Top 10 Hardest Allan Holdsworth Chords

Something I decided to do for fun. I don't expect to make any more of these types of videos though. This video came out to be MUCH longer than I thought it was going to be but I spent a little time on each chord. Also included are some 'onable' mention chords that didn't make the cut haha.
Do you agree with my list? Let me know what you think or what chords you find challenging!
#10 - 2:22
#9 - 4:00
#8 - 5:35
#7 - 7:51
#6 - 10:45
#5 - 12:43
#4 - 14:08
#3 - 15:59
#2 - 17:50
Special mentions - 19:49
#1 - 25:17
Check out my book, Secrets: The Chords of Allan Holdsworth here:
www.amazon.com/dp/B08CRH9QTF
If you really dig these videos, drop me a like or a subscribe. Thanks!

[@zenos.5315]

I’m a drummer and I’ve always loved his style of playing, his sound was like no other,so soulful so beautiful. Truly one of the best.

[@rdavis666]

DENZO S. Jazz drummer? I only ask because I first saw Allan with Pierre Moerlen's Gong mid 70's (Gazeuse days). He was a perfect fit for their Jazz/Rock fusion style. Also saw him with UK but his sound was overwhelmed by Eddie Jobson's bloody violin.

[@RodrigoLopes-im3xj]

Me too. I love his music.

[@eelamite]

same here 😅

[@patricioarnold4647]

more like alien holdsworth

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@JM Coulon one of my fav albums of all time!

[@MTheoOA]

Allan is god bro, he isn't just a technical monster and experimental chords, rhythms and harmonies, but he's a monster on composing music that comes from his soul. Every album is another masterpiece you get the textures, the feelings months after listening for the first time. Is something for a more utopia society that have another philosophy to comprehend our own feelings and conscience. He's a master

[@snowfiresunwind]

Great comment that really says it all about Allan.

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

He was connected - directly - to ,what ill call the great spirit of music - like Chopin- Debussy, Joe Zavinul, and Zappa,-

[@Khayyam-vg9fw]

He also showed great talent as a violinist and vocalist. If he'd taken up the keyboards or the saxophone he'd have been a virtuoso on these, too.

[@jornalistajesse]

Melhor comentário sobre Allan Holdsworth ❤

