Red Chords

Learn how to play Red!

Red is in the key of E major and only use the I IV V and VI chord throughout the entire song.

Notice how by what order they appear in makes them feel new.

Using the DIY TAB of the Guitar Conspiracy (a part of The Spy Tunes Method), transcribe the rhythm first, then add the notes of the guitar.

The arrangement is much slower than the original, this means that the diction of the vocal becomes clearer.

This was something I felt the original tempo was pushing a bit too far.

Experiment with your own tempo for this and other songs, this might be a great kick start to coming up with your own chord and rhythmical variations!

Extending chords in Red

The chords in Red have been extended.

Using open strings throughout we get different extensions depending on what chord is used in conjunction with the open strings.

For example, the C#m with an open B and E string produce a C#m7, but over an A chord you get an add9.

Depending on what chord you use, your extensions will change like this when you use open strings.

To experiment with more chord shapes using open strings; use Chordacus to see the shapes move around.

Also, compare this type of technique to songs using an open tuning for similar effects, check 1234 and especially The Scientist by Coldplay who use a lot of open tunings in their songs.