Chords for Tosin Abasi on Playing with All Fingers and Double Thumb Picking | Reverb Interview
Tempo:
89.9 bpm
Chords used:
E
B
G
C#m
G#m
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[G#m] [A] [G#m] [F#]
[B]
[E] [F#] [A] The [G#m] guitar is [F#] such a capable instrument when it comes to sounding like full-blown music.
And electric guitars, I think, are emulating a lot of their favorite rock musicians oftentimes,
where the guitar has one role.
It's not the singer.
You know what I mean?
So we're providing this sort of rhythmic, melodic bed with these blocks of chords.
But when you start playing classical and jazz, you realize, whoa, I can sit alone and produce
what sounds like full-blown, multiple-part music on this neck.
And so a lot of that comes from abandoning the pick momentarily and learning how to use
each finger, because then you really can kind of do independent [G] lines.
You can create harmony and melody at the [Bm] same time.
[G] [C#m]
[E] [Gm] Or you can kind of have a line and the moving chords underneath it.
I first got into it, there's two major influences.
One is Javier Reyes, who plays in Animals as Leaves with me, is an amazing classical
slash Spanish classical guitarist.
So I downloaded a bunch of tab off the internet and bought an entry-level nylon string, which
is like sit in seclusion so no one can hear me, and try to work it up.
You kind of end up navigating the fretboard different, and you do slightly different things
when you are using your open right hand, because it's almost like you have four picks in a way.
So, especially on extended range guitar too, because then you can [Bm]
[F#m] kind [E] of target certain
notes and then do sort of clusters [B] of higher-pitched notes or whatever.
But if you're picking, you're either having to skip strings or strum all the way through.
It just makes the neck with eight strings on it a little less utilizable, it seems like,
just because you're always aware of [D] traversing all these strings, as opposed to just having
them available to you like this.
So yeah, I do a lot of open right hand stuff.
We have songs where I only use the pick for the solo or something like that.
When it came to the bass, sort of Victor Wooten style stuff, I was in a band with this guy
Evan Brewer, who is a phenomenal bassist, and he studied with the Wootens, and so he
knew how to do all that double-thumping stuff.
A lot of cool tapping approaches.
[C#] And so hearing him do it all the time, I was like, dude, you gotta show me.
So that's why I picked up the sort of double-thumb thing.
And then you can start to merge them, just because it's all your right hand, you know.
So why limit yourself to one stroke per thumb when you can do sort of the double thing?
It's kind of like I'm doing a combination of nail and flesh, which I think most classical
guitars do anyway.
I'm trying to get the double thumb.
Because I think a lot of guitars, depending on your style, you actually can do sort of
the index and middle finger vibe.
If you've played any fingerstyle stuff, you've kind of started using the open right hand.
But what's counterintuitive is the upstroke with the thumb.
I feel like that is the crux of the technique.
I [G#] would go in that order, you know.
[C#m] You can even mute it.
[N] Because that really illuminates how hard and consistently you're striking.
And you don't have to worry about fretting, you know what I mean?
You already know how to play with your left hand.
Sometimes it's easier to develop the technique if you just kind of pick a string and mute it.
Because it's so percussive that you actually are primarily concerned with percussive elements.
Like how hard you're hitting, how consistent it sounds.
Then from there you can add.
[Em] [G#] [G]
[E] [N] So right there I'm not actually doing any double thumping, but it's a riff that is really
dependent on [F] muting and fretting notes.
One is almost like a kick drum type of thud.
[G] [E]
[C#m]
So you hear the difference once you start sustaining notes versus really staccato.
But yeah, I feel like the left hand kind of knows more than the right.
Especially if you're used to just picking all the [G#] time.
So I was kind of focused on getting the right hand down.
And then once that was there I could plug in all the sort of stuff [E] I knew on my left hand.
[B] [E] [C#m] [B]
[B]
[E] [F#] [A] The [G#m] guitar is [F#] such a capable instrument when it comes to sounding like full-blown music.
And electric guitars, I think, are emulating a lot of their favorite rock musicians oftentimes,
where the guitar has one role.
It's not the singer.
You know what I mean?
So we're providing this sort of rhythmic, melodic bed with these blocks of chords.
But when you start playing classical and jazz, you realize, whoa, I can sit alone and produce
what sounds like full-blown, multiple-part music on this neck.
And so a lot of that comes from abandoning the pick momentarily and learning how to use
each finger, because then you really can kind of do independent [G] lines.
You can create harmony and melody at the [Bm] same time.
[G] [C#m]
[E] [Gm] Or you can kind of have a line and the moving chords underneath it.
I first got into it, there's two major influences.
One is Javier Reyes, who plays in Animals as Leaves with me, is an amazing classical
slash Spanish classical guitarist.
So I downloaded a bunch of tab off the internet and bought an entry-level nylon string, which
is like sit in seclusion so no one can hear me, and try to work it up.
You kind of end up navigating the fretboard different, and you do slightly different things
when you are using your open right hand, because it's almost like you have four picks in a way.
