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Stripped Chords: A Look at Dave Matthews Chords by KicknGuitar 25 Dec 2007 Views: 8870

Stripped Chords
A Look at Dave Matthews Chords

This can be a great workout for your fingers, even if you don't care for the style.
Dave Matthews has a very unique style. He is constantly strumming, constantly percussive, and usually very "light" with his guitar playing. Most of his work involves a whole band to play, which may explain why he uses these "stripped" chords. Or, it could just be his thing.

With this, I am going to show you Matthews' unique chord patterns and fingerings. Keep in mind that when he plays, he plays economically and thinks ahead of time (at least that's what his fingers are doing).You will find two chord charts, each one similar in shape, but different numbers. The first is the fretting, the second is the fingering. For a key on how to read the tab and charts go to the bottom.

Dave's Dyad Chords
First up is Matthew's most basic chords, dyads or two note chords. Here we have the minor dyad variation, a P1 and m3. The second chart is another "economic" fingering. It all depends on what will be played next.

                E A D G B E   E A D G B E

10-X-X-10-X-X   ___________   ___________

                | | | | | |   | | | | | |

                | | | | | |   | | | | | |

                3 | | 4 | |   1 | | 2 | |

                | | | | | |   | | | | | |

The Major dyad is very similar, only we have a M3 instead of a m3.

              E A D G B E   E A D G B E

8-X-X-9-X-X   ___________   ___________

              | | | | | |   | | | | | |

              | | | | | |   | | | | | |

              3 | | | | |   1 | | | | |

              | | | 4 | |   | | | 2 | |

Try these shapes out with this riff. For a tip on fingerings look after the tab.

    Am   GM  AM F#m  GM  AM F#m GM

  E|---------------|----------------|

  B|---------------|----------------|

4 G|7----4---6--2--|-4---6--2---4--•|

- D|X----X---X--X--|-X---X--X---X---|

4 A|X----X---X--X--|-X---X--X---X--•|

  E|7----3---5--2--|-3---5--2---3---|

    Q.   Q   E  Q__E Q   E  Q   Q



E A D G B E

___________

1 | | 2 | |< 2nd Fret. First Bold: F# min.

1 | |•| | | First Non-bold: G Maj.

| | | 2 | |

3 | |•| | | Second Bold: A Maj.

| | | 4 | |

3 | |•4 | |Second Non-Bold: B min.

You've just played Dave Matthews Band's Grey Street. Other DMB songs that incorporate these dyad chords that are worth checking out are Tripping Billies, and Lie In Our Graves' "Jam"

Dave's Other Chord
Matthews' other chord is simply adding an octave to the third. He tends to leave it basic in theory, but makes up with the fingering and unique sound. Try this Minor chord that only uses a P1, m3 and another m3 (m11, an octave of the m3).

                E A D G B E   E A D G B E

10-8-X-10-X-X   ___________   ___________

                | | | | | |   | | | | | |

                | 1 | | | |   | 2 | | | |

                | | | | | |   | | | | | |

                3 | | 4 | |   3 | | 4 | |

Here's the same concept, except implemented on a Major chord. We have the P1 again but now with a M3 and it's octave.

              E A D G B E   E A D G B E

8-7-X-9-X-X   ___________   ___________

              | | | | | |   | | | | | |

              | 2 | | | |   | 1 | | | |

              3 | | | | |   2 | | | | |

              | | | 4 | |   | | | 4 | |

To practice, play the following riff. Try switching between the two and take note of what fingers you use, making it economic.

    Dmin               BbMaj CMaj

  E|------------------------|-----------------------|

  B|------------------------|-----------------------|

4 G|10-10-10-10-10-10--7--7-|9--9--9--9--9--9--9--9-|

- D|------------------------|-----------------------|

4 A|-8--8--8--8--8--8--5--5-|7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7-|

  E|10-10-10-10-10-10--6--6-|8--8--8--8--8--8--8--8-|

     E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E



 FMaj        BbMaj       Amin        Gmin

|1--1--1--1-------------|------------------------|

|1--1--1--1-------------|------------------------|

|2--2--2--2--7--7--7--7-|5--5--5--5--3--3--3--3-•|

|3--3--3--3-------------|------------------------|

|3--3--3--3--5--5--5--5-|3--3--3--3--1--1--1--1-•|

|1--1--1--1--6--6--6--6-|5--5--5--5--3--3--3--3--|

 E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E  E

You've just learned the chords to Dave Matthews Band's Two Step. If you wish, relearn it with the correct rhythm to add on some difficulty.

Dave's Triad
Besides the barre and open chords Matthew's knows, he has a very difficult way of playing the basic Major and Minor triads. Here is Matthews' minor chord form. It takes the same shape as before, except utilizing the 5 too, completing the triad.

                E A D G B E   E A D G B E

10-8-7-10-X-X   ___________   ___________

                | | 1 | | |   | | | 1 | |

                | 2 | | | |   | | 2 | | |

X-10-8-7-11-X   | | | | | |   | | | | | |

                3 | | 4 | |   | 3 | | | |

                              | | | | 4 |

Exact same thing with Matthews' Major chord variation.

                E A D G B E

8-7-5-9-X-X     ___________

                | | 1 | | |

                | | | | | |

                | 2 | | | |

                3 | | | | |

                | | | 4 | |

Play around with this riff to work out the new shapes.

    Amin                Bmin

  E|-------------------|-------------------|

  B|-------------------|-------------------|

4 G|5----5----5----5---|7----7----7----7---|

- D|3----3--X-3----3--X|4----4--X-4----4--X|

4 A|4----4--X-4----4--X|5----5--X-5----5--X|

  E|5----5--X-5----5--X|7----7--X-7----7--X|

    Q    E  S Q    E  S Q    E  S Q    E  S



 Emin                

|-------------------|---------------------|

|8----8----8----8---|3----3----3----3-----|

|4----4--X-4----4--X|0----0--X-0----0--X-•|

|5----5--X-5----5--X|4----4--X-4----4--X--|

|7----7--X-7----7--X|5----5--X-5----5--X-•|

|-------------------|---------------------|

 Q    E  S Q    E  S Q    E  S Q    E  S

If you'd like more on these fuller triads, check out Dave Matthews Band's Captain.
For more DMB tablature, as well as some other analyzation of Dave Matthews' style check out DMBtabs.com
These are only basic Dave Matthews chords. I hope it has given you some insight somewhere along the lines. Feel free to question, comment and Kvetch.
Key

  E|------------------------|-----------------------|

  B|------------------------|-----------------------|

4 G|------------------------|-----------------------|

- D|------------------------|-----------------------|

4 A|------------------------|-----------------------|

  E|------------------------|-----------------------|

^

Time Signature: (Top) 4 beats per measure, (bottom) Quarter note gets the beat. 



Rhythmic Notation

W - Whole Note

H - Half Note

Q - Quarter Note

E - Eighth Note

S - Sixteenth note

. - Dotted Note

_ - Tied (Initial rhythm extended by the following rhythmic notation)



E A D G B E   E A D G B E

___________   ___________

| | | | | |   | | | | | |

| | | | | |   | | | | | |

| | | | | |   | | | | | |

| | | | | |   | | | | | |



0-Open String

1-Index Finger

2-Middle Finger

3-Ring Finger

4-Pinky Finger

T-Thumb

--Barre

Last Edited on Dec 25, 2007.