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Droning Strings: From Hal Leonard

The document discusses using open strings on acoustic guitar to create interesting riffs and harmonies. It provides examples of allowing open strings to ring out while moving between I, IV, and V chords in different keys. This technique creates unique harmonies. The document also demonstrates how to apply strumming, Travis picking, and arpeggiation to turn these chord shapes into riffs. Moving through the diatonic chords of different keys while drones ring out produces colorful harmonies. Slides and power chords with open strings can also sound fresh.

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157 views4 pages

Droning Strings: From Hal Leonard

The document discusses using open strings on acoustic guitar to create interesting riffs and harmonies. It provides examples of allowing open strings to ring out while moving between I, IV, and V chords in different keys. This technique creates unique harmonies. The document also demonstrates how to apply strumming, Travis picking, and arpeggiation to turn these chord shapes into riffs. Moving through the diatonic chords of different keys while drones ring out produces colorful harmonies. Slides and power chords with open strings can also sound fresh.

Uploaded by

David Bonin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Droning Strings
Chad Johnson
May 20, 2009
Theres nothing quite like the tone of open strings on an acoustic guitar. While barre chords
still sound great in their own way, an acoustic guitar really gets to strut its stuff when some
open strings are allowed to ring out. Here were going to take a look at riffs that make open
strings, both low and high, an integral part of their sound.
Lets start out with a simple exercise to help illustrate the concept a bit. An easy way to get
your feet wet with drones is to simply take an open-position chord and move the fret-hand
shape up to the respective IV and V chords of that key while allowing the open strings to
continue to ring. If we were in D for example, the I chord would be D, the IV chord would
be G, and the V would be A.

From Hal Leonard


Guitar Method:
Acoustic Guitar

Heres what this would look like:

If we try the same thing in C, the chord shapes would be C, F, and G. Check out the interesting
harmonies created here with the open E and G strings ringing.

Heres the same idea in the key of E. The shapes are built off the E, A, and B chords, but the resulting
harmonies are much more interesting than the typical IIVV variety.

Now if we apply some different technical treatments to these chords, such as strumming, Travis Picking, and
arpeggiation, we end up with some unique riffs. Maybe something like these:
Strumming

Listen

Travis Picking

Listen

Arpeggiation

Listen

This type of approach can be used with all the diatonic chords of a keynot just the I, IV, and V. Here well
move up diatonically through the keys of D, A, and E. Pay special attention to the colorful harmonies that are
created by the open-string drones.
Key of D:

Key of A:

Key of E:

By including an expressive device, such as slides, things can get even more interesting. Try the examples
below to hear this approach.

Listen

Listen

Even something as simple as a power chord can sound fresh when combined with droning strings.

Listen

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