So, especially on extended range guitar too, because then you can [Bm]
[F#m] kind [E] of target certain
notes and then do sort of clusters [B] of higher-pitched notes or whatever.
But if you're picking, you're either having to skip strings or strum all the way through.
It just makes the neck with eight strings on it a little less utilizable, it seems like,
just because you're always aware of [D] traversing all these strings, as opposed to just having
them available to you like this.
So yeah, I do a lot of open right hand stuff.
We have songs where I only use the pick for the solo or something like that.
When it came to the bass, sort of Victor Wooten style stuff, I was in a band with this guy
Evan Brewer, who is a phenomenal bassist, and he studied with the Wootens, and so he
knew how to do all that double-thumping stuff.
A lot of cool tapping approaches.
[C#] And so hearing him do it all the time, I was like, dude, you gotta show me.
So that's why I picked up the sort of double-thumb thing.
And then you can start to merge them, just because it's all your right hand, you know.
So why limit yourself to one stroke per thumb when you can do sort of the double thing?
It's kind of like I'm doing a combination of nail and flesh, which I think most classical
guitars do anyway.
I'm trying to get the double thumb.
Because I think a lot of guitars, depending on your style, you actually can do sort of
the index and middle finger vibe.
If you've played any fingerstyle stuff, you've kind of started using the open right hand.
But what's counterintuitive is the upstroke with the thumb.
I feel like that is the crux of the technique.
I [G#] would go in that order, you know.
[C#m] You can even mute it.
[N] Because that really illuminates how hard and consistently you're striking.
And you don't have to worry about fretting, you know what I mean?
You already know how to play with your left hand.
Sometimes it's easier to develop the technique if you just kind of pick a string and mute it.
Because it's so percussive that you actually are primarily concerned with percussive elements.
Like how hard you're hitting, how consistent it sounds.
Then from there you can add.
[Em] [G#] [G]
[E] [N] So right there I'm not actually doing any double thumping, but it's a riff that is really
dependent on [F] muting and fretting notes.
One is almost like a kick drum type of thud.
[G] [E]
[C#m]
So you hear the difference once you start sustaining notes versus really staccato.
But yeah, I feel like the left hand kind of knows more than the right.
Especially if you're used to just picking all the [G#] time.
So I was kind of focused on getting the right hand down.
And then once that was there I could plug in all the sort of stuff [E] I knew on my left hand.
[B] [E] [C#m] [B]
Key:
E
B
G
C#m
G#m
E
B
G
[G#m] _ _ [A] _ _ [G#m] _ [F#] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ [F#] _ _ _ [A] The [G#m] guitar is [F#] such a capable instrument when it comes to sounding like full-blown music.
And electric guitars, I think, are emulating a lot of their favorite rock musicians oftentimes,
where the guitar has one role.
It's not the singer.
You know what I mean?
So we're providing this sort of rhythmic, melodic bed with these blocks of chords.
But when you start playing classical and jazz, you realize, whoa, I can sit alone and produce
what sounds like full-blown, multiple-part music on this neck.
And so a lot of that comes from abandoning the pick momentarily and learning how to use
each finger, because then you really can kind of do independent [G] lines.
You can create harmony and melody at the [Bm] same time.
_ _ [G] _ _ [C#m] _ _
[E] _ _ _ [Gm] Or you can kind of have a line and the moving chords underneath it.
I first got into it, there's two major influences.
One is Javier Reyes, who plays in Animals as Leaves with me, is an amazing classical
slash Spanish classical guitarist.
So I downloaded a bunch of tab off the internet and bought an entry-level nylon string, which
is like sit in seclusion so no one can hear me, and try to work it up.
You kind of end up navigating the fretboard different, and you do slightly different things
when you are using your open right hand, because it's almost like you have four picks in a way.
So, especially on extended range guitar too, because then you can [Bm] _ _
[F#m] kind [E] _ _ _ of target certain
notes and then do sort of clusters [B] of higher-pitched notes or whatever.
But if you're picking, you're either having to skip strings or strum all the way through.
It just makes the neck with eight strings on it a little less _ utilizable, it seems like,
just because you're always aware of [D] traversing all these strings, as opposed to just having
them available to you like this.
So yeah, I do a lot of open right hand stuff.
We have songs where _ I only use the pick for the solo or something like that.
When it came to the bass, sort of Victor Wooten style stuff, I was in a band with this guy
Evan Brewer, who is a phenomenal bassist, and he studied with the Wootens, and so he
knew how to do all that double-thumping stuff.
A lot of cool tapping approaches.
[C#] And so hearing him do it all the time, I was like, dude, you gotta show me.
So that's why I picked up the sort of double-thumb thing.
And then you can start to merge them, just because it's all your right hand, you know.
So why limit yourself to one stroke per thumb when you can do sort of the double thing?
It's kind of like I'm doing a combination of nail and flesh, which I think most classical
guitars do anyway. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ I'm trying to get the _ _ _ _ _ double thumb.
