Tips & Techniques
Add easy flourish to C-F-G-Am
Lesson #223
Video Overview
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Editorβs notes
A favorite tip of mine, while playing songs in the key of C, is using the following improvisational flourish to spice up the C, Am, F, and G chords. By only removing & adding a single finger on your left hand βΒ middle, index, or pinky βΒ you can create a distinct effect on each of the four chords mentioned above. Whatβs better, is you can mix and match these flourish notes freely - and itβll always sound good! In this lesson, Iβll show you how.
For each of the techniques below, get comfortable by being able to remove & add the individual left-hand finger noted in each heading β for each of the four chords. Once you feel comfortable with this, try to play freely using these four chords - in any order you want, using any strumming pattern you want! Add & remove the noted finger as you desire. Then learn the next technique β and return to the improvisational play, this time switching up which fingers youβre removing or adding.
The end result is ideally the ability to freely jump between these four chords, but do so in a way where youβre always able to add interesting flourish via the techniques shown here.
Technique 1: Removing/Adding Middle Finger
E ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ
B ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ
G ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ2ββββ0ββ ββ2ββββ0ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ
D ββ2ββββ0ββ ββ2ββββ0ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ
A ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββββββββββ ββ2ββββ0ββ
E ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ3ββββ3ββ
C * Am * Fmaj7 * G *
Technique 2: Removing/Adding Index Finger
E ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ
B ββ1ββββ0ββ ββ1ββββ0ββ ββ1ββββ0ββ ββ0ββββ1ββ
G ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ
D ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ
A ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββββββββββ ββxββββxββ
E ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ3ββββ3ββ
C * Am * Fadd9 * G *
Technique 3: Removing/Adding Pinky Finger
E ββ0ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ3ββ ββ3ββ
B ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ1ββββ1ββ ββ0ββ
G ββ0ββββ0ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ0ββ
D ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ2ββββ2ββ ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββ
A ββ3ββββ3ββ ββ0ββββ0ββ ββββββββββ ββ2ββ
E ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ3ββ
C * Am * Fmaj7 Fadd9 G
Chord shapes
Hereβs the four chord shapes weβll be basing this practice tip upon. These chords are very frequently used together in songs (theyβre all in the key of C), so itβs very common youβll use them together.
E ββ0ββ ββ0ββ β(1)β ββ3ββ
B ββ1ββ ββ1ββ ββ1ββ ββ0ββ
G ββ0ββ ββ2ββ ββ2ββ ββ0ββ
D ββ2ββ ββ2ββ ββ3ββ ββ0ββ
A ββ3ββ ββ0ββ ββ3ββ ββ2ββ
E βββββ βββββ β(1)β ββ3ββ
C Am F G
Hereβs the specific finger positions weβll want to use for this practice tip. For the F and the G specifically, youβll want to follow the my notes below (which will enable you to add the flourish Iβll show later on):
E ββ0ββ E ββ0ββ E ββxββ E ββ3ββ <= left pinky
B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ0ββ
G ββ0ββ G ββ2ββ <= left ring G ββ2ββ <= left middle G ββ0ββ
D ββ2ββ <= left middle D ββ2ββ <= left middle D ββ3ββ <= left ring D ββ0ββ
A ββ3ββ <= left ring A ββ0ββ A ββxββ A ββ2ββ <= left middle
E βββββ E βββββ E ββxββ E ββ3ββ <= left ring
C Am F G
For the F, thereβs actually a few ways you can approach it (all of which are easier than the full 6-string barred version). Itβs ideal to know all of these:
E ββxββ E ββxββ E ββ0ββ E ββ3ββ <= left pinky
B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ1ββ <= left index B ββ1ββ <= left index
G ββ2ββ <= left middle G ββ2ββ <= left middle G ββ2ββ <= left middle G ββ2ββ <= left middle
D ββ3ββ <= left ring D ββ3ββ <= left pinky D ββ3ββ <= left ring D ββ3ββ <= left ring
A ββxββ A ββ3ββ <= left ring A ββxββ A ββxββ
E ββxββ E ββxββ E ββxββ E ββxββ
F F Fmaj7 Fadd9
Good luck!
I hope this was helpful for you. As always, itβs best to see my video lesson for reference. Please let me know what questions you have, and until next time - best of luck!
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