Piano Chords For Guitar - Allan Holdsworth and Johnny Smith Style

In this episode of Everything Music we discuss how to use Piano Voicings On Guitar like Johnny Smith and Allan Holdsworth. I also discuss how to use chord substitutions like a piano player would. This is one of my most informative videos I have done. Drop 2 & 3 chords, a Systematic Approach to Practicing voicings, Chord Substitutions for ii7 V7 I maj7 Progressions and much more is covered in this episode.
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[@michaeltaylors2456]

Holdsworth , a great name for a guitarist. I could never decide what was more beautiful and impressive , his chordal work or his hornlike supersonic legato tsunami wave of notes lead work . Thank you for this great lesson.

[@DTmaster]

Talking about Allan Holdsworth in past tense is still new to me :(

[@jfo3000]

Jazz Devil I always talk about artists that have passes as if they are still with us, in my mind they still are.

[@DTmaster]

Jim that's great the legacy continues in your mind :)

[@Fake_Jesus]

Cosmically speaking, we are all dead far sooner than later.

[@oneeyedmonster9827]

Acute tendonitis took him away from us far too soon.

[@molochz]

+Mick Mack - Wtf does "Cosmically speaking" mean?

[@KingTabor]

10:04 - The X Files!

[@Henry-uv9xu]

Playing guitar looks so uncomfortable to me as a pianist and drummer

[@chwytliwanazwa4853]

welp as a guitarist i cant imagine playing drums, i once tried, it went bad, i'm staying with my les paul and my friend's bass

[@trumjohannsmancave]

But it really isn't😊👍

[@aural_supremacy]

Put the guitar on your Lap and tap the strings and you will realise that’s more or less how Eddie Van Halen, being a piano player figured out the tapping, and as a drummer do it with an 8 string guitar and you can build up some really interesting percussive rhythm, tune the guitar to a chord so that the open strings are always in tune, and also you can use a slide, I play all three and a Trumpet never really studied or practiced keyboard but for some reason I can play it, probably because I started guitar mainly improvising from the beginning so when people can’t compare what you are playing to something they know the can’t criticise the skill as much, when I was married I went to a dinner party at my wife’s cousins house, the had a Grand Piano in the living room and I was just mucking around with the C blues scale, and because of the flat 7 and the Flat 5, and the flat 6 if you go full minor, and the major/minor tonality of blues you can play a C5 and add just about any black key into that depending on the timing of course but anyway house full of musicians and a guitarist tried to say, “what are you trying to play?” I just said “nothing just making stuff up, I only know one key”to which he just sat there looking confused shaking his head muttering “one key?”. I realised later that, especially using pentatonic scales it’s very easy to modulate to the relative minor when you use like a C7 which technically is dominant but talking about blues where the 1,4,5 can all be dominant and you can play minor pentatonic and major pentatonic and you can modulate through different tonal centres because blues technically doesn’t follow standard western music theory, it’s actually this that led to Jazz because if instead of looking at say a 12 bar blues in C where you can play C7 F7 and E7, you instead view them all as the 5th chord of a major scale, or anywhere else a natural dominant chord forms you start to realise how the tonal centre can shift around naturally my approach to theory is more or less, major and minor scales and chromatic scale and that covers everything the key to it all is the timing.

[@brandon.4451]

It is. Back problems, neck problems, sore fingers. Maybe I'm just getting old.

[@RGStorchai]

Because it is)

[@JackFeelsNerves]

Poor Layla had to wait for over FIFTEEN minutes for daddy to come and play with her...an eternity when you're that age! :P Great videos Rick, I'm learning a LOT, thank you.

[@АнтонКузнецов-и8ю]

JackFeelsNerves that adults... they're always busy with some strange things )

[@reecenaidu6020]

Such priceless lessons. After I'm done studying (When I get a job), you've got my donation Sir! I don't know what to call you... Beato? Mr Beato? Prof Beato? Rick? Lessons with so much raw information deserves compensation. Every musician I know shall be directed here. Have a great day, and thank you so much!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Really interesting. I loved those 2 5 ones from outer space!