Because I think a lot of guitars, depending on your style, you actually can do sort of
the index and middle finger vibe.
If you've played any fingerstyle stuff, you've kind of started using the open right hand.
But what's counterintuitive is the upstroke with the thumb.
I feel like that is the crux of the technique.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ I [G#] would go in that order, you know.
[C#m] You can even mute it.
_ _ [N] _ _ _ Because that really illuminates how hard and consistently you're striking.
And you don't have to worry about fretting, you know what I mean?
You _ already know how to play with your left hand.
_ Sometimes it's easier to develop the technique if you just kind of pick a string and mute it.
Because it's so percussive that you actually are primarily concerned with percussive elements.
Like how hard you're hitting, how consistent it sounds.
Then from there you can add. _ _ _
[Em] _ _ [G#] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ [N] So right there I'm not actually doing any double thumping, but it's a riff that is really
dependent on [F] muting and fretting notes.
One is almost like a kick drum type of thud. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ So you hear the difference once you start sustaining notes versus really staccato.
But yeah, I feel like the left hand kind of knows more than the right.
Especially if you're used to just picking all the [G#] time.
So I was kind of focused on getting the right hand down.
And then once that was there I could plug in all the sort of stuff [E] I knew on my left hand.
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _
[E] _ _ [F#] _ _ _ [A] The [G#m] guitar is [F#] such a capable instrument when it comes to sounding like full-blown music.
And electric guitars, I think, are emulating a lot of their favorite rock musicians oftentimes,
where the guitar has one role.
It's not the singer.
You know what I mean?
So we're providing this sort of rhythmic, melodic bed with these blocks of chords.
But when you start playing classical and jazz, you realize, whoa, I can sit alone and produce
what sounds like full-blown, multiple-part music on this neck.
And so a lot of that comes from abandoning the pick momentarily and learning how to use
each finger, because then you really can kind of do independent [G] lines.
You can create harmony and melody at the [Bm] same time.
_ _ [G] _ _ [C#m] _ _
[E] _ _ _ [Gm] Or you can kind of have a line and the moving chords underneath it.
I first got into it, there's two major influences.
One is Javier Reyes, who plays in Animals as Leaves with me, is an amazing classical
slash Spanish classical guitarist.
So I downloaded a bunch of tab off the internet and bought an entry-level nylon string, which
is like sit in seclusion so no one can hear me, and try to work it up.
You kind of end up navigating the fretboard different, and you do slightly different things
when you are using your open right hand, because it's almost like you have four picks in a way.
So, especially on extended range guitar too, because then you can [Bm] _ _
[F#m] kind [E] _ _ _ of target certain
notes and then do sort of clusters [B] of higher-pitched notes or whatever.
But if you're picking, you're either having to skip strings or strum all the way through.
It just makes the neck with eight strings on it a little less _ utilizable, it seems like,
just because you're always aware of [D] traversing all these strings, as opposed to just having
them available to you like this.
So yeah, I do a lot of open right hand stuff.
We have songs where _ I only use the pick for the solo or something like that.
When it came to the bass, sort of Victor Wooten style stuff, I was in a band with this guy
Evan Brewer, who is a phenomenal bassist, and he studied with the Wootens, and so he
knew how to do all that double-thumping stuff.
A lot of cool tapping approaches.
[C#] And so hearing him do it all the time, I was like, dude, you gotta show me.
So that's why I picked up the sort of double-thumb thing.
And then you can start to merge them, just because it's all your right hand, you know.
So why limit yourself to one stroke per thumb when you can do sort of the double thing?
It's kind of like I'm doing a combination of nail and flesh, which I think most classical
guitars do anyway. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ I'm trying to get the _ _ _ _ _ double thumb.
Because I think a lot of guitars, depending on your style, you actually can do sort of
the index and middle finger vibe.
If you've played any fingerstyle stuff, you've kind of started using the open right hand.
But what's counterintuitive is the upstroke with the thumb.
I feel like that is the crux of the technique.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ I [G#] would go in that order, you know.
[C#m] You can even mute it.
_ _ [N] _ _ _ Because that really illuminates how hard and consistently you're striking.
And you don't have to worry about fretting, you know what I mean?
You _ already know how to play with your left hand.
_ Sometimes it's easier to develop the technique if you just kind of pick a string and mute it.
Because it's so percussive that you actually are primarily concerned with percussive elements.
Like how hard you're hitting, how consistent it sounds.
Then from there you can add. _ _ _
[Em] _ _ [G#] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ [N] So right there I'm not actually doing any double thumping, but it's a riff that is really
dependent on [F] muting and fretting notes.
One is almost like a kick drum type of thud. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [G] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ So you hear the difference once you start sustaining notes versus really staccato.
But yeah, I feel like the left hand kind of knows more than the right.
Especially if you're used to just picking all the [G#] time.
So I was kind of focused on getting the right hand down.
And then once that was there I could plug in all the sort of stuff [E] I knew on my left hand.
[B] _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ _ _ [C#m] _ _ [B] _ _ _ _