks, e.g. Ballard of John Henry, Bridge to Better Days

It sounds like a bar chord but looks like C with the thumb on the 6 string. The F chord (to my ear, anyway) on BtB-days looks like a C when Joe plays it. Also, on Ballard of JH, to my ear the last part of the main riff is a D, then E bar chord at 5th, 7th fret. But Joe plays what looks a like a C, with his thumb on the 3rd fret (I think, watching the videos).

When I play a "C" looking F chord, I have both the 5th and 4th strings fretted at the 3rd fret, with my thumb on the 6th string, 1st fret. Is Joe doing the same, but just fretting the 6th and 5th string? (i.e, just power chord). I can understand if that is the case - but am then a bit lost on the end of the Ballard of JH riff! - it sounds like a D then E, but the thumb looks like it is on the 3rd fret

sigh, sigh... oh for a perfect ear - and a '59 original! Ha!

kevin
Yokohama

You never know what's going to happen.....
  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: Not a gear question

Well, I'm not sure about TBOJH cause thats tuned down a full step (right?)
But the chord you're talking about probably is just a barre chord. Its just played without barring with the first finger.
Instead you barre the top two strings with the first finger, then middle finger on the G, fourth finger on the D and third finger on the A. Then put your thumb over the top and put it on the E string.
If, like me, you have small hands, this doesn't always sound too great, sometimes the low E can sound a weak, but holding a barre chord that way gives you a lot of freedom to do hammer ons and things within chord shapes.
Look at hendrix for example, and john frusciante (probably taking it from hendrix)

  • Registered: 2006-05-25
  • Posts: 444

Re: Not a gear question

Are you meaning the hendrix style chord?
If so:

E: 8
B: 6
G: 7
D: 8
A: x
E: 6

  • From: Germany / Hamburg
  • Registered: 2008-08-11
  • Posts: 494

Re: Not a gear question

Joe's guitar in the ballad of John Henry is tuned down 5 steps!

Here are my tabbed songs by "Smokin' Joe": http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7236
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  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Not a gear question

The ballad of john henry was played on a baritone.
I think it was tuned down two steps.
E = normal
D = 1 step
C = 2 steps

C-F-B?-E?-G-C
4th & 3rd strings could also be interpreted as A# and D#

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2008-02-02
  • Posts: 51

Re: Not a gear question

Thanks everyone... i think now I get what's going on, especially with Ballard of JH

and the tab website is wonderful. Domo Arigato!!!

You never know what's going to happen.....
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
  • Registered: 2008-07-04
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Re: Not a gear question

I know what you're talking about and Davy Knowles uses it for "It'll All Come Around" for the two chords that come before the D chord that ends the riff.

If you do it by the blues box/ pentatonic theory it's the fifth and fourth strings on the third fret of the box and the second string on the first fret of the box. I don't know how to explain it very well, but that's what I got... sorry. It's a pretty useful chord. You can thumb the root note if you want, but I don't do it.

-Eric

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry
  • From: Germany / Hamburg
  • Registered: 2008-08-11
  • Posts: 494

Re: Not a gear question

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

The ballad of john henry was played on a baritone.
I think it was tuned down two steps.
E = normal
D = 1 step
C = 2 steps

C-F-B?-E?-G-C
4th & 3rd strings could also be interpreted as A# and D#

**##. I was wrong - but you're wrong, too wink
I just thought in half-steps - as I do in german.

So it's tuned down FIVE HALF-STEPS! -> B

Here are my tabbed songs by "Smokin' Joe": http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7236
I LIKE MUSIC! big_smile big_smile big_smile

9 Reply by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2009-03-31 16:20:29)

  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Not a gear question

JBJHJM wrote:

**##. I was wrong - but you're wrong, too wink
I just thought in half-steps - as I do in german.

So it's tuned down FIVE HALF-STEPS! -> B

So two and a half whole steps? cool
And I do think I remember that baritones are tuned down to B, but Joe tunes them to C. I'll try and look up my source on that.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: Germany / Hamburg
  • Registered: 2008-08-11
  • Posts: 494

Re: Not a gear question

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:
JBJHJM wrote:

**##. I was wrong - but you're wrong, too wink
I just thought in half-steps - as I do in german.

So it's tuned down FIVE HALF-STEPS! -> B

So two and a half whole steps? cool
And I do think I remember that baritones are tuned down to B, but Joe tunes them to C. I'll try and look up my source on that.

Yeah.
All live versions I listened to were played in B, I don't know if the studio version is also played in B or maybe in C...

Here are my tabbed songs by "Smokin' Joe": http://www.jbonamassa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7236
I LIKE MUSIC! big_smile big_smile big_smile
  • JBSRV
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  • From: Colorado Springs-Colorado
  • Registered: 2008-07-04
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Re: Not a gear question

JBJHJM wrote:
NPB_EST.1979 wrote:
JBJHJM wrote:

**##. I was wrong - but you're wrong, too wink
I just thought in half-steps - as I do in german.

So it's tuned down FIVE HALF-STEPS! -> B

So two and a half whole steps? cool
And I do think I remember that baritones are tuned down to B, but Joe tunes them to C. I'll try and look up my source on that.

Yeah.
All live versions I listened to were played in B, I don't know if the studio version is also played in B or maybe in C...

the album version is tuned a half step lower than the live versions

-Eric

"It makes it sound like the amp is about ready to explode, that's because it IS about ready to explode." -Joe

"I've come all the way from Colorado... Long way from my home. Give me the hammer that killed John Henry..." The Ballad Of John Henry

12 Reply by Danny! (edited by Danny! 2009-04-01 02:45:57)

  • From: Sandy Eggo
  • Registered: 2007-04-29
  • Posts: 1,369

Re: Not a gear question

Kev it might be good for you to take a listen to the tracks and give us times where the chords are played...but as far as the C looking F, that's just sounds like the upper half of an F major:

-1-
-1-
-2-
-3-
---
---

You can see the similarity to an open C:

-0-
-1-
-0-
-2-
-3-
---

Whereas this would be the full F major:

-1-
-1-
-2-
-3-
-3-
-1-

"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan