Warm Up Exercise
Transitioning between Em7 - D/F# - G
Lesson #185
Video Overview
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Editorβs notes
In this lesson, I want to share a recent trick I stumbled on to when playing the D/F# chord shape (spoken as βD over F sharpβ) - and transitioning from D/F# to either an E-minor or G-major chord. The cool thing about this trick is youβll be keeping your left ring finger on the same exact note for all the chord shapes I show - so, the transitions become much easier. This will be helpful in various different songs that need the D/F# chord shape. Letβs check it out!
How to play the chord shapes
Two things are very important to recognize here. First, understand that your left ring finger will stay on the 3rd fret of the B string for all of these chord shapes. Second, understand that your left index & middle fingers are whatβs playing all other notes (on the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th string). Together, these two tips make these 4 chords much easier to approach.
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββ3βββββ3βββββ3βββββ3βββββ <== left ring finger stays here,
G ββββ0βββββ2βββββ0βββββ0βββββ on the 3rd fret, for all four
D ββββ2βββββ0βββββ0βββββ2βββββ of these chord shapes!
A ββββ2βββββ0βββββ2βββββ3βββββ
E ββββ0βββββ2βββββ3βββββββββββ
Em7 D/F# G Cadd9
Exercise 1
The first exercise you may want to try, as part of getting comfortable with these chords, is using a simple fingerpicking pattern. For example, you could use this pattern, which goes uses the 6th, 3rd, and 2nd strings in a repetitive manner. Even though the left-hand chord shapes change, your right-hand picking pattern will stay the exact same.
E βββββββββββ
B ββββββxββββ <== left middle finger
G ββββxβββxββ <== left index finger
D βββββββββββ
A βββββββββββ
E ββxββββββββ <== left thumb
Using this pattern, we could go through the chords in this repeating pattern (Em - D/F# - G - D/F#). Play this as slow as you need to in order to retain consistency⦠and as you get more comfortable, try speeding it up or altering it as you see fit.
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ3βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ3ββββββ
G ββββ0βββ0βββββββ2βββ2βββββββ0βββ0βββββββ2βββ2ββββ
D βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
A βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
E ββ0βββββββββββ2βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ2ββββββββββ
Em7 D/F# G D/F#
Exercise 2
To take things even further, hereβs a fun little fingerpicking exercise inspired by the song βShallowβ from the 2018 film version of βA Star is Bornβ. The timing is a bit more tricky here β see my video lesson for reference. The full riff, which repeats, looks like this:
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2p0βββββ
B ββββββ3βββββ3βxβ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββ3βxβ3ββββββ3ββββ
G ββββ0βββ0βββ2βxβ0βββββββββββββββββββββ0βββββ0βββ0βββ0βxβ2ββββββββ2ββ
D ββββββββββββββxβββββββββββββββββββββ2βββ2βββββ2βββββββxβ0βββββββββββ
A ββββββββββββββxβββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββxβββββββββββββ
E ββ0βββββββ2βββxβ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββxβββββββββββββ
Em D/F# G Cadd9 G D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
A tip with this one, if you want some advice: first, practice going between the chord shapes along with the proper rhythmic counting. Hereβs the same chord positions (minus fingerpicking), with the changes happening at the proper beats:
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββ
B ββ3βββββββ3βββββ3βββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββ3βββββββββββ
G ββ0βββββββ2βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ0βββββ2βββββββββββ
D ββ2βββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββββ
A ββ2βββββββ0βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββ
E ββ0βββββββ2βββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββ
Em D/F# G Cadd9 G D
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
From there, once comfortable with the timing, you can bring in the fingerpicking and perhaps find it a bit more approachable.
I hope all this was helpful
Please let me know what other chords youβd like to see lessons made for! In the meantime, best of luck with your playing.
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