[@johnhuldt]

This is a great lesson Rick. I've played for about 21 years (professionally for 10) and this is great inspiration for some new sounds. Thank you!

[@SoundAuthor]

Great video! Those 4-fret shapes do become a lot easier over time. I first started tinkering with these exotic chord shapes that Tommy Emmanuel uses, and a few impossible stretches that Andy Summers likes. If you can wrap your fingers around some of those, four frets are no biggie.

[@TakisMasterKey]

Excellent lesson Rick! Hope you went and played with your beautiful daughter afterwards :)

[@RickBeato]

Of course! She loves to crash my videos :)

[@beep8771]

1st time P4 tuning completely f*cks me over. #sad

[@GlennMichaelThompson]

It's a blast revisiting these kind of 4 note chords again.... it's been awhile. Lot's of great ideas can come from working w/ these. I'm about your age...and remember working on harmonizing the different scales in the beginning of the Mahavishnu Orchestra book as recommended by John McLaughlin. Some of these stretches are a little less accessible now than they were back in the '80's! :-) Thanks for. so many. great lessons. The Beato Book is the best investment I've made lately. I'm recommending it to all my friends & students. Thanks again. Best regards from Montreal.

[@HMEERBEEK]

i discovered Johnny Smith a month ago,records from 1958(easy listenng) thats what i liked about him his piano voicing chords thanx for mentioning ! ... i play guitar and piano

[@toddpierce9997]

I hope this comment finds it's way to your attention. I have viewed many of your videos and am in awe at your competence in both the instruments that you are accomplished at and the musical knowledge that you possess as both a musician and an educator. I am now 60 and began playing guitar when I was around 7 yrs old. I taught myself from Mel Bay books and it was the start of my musical journey. Like you have said in your biographical videos, I was unfocused in school until I got into the school band. I began playing trumpet in the 6th grade and, long story short, I advanced to 2nd chair state trumpet player in my senior year. All along though, guitar has been my love. I spent years away from the instrument as life took over. Although I still work, I am trying to find more time to practice. I have watched your videos on practicing tips but would you please tailor one for those of us older guys (gals) who have now found a little more time to devote to practice but don't have the chops of the younger players? I am able to entertain myself with classic rock and country and have what I think is a decent voice. I would like to aspire to doing a solo gig at a small local venue. Can you find the time to address this? Thanks Rick

[@tangobayus]

Consider tuning the whole thing in major thirds.

[@silviomp]

tangobayus hahaha not a bad idea

[@AndreaMercurioMusic]

I have tried that, doesn't seem to have a good resonance on the instrument.

[@tangobayus]

I've tried all 4ths, which makes the guitar symmetrical both across and up and down the fretboard. Currently having fun with open D tuning.

[@silviomp]

kim young I found everything so easy. No fight to play those chords.

[@bazdesh]

@tangobayus - P4 is great for leads/solos, but for those non-regular-guitar-sounding-"closed" chords M3 is much more convenient...

[@noi5emaker]

I thought that Wes Montgommery quote went "Man, I can never be that perfect, no one plays guitar like Rick Beato" ? That's how I heard it, anyhow.... :)

[@markmahoney5630]

I really enjoyed watching this video, I'm not a guitarist, I'm a drummer but man this is so cool to watch and listen. Beautiful sounding voicings and obviously some difficult hand positions... I'll stick to the drums for now! haha

[@questionman5]

Perfect timing! Just discovered Alan Holdsworth. Too late, unfortunately. :(

[@kelvinpanesar6511]

Never too late, my friend!! Enjoy the ride!!! I sure have for the past 31 years!!!

[@lmsrox2]

Glad you discovered him at all. Allan was an amazing player and musician.

[@user-uo8yh9tb8g]

great stuff as always Rick- along with Smith and Holdsworth I like to mention Eric Johnson who also seemed to be shooting for most concordant, rooted inversions of voicings as Helmnoltz mentioned eons ago as regards psychoacostics... also I'd mention rock guitarist like Rick Derriger working with keyboards and using truncated voicings that best support harmonic clariity- keep up the great work!

