Second guitarist

[M29]

We now have a main acoustic guitarist that sings lead in our church group. I am trying to figure out what I can add with my electric semi acoustic guitar as a second guitarist. I figured if he is strumming open chords I could play chords up the neck to give some variety but is there something else I could be looking at to compliment his open chord strumming. Maybe picking triads or something like that?

Thank you for your time and help.

M

[Commodore 64]

Get Shecter Hellraiser and blow his *** out of the water. :)

[pes_laul]

Get Shecter Hellraiser and blow his *** out of the water. :)
:what :dude

[Eric]

We now have a main acoustic guitarist that sings lead in our church group. I am trying to figure out what I can add with my electric semi acoustic guitar as a second guitarist. I figured if he is strumming open chords I could play chords up the neck to give some variety but is there something else I could be looking at to compliment his open chord strumming. Maybe picking triads or something like that?
Sounds very similar to our setup.

What I end up doing is adding dynamics and volume on some songs with the electric, arpeggiating barre chords with clean guitar (or with some chorus) on lighter songs, and maybe putting in fills or leads depending on the song. Very typical guitar, I guess, but I think it adds to the songs.

I think acoustics are great to keep going during breakdowns or drops in songs. Whenever there are two guitars going, I just always try to never play the same chord with the same voicing as the other one. In other words, if they're playing an open A, you should play it at the 5th fret or in some other position.

[sunvalleylaw]

What about some fills or little mini leads here and there where there is space in the music? Is there a singer? Then you could echo the singer some of the time. If not, then some rhythmic fills that move the song along between chord changes, etc. would sound nice I think. Something using chord tones that moves in the direction of the next chord, etc.

[M29]

Com64, :rotflmao:

Eric, That is kind of what I have been doing. I am not all that experienced yet but I guess I am on the right track. Thanks for the info and help.

Steve, That is something I hadn't thought of was to echo the singer. Usually there are 1 to 4 or 5 singers but I am sure that is something to work off of. A lot of the songs are new to me and it takes me a while to learn them but I will work on that. Thanks.

Thanks again all. :rockon

[Eric]

Steve, That is something I hadn't thought of was to echo the singer. Usually there are 1 to 4 or 5 singers but I am sure that is something to work off of. A lot of the songs are new to me and it takes me a while to learn them but I will work on that. Thanks.
I did echo the GLO-O-O-RIA vocal part on Angels We Have Heard on High a couple of weeks ago. While I was doing it, I thought it sounded ridiculous.

However, feedback afterward said it sounded pretty cool and helped add texture to the song, so kudos to our leader guy for having that idea and SVL for mentioning it as well. Regardless what I think it sounds like on stage, it is apparently a tactic worth exploring.

[Eric]

Also, bear in mind that you have a whole plethora of effects as an electric guitarist. I once played a funk-style rhythm guitar using loads of wah during one of the more hymn-y songs, after encouragement to do so from the team. Point being, there are some neat things you can do to add texture, some of them non-conventional.

[oldguy]

M29,
If you have a chance to actually practice the songs w/ the other guitarist, try this on a few. I'll give a simple example.
The song is in the key of C major...........
On the C, try the relative minor, Am.
At the F major, try an F major 7th, or D minor (relative minor).
At the G, try a G7 or E minor (again, relative minor).
Often, when a song is a simple 3 chord progression, this will yield an interesting and pleasing sound between the two guitars.
If the song uses an A minor, try an F major 7th.
Experiment and you'll find blending two chords on two guitars can work.

[M29]

I picked up a Vox Tonelab ST and got a chance to try it out at our church practice tonight. I am really happy with it. Eric, I think some of these effects will work well.

Glenn, I don't know a whole lot about what I am doing but I will look into that. I kind of know what you mean. It has been tough to get together with the other guitarist as he is very busy trying to get started as the new leader but he has mentioned that we will work together on some stuff. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can.

I got to play some lead tonight and it went over well. That was encouraging and fun!

Thanks guys.

