Page 140Open Strings
Open strings generate bigger sounds. Play the right scale for the key or progression up and down one string (instead
of across the fretboard) and hit an open string above or below it. Treat the open string as the root note of a major or
minor chord. If soloing over an E chord (major or minor), the top open E is available as a drone. The open B will
work for B major or B minor, and the open G string for G major or minor. The fretting hand then plays the right
scale up and down an adjacent string. Since the top three strings make an E minor chord and the second, third and
fourth make an open G, if you are playing in either of these keys you could have two drones sounding rather than
one.
The open strings can also function in chords as the third or the fifth: E is the third of C major and C#minor; B is the
third of G major and G# minor; G is the third of Eb major and E minor. E is the fifth of A major/minor; B is the fifth
of E major/minor; G is the fifth of C major/minor.
Droning open strings work well not only as lead ideas but also as riffs. For riffs, try any of the lower three strings (E,
A or D) and move a scale or even a sequence of intervals such as thirds on the string above it.
Harmonics
As noted above, the open strings offer two triads – one major, one minor: strings 2, 3, 4 (BGD) make a G major
chord (GBD); strings 1, 2, 3 (EBG) make an E minor chord (EGB). With the finger lightly held against the strings
over the 12th fret, you can play a G major or E minor triad in harmonics. At the fifth fret, the same harmonics sound
an octave higher. At the seventh fret, the harmonic chords become D major and B minor, respectively.
In a song with the chord sequence G Em D Bm, you could play the entire sequence in harmonics for an ethereal
second guitar part. If you're in a different key, a capo can make the right harmonics available.
Slide in Standard Tuning
The harmonics triads also apply to slide (bottleneck) guitar in standard tuning. By using these triads, you can play a
major or minor chord with the slide alone and not have to worry about fretting notes. For a 12 bar in C, chords C, F
and G can be played at the fifth, 10th and 12th positions with the slide. If there's a minor chord in the sequence, just
play the top three strings at the right fret.
12-String Guitars