[@metaphoria3]

20:12 sounds like the light world dungeon theme in a Link to the Past at 0:32

[@irena7777777]

Can non guitar players appreciate the music of Allan Holdsworth?

[@razeshbudhathoki]

Yes absolutely

[@lasse1106]

You weren't kidding when you said in the description that this is one of your most informative videos!

[@innocentoctave]

This is particularly useful because it gives a practical and musical method for building up to these chords on guitar. So many people say, in effect, "here are the notes", or "here is the formula for constructing these voicings" and leave it at that. Here we have a progressive method that addresses the specific difficulties of big stretches and makes a sensible basis for practice routines.

[@chrisfaraday3924]

or you could tune DADGAD... Great vid!

[@dazzid]

end then you have Ben Monder

[@absolving]

Johnny Smith is my favourite

[@SpartanLaserCanon]

I love how you went over 2 5 1 progressions here which are common in jazz.

[@reff9289]

Nice presentation RB. In addition, for the curious students don't forget Both George Van Epps & Ted Greene who exhaustively explore harmonized triad scales & voicing practices based on systematic inversions and cycles of 4ths etc. in their instructional paper piles... (BOOKS?)

[@pherickniartallagh2813]

this is a goldmine for the baritone ukulele palette. also not a bad instrument on which to learn these fingerings and gain some strength/mobility before moving to a standard guitar. b'ukes are generally around 20% shorter, which is like having DGBE at about the 5th fret of a standard guitar. (they aren't expensive, either. if anyone needs an excuse for another guitar...)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

pherick niartallagh , I recently picked up a Kala tenor with a low g string... Awesome suggestion. The low g introduces the same issue of b9 intervals we face as guitarists, but brilliantly forces us to come to terms with the same, imho.

[@Purpose_Tortoise]

these chords make me cry because of my short fingers :D

[@RickBeato]

You don't need long fingers just flexible ones. Stretch! But don't overdue it.

[@Purpose_Tortoise]

Sure, but there's a certain limit to what I can do. For example some chords that Mark Holcomb does when he frets two or three notes with his thumb and the rest with his other fingers... impossible :D

[@KingTabor]

That guitar seems a shorter scale one

[@noi5emaker]

It's a Danelectro U1, as far as I can tell, and has a scale length of 25 1/2", the same as most strats and teles.

[@zu0832]

experiment with your thumb position

[@tonyfaelens3626]

Also John Stowell, is playing piano chords !!

[@RickBeato]

I haven't thought about John in forever. I played a gig with him in 1988. It was a duo or trio at Ithaca College. I remember he was a great guy and player.

[@Cambodia69]

And Tim Miller as well.

[@Count1o]

only 1:50 min into the video and already some great song ideas really inspiring!!! thank you :)

[@CarmeloCatania-sy5gn]

You can find the flechter enderson voicings as listed by John mehegan borrowed from Ravel and schriabin It Is Not Easy yo adapt Theme for Guitar

[@DelEngen]

Bill Frisell talks about playing only the 2nd intervals of chords when the rest of the chord can be implied by either the other instruments, or by the context. It's very idiomatic to Frisell's voicings and even some of his soloing.

[@jayanderson8563]

It would be nice if the music of your voicings was on your site but that would make it too easy to learn-ha. Nice stretches and inversions. Thanx. I have big hands but some of those stretches are significant on my D'Angelico!

[@silviomp]

Maybe I'll enroll my fingers in ballet classes. Just kidding. I loved those voicings and I'm glad I can stretch my fingers like that, too!! Thanks, Rick!! You da man!!

[@kokeskokeskokes]

Ugh. I can do 35 pullups on a frozen over shiny steel bar, but some of these voicings would kill my fingers in no time. My guitar has 13 mm gap strings to frets, she sounds awesome and tortured me like crazy when I bought her 25 years ago.

