Collectible Guitar MarApr 2017 | Page 34

FRETBOARD
LESS TRAVELED
MINIMUM CHORD MOVEMENT: THE “HEY JOE” CHORD PROGRESSION Rich Severson

In this edition, we are focusing on two ideas. progression of the rock classic “Hey Joe.” contrast from the rock and blues guitar playing
First, playing chords on the guitar with a Minimum chord movement simply means to where the chords are played by a movable
minimum amount of movement between the voice the chords so that the distance between shape moved up and down the fretboard. This
chords, and second, applying this to the chord the chords is as close as possible. This is a “Minimum Movement” idea can be a welcome
departure within a typical rock tune. Minimum
"Hey Joe" Chord Progression
C
by Rich Severson
Minimum Movement
G
D
14
E
A
12
12
A
11
9
#### 4 n œœ œ œ n œœ œœ œ œ n œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ ˙
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ ˙
& 4 n œ
œ œ
œ
œ œ
œ
œ œ ˙
1
2
3
and keyboard players and classical guitarist
use, it but applying it to blues and rock guitar
E
9
11
movement is studied in college music theory,
4
is not common. The late, great, (it pains me
to say that) chord chemist, and my mentor/
friend, Ted Greene, was the first person I
ever heard apply that idea on electric guitar
to a rock tune. The music here was his idea,
not mine.
⁄
17
17 16
14 14
12
15
16
14
12 12
12
15
C
14
G
10
14 14
11
14
12
D
12
7
14
13 13 13
9 9
9
11
12
E
A
9
13
13 14
9 9
11
11
12
E
A
6
7
12
#### n n œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
œ œ
&
œ n œ œœ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙
5
6
7
8
⁄
12
12 12
10 10
9
12
12
11
11 9
7 7
7
9
10
C
10
G
5
9
7
9
D
5
9
6
9
6
7
9
7
9
E
A
4
9
7
9
9 9
6 6
6
7
2
2
#### œ œ n œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ
&
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ ˙ ˙
n
œ
n œ
œ œ 10 œ
œ œ 11 œ œ œ 12 œ œ ˙
9
⁄
9
5 5
8
9
7
5
7
5
7
C
7
4 4
5
G
7
6
2
6
2
5
D
4
2 2
4 6
2
4
A
6
2
5
E
4
4 4
2 2
2
4
5
5
2 2
3
4
0
3
4
0
2
0 0
2
2 2
4
0
2
4
1
2
0
1
2
of subdominant, or lV chords.
E
Mar  Apr 2017
D
G
C
(1) (4 of 1) (4 of 4) (4 of 4 of 4) (4 of 4 of 4 of 4)
When you play the chords in the order of the
song, C, G, D, A, E, each chord leads to the
next. Not as strong as a chain of dominant 7 th
The music below will help you understand
2
4
1
2
0
of a song using minimum movement. Who
knows where it might lead?
Till next time,
Rich
1
2
0
Copyright © 2017 by Guitar College, Inc.
34
A
these ideas. Experiment! Try playing a section
2
4
0
believe the best way to look at it is as a chain
chords, but in its own bluesy way.
#### n œ œ œ œ
&
œ œ n œ œ œœ n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ 14 œ œ œ 15 œ œ œ 16 œ œ ˙
13 n œ
⁄
E. Many have analyzed the progression, but I
4
E
A
progression one step further with C, G, D, A,
A, G is lV of D, and C is lV of G
2
2
D, A, E or G, D, A, E? Hey Joe takes the
If E is the l chord, then A is lV of E, D is lV of
7
E
A
you’ve played parts of it many times in other
rock songs. How often have you played
6
7
“Hey Joe” is an unusual progression, but
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