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Indiana Part 2 of 2

by Dix Bruce

Last time we learned the melody to the old standard "Indiana." In this column we'll look at the song's chords.

Mandolinists who play jazz and swing on the mandolin make use of "closed position" chords. Closed position chord forms don't have any open string notes in them and because of this, they can be moved up and down the fingerboard with ease. The cool thing about this is that you can learn one form and use it to make ten or more different chords.

Look at the two F chords below. On the left you'll see the familar F chord diagram. The small "r" below the grid tells where the "root" of the chord is, in this case an F note. The small "x" reminds you not to play string one since this note is not in the F chord. This open position F is a three note chord. Try moving the form up or down one fret and strum it. Sounds a little strange, doesn't it? It's not a moveable form.

The closed position F chord on the right below is played up the fingerboard with your first finger in the seventh fret. In this form, the root is on the fourth string. Again, we won't play the first string. Move this up or down any number of frets, strum it, and it sounds fine. Move the form one fret down from the position shown and you'll have an E chord. Move it up one fret and you'll have an F#. Move it up one more fret and you'll have a G chord. Is this great or what?

All of the chord forms shown below are three string moveable chords. Play through "Indiana" with these chords. Again, practice it until you can play it from memory without the music. In the first full measure you'll see the chords F, E7, Eb7. The slashes (/) above the chords tell how many strums to give each chord. In this case, strum the F twice, then one strum each on E7 and Eb7. I chose these particular forms to give your fretting hand a certain kind of workout. As you become more familiar with these forms, you'll see that you can substitute one for the other. For example, you can use the form of chord #6 to play a G7. Just move it so your first finger in in fret two. Try rearranging the chord forms and come up with your own arrangement for "Indiana." Be sure to try plugging in these closed chord forms in other songs you are now playing with open string chords.

Dix Bruce has written forty books, CDs and videos for Mel Bay Publications. His latest two mandolin book/CD sets are "Great Mandolin Pickin' Tunes" and "First Lessons Mandolin." He edited David Grisman's "Mandolin World News" from 1978 to 1984. Dix records and tours with guitarist Jim Nunally. Their latest CD, "Brothers at Heart," is a collection of traditional and new music performed in the classic "brother duet" vocal and instrumental style. All are available on Dix's website: www.musixnow.com