M

[Eric]

I got to play some lead tonight and it went over well. That was encouraging and fun!
Glad to hear it! Once I finally got in a position like yours, where I could really start to explore what I could do, things opened up surprisingly quickly. I'm still no great guitarist, but it's a great learning opportunity.

[Brian Krashpad]

We now have a main acoustic guitarist that sings lead in our church group. I am trying to figure out what I can add with my electric semi acoustic guitar as a second guitarist. I figured if he is strumming open chords I could play chords up the neck to give some variety but is there something else I could be looking at to compliment his open chord strumming. Maybe picking triads or something like that?

Thank you for your time and help.

M

Those are basically the two approaches I use most often. Playing barre chords to his cowboys, or doing little triad things. Another option is working out a lead line throughout, either the melody or some kind of countermelody.

And of course, if he is playing clean and you go with distortion or other effects, you may have enough in tonal difference to get away with doubling what he's doing with open chords.

I actually decided to also learn more mando and banjo, and play at least one song (I look for the easiest, haha) each service, if I can manage, on one of those.

[M29]

Thanks Krash! Some of the effects on my Tonlab made a big difference the other nite. I am concerned now about what effects to use. Chorus always seems to fit in varing degrees and I found a light,make that very light flanger can be interesting. I think the electric is actually adding a nice touch with the acoustic. It is uber fun trying to come up with things to add without making a show of it or detracting from the overall sound. My problem is I don't really know enough about what I am doing. :thwap
As far as triads go I mainly know the Open D chord type triad moved up the neck so far. I suspect utube will have something to show on that so I will check that out. If I remember correctly Robert had a lesson on triads and I will look that up as well.

Again Brian thanks for the suggestions and the other stringed instruments sounds like it would really be a nice touch.

M

[wingsdad]

... Experiment and you'll find blending two chords on two guitars can work.

Boy, does it ever. :AOK

Same chord/different voicings is the simplest approach, and very good, but this approach adds harmonic dimension... essentially, like a large choral group's sections working.

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks Krash! Some of the effects on my Tonlab made a big difference the other nite. I am concerned now about what effects to use. Chorus always seems to fit in varing degrees and I found a light,make that very light flanger can be interesting. I think the electric is actually adding a nice touch with the acoustic. It is uber fun trying to come up with things to add without making a show of it or detracting from the overall sound. My problem is I don't really know enough about what I am doing. :thwap
As far as triads go I mainly know the Open D chord type triad moved up the neck so far. I suspect utube will have something to show on that so I will check that out. If I remember correctly Robert had a lesson on triads and I will look that up as well.

Again Brian thanks for the suggestions and the other stringed instruments sounds like it would really be a nice touch.

M

Haha, dude, trust me, not knowing what you're doing is a big part of the fun.

I use little partial chords like you said I will usually find the root chord and play it in a "D" (open) shape however far up the neck it needs to go, then work from there, usually using just the top 3 (highest) strings. You can do a little fingerpicking thing to offset the other guitarist's strums also, and I love the sus4 modification to the usual chord when it sounds like it fits (in a D shape, that's moving the finger on the high E string one fret further up the neck-- think of the first 2 chords in "Pinball Wizard for example, that's the change, from the sus4 to major chord, back and forth, though most often you'll start with the regular chord and then slide up to the sus4 and then go back).

If you ever do more rocking songs, distortion is fun, in addition to effects like delay or chorus. But some folks can't get away with distortion in some churches. I find I use distortion on all the more rocking songs, I pretty much live on the Vox AC30 setting on my Super champ XD. It's not real heavy but it's definitely not clean either. Just have to be careful that people can still here the clean guitar or you can get b*tched at. Or I can at least, haha.

[Monkus]

Once you get the triads and partial chords going you can echo the vocal harmonies or vocal leads rhythmically. Kinda like a call and answer thing but very subtly. You can also find partial chords in different inversions that add other textures but doesn't detract from the song effect. If its a straight three chord in a major key you can add partial 9ths for example. The 2nd guitarist is playing C - F - G, you can slide into a cadd9 with two or three middle strings, into fmaj7 into Gsus4. Your only conscience is your ear. (and maybe your group leader.) Find what works. Good luck !!!