[@frankybebop2913]

Hey Rick! Did you ever give up for Pasquale Grasso? He really got the piano (Bud Powell) thing on to the guitar...

[@l.c.9277]

Rick thank you so much for every video! It's helping me a lot with composing and getting new and fresh ideas. I'm considering to buy your book in a distant future!

[@gregoryolsen4509]

I like this approach. The use of 4th intervals is very important in getting away from standard chord voicings. The standard four note voicing for G major, using the top four strings, is R, 3, 5, R with the diatonic intervals of a third, third and fourth. Rick's first voicing is R, 4, 5, 7, when he plays his second chord. The intervals are a diatonic 4th and two thirds. Than he plays with the logical combinations, lowering and raising notes. This is very similar to the 'mathematical' approach of which Holdsworth speaks in his teaching videos. Well, done, Rick. Naming the chords is hard work though! :-)

[@nebuladus7850]

Hello🧚🏽‍♀️ remember Bill Conners 🎸🔊🎶 love the guitar✌🏽

[@surfgod509]

One thing that Johnny did empathize on was finger placement, not middle of frets... very top end of frets is better... congratulations on your new instrument....

[@2979paul]

Hi Rick, can you post a chord sheet? Thanks Paul

[@ivanhill3731]

Forget a chord sheet ,look at what he does play it over and over and memorize it

[@martinskanal]

rather disappointing to realize: I love the twang of my 25,5'' scale length strats and teles. They are my got to horns. My fingers are pretty nimble and accommodating, but.. alas.. that first suspended chord is simply impossible for me to fret. My hands simply are not big enough.

[@peterritchie2990]

Clear, interesting , and complex. Thank you. Loved your little angel's visit.

[@teleplucker6802]

Learning these chord forms is one thing. Fingering them is another. Playing them through up tempo tunes is only for the masters I guess. I can't seem to get my fingers to stretch like that as much as I try and they seem to me to be average size. I have worked through some of the Ted Greene chord stretching exercises and I can manage some but not to use them in a song or chord solo. I'm a big Joe Pass fan and he doesn't seem to use these forms. Pianists sure have it much easier than us guitarists. I heard that Joe once said to Oscar Peterson "try wrapping your hand around the keyboard and see how fast you can play".

[@steinetakorgroovy]

How could a man like Allan holdsworth accept theese chords as jazz chords when they sound so simular to a major chord. Theese chords are more familiar in pop and rock music. The stretches are difficult but the sound is completely boring.

[@briandennehy6380]

Rick this is an oldie but would love you to do a deep dive into Johnny Smith. He needs to be recognised more among the greats by the younger generation who's probably never heard of him

[@SamsulBahri-np4ci]

Halow mr Rick Beato, i'm indonesian. How about .... Pat Martino ?

[@rogerwilliams2629]

Wow. That's all I got. Invaluable info, changing how I think. Thanks, Rick.

[@otizcar9313]

Rick. Thank you . I been playing Jazz for about 12 years now and i always have an ear for expanding my chord fills, thanks for mentioning Jimmy Smith...just as important as phil Upchurch was for George Benson...this reminds ne of Ted Greene book " chord chemustry" but your presentation makes it much easier ...Thanks again

[@iamiwasthenaiiamnow6846]

Ted Green's Book on Modern Chord Progressions was the best I ever bought. I fought through every progression in that book for 3 months till I could play through that whole book in 30 minutes. Zero tinnitus. I can also learned to fret 2 strings with my pinky .

[@BenceDekany93]

Thanks Rick !!! A whole new path to search new soundings !!! Bless !!!

[@atomaalatonal]

i really liked holdsworth position of ignoring all those worn out chords in jazz and rock, but i am still not able to listen to his music for a longer period. his extensive use of these great unusual chords is getting weary in my ears. it starts to be nothing special anymore without the "normal" chords. it sounds too esoteric in my ears. same with his legato style of soloing.

[@АнтонКузнецов-и8ю]

as an ex-pianist that was the chords I first tried when switched to guitar )) Some of them really helps to develop fingers stretch

[@TorySlusher]

Every time I see this guy Pop up in The stream I think Rick Sanchez.

[@HBSuccess]

It’s Ric-lan Beatosworth :-)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

To those who are exploring Holdsworth (R.I.P.) sounds that may be perplexed by the stretches, I'd like to humbly suggest reducing the voicings to three or two notes with attention to the melodies happening in the top voice. Alternatively, split voicings into two and play them as two parts? Better to be playing music than to induce tendonitis and not keep a part going, yes? An additive process versus all at once, adding voices as one develops and misses them? And as always, all the best to Rick for sharing his limitless depth of music wisdom so generously. And apologies for keeping you from your daughter. :-) Best, Daniel, Denver, CO ...and oh, some of those stretches have more to do with curling the fingers in various degree than stretches per se. When rick has his fingers somewhat sideways he's avoiding an outright stretch the way a bass/cello player or a violinist might... And back to the peanut gallery, me. Happy day to our blessed mothers.

[@RickBeato]

Haha, Layla walks in during every video! She doesn't care and it cracks me up to see he in the background walking around :)

[@rockstarjazzcat]

Adorable! :)

[@janparadowski4894]

You need those long fucking Allan Holdsworth fingers though

[@sixstringswl]

love these voicings rick. much more pleasing to my ear than the ordinary

[@tommikakko6888]

That’s it! That’s why I love Johnny Smith. I am annoyed I did not get it on my own.

[@surfgod509]

Johnny was also a very modest and kind person! great joke teller 😅

[@gordonames1892]

I don't think Django can do this with only 2 fingers on his fretting hand!!

[@kylegrossi8175]

damn dude, lots of great content on your channel, just started following ya.

[@clivehazell2790]

Beautiful job! Thankyou.

[@dockaiser]

This is a whole new universe to me ... thnx Rick

[@andrewbevan4662]

Now add 6th string 7th fret with your thumb over the top

[@steinetakorgroovy]

Ok sorry, the half diminished and those flat 5`s was cool at the end

[@donmilland7606]

At 27:00, Rick is clearly utilizing what's now being referred to as the Barry Harris 6th Diminished method in moving from Ami to D7 to G maj. Barry didnt think in terms of II-V-I. He thought in terms of voicing the related major scale with its related diminished chord inserted in between. As a result you have movement that can go up and down the scale. (Barry was fond of saying, dont play the 5th, play the 6th.). This method isnt new really. Johnny Smith was the early exponent of this method. So was Wes Montgomery. Of course George Benson as he was heavily influenced by both. Interestingly, Rick did a video on 6th diminished and suggested it was old time harmony/gypsy jazz. But its SOOO much more than that.

[@donmilland7606]

Drop 2 and 3 chords are rudimentary to the Barry Harris 6th Diminished Chord Movement System.

[@JamesDaSilvamusic]

Your channel is so great Rick. Thanks for these videos

[@dinifabio]

16:58 OH MY GOD RICK! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAND?!

[@theystoleitfromus]

Have you done (or are you planning to do) a video on huge, spread-out guitar chords that would be impossible on piano? ;)

[@Fractal_blip]

theystoleitfromus loool i wonder

[@rodnattrass7021]

How do you sleep at night with all that stuff running around in your brain?

[@RickBeato]

+Rod Nattrass Like a baby. I never think about it until I turn the camera on :)

[@metaphoria3]

Wow coming from Wes that HUGE

[@dgfeeder9801]

10:04 * Illuminati have entered chat *

[@kane6529]

Just started learning piano and am shocked, Every Chord has a different fingering compared to moveable shapes for guitar. I’ve always heard how easy the pianos is laid out but right about now scales and chords seem much easier on guitar!

[@tomcoryell]

It’s so much easier to read on though. To me, reading and playing standard notation on guitar can be hellish.

[@kane6529]

@@tomcoryell this is true, I’m starting to unlock the piano a little and the really great thing is you learn one scale position and that’s the entire piano so that’s a huge plus!!!! It just tripped me up that all major 7th chords Werner the same like guitar 🤣

[@valerinaatas]

The Holy Bible for progressive guitarists. I have nothing more to say - thanks for this video!)

[@MrPyroguru]

Rick, Someone said Allan Holdsworth is easy.... If you have the long fingers. This is why few can play his music. Not everyone has long finger for playing guitar.

[@Fractal_blip]

also that little girl was adorable lool

[@elvinjohn7]

Haven't finished watching this yet (I plan to) but just wanted to thank you a ton for breaking this down!!!

[@theycallmejpj]

have you ever tried major 3rd tuning, ie E-G#-C-E-G#-C ..? as the tuning is symmetrical I would imagine it makes inversions easy, along with doing upper extensions

[@JoseAnge7]

Great video. I cannot stay without mentioning Mr. Ed Bickert. He played with the sweetest saxophonist Mr. Paul Desmond. Check out the album Pure Desmond and listen how Mr. Bickert really sounded like a jazz piano. He is the best of the best at this.

[@capeheartriz]

Rick makes great videos....I wish he would include a PDF with his mini lessons.....would be nice to put that on the music stand work on some of this over time..................

[@RickBeato]

+capeheartriz They are on my website.

[@capeheartriz]

ok..thanks...Rick....I'll check that out....

[@PastPerspectives3]

@@capeheartriz …………

[@arpeggiomeister]

Very cool. I have never approached it in an organized manner like this. I look for weird voicings around one chord but it is always an isolated thing where I am searching for something that I am hearing in my head.

[@dreamphonix]

Layla is so sweet. I have a girl that age. I can relate. Nice voicing video. Thanks!

[@delroyguild5504]

Is Robert Downey Jr your twin? (I do prefer YOUR performance, and generous sharing)

[@olisaush6552]

Great instructional vid! Great sounding Dano btw. Thanks Rick...

[@amajorseven]

Thanks Rick for another geat video (subscribed). The approach of embracing more complex harmony makes my heart beat faster. I love it but it is quite a "stretch" for me. :) I have question. Piano players get to use 10 fingers and can still use the sustain pedal to add more tones. Is there an approach in guitar playing where a sustain pedal is used to mimik a more piano like style of playing?

[@tedster405]

That Dano sounds surprisingly pristine. These Holdsworth-esque stretches might work wonders for my Parkinson's

[@pdkett1]

As usual. Great post Rick. Seen the Holdsworth vid and have his books, but you make the concept so assessable with your vid (much easier to understand).

[@dmetalx88]

This is just superb, I been tryin to find out about "play piano by chords" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Nonason Ranincoln Genie - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now )? It is a good one off guide for discovering how to play the piano like a pro without the normal expense. Ive heard some super things about it and my m8 got amazing results with it.

[@jamesprice6381]

Easier, thaz why Eric Johnson sticks w/triads lolol

[@j6449663]

Once again great work !

[@sblack48]

Owwwwwwwww. Sounds cool though.

[@mr7clay]

Listening to the recordings I thought for sure Johnny Smith dropped his 1st string a few notes. Nope just crazy hands.

[@groenlinsgryta]

You've made me pick up the guitar after a long pause, Rick---thank you for that! I'm also intrigued by your Danelectro, is it an original or a Korean reissue?

[@nielsensejltur]

Johnny Smith? Is that the guy who composed "Walk don't run"?

[@JoshClarkson]

You mention a video on knowing your diatonic triads - could you link to it? I've always let harmony take a back seat to single note playing and it's time to sort it out - spent 2 hours last night with the first 5 or so minutes of this video and it really felt like time well spent.

[@jimmyc5498]

Nice job Rick, IOU has a tune right before the solo with these chords traveling down diatonically, beautiful sound

[@Herbert1062]

I Love This! I'm seriously learning good stuff ... Thanks Rick :thumps up:

[@samalbert6828]

A lot of ted Greene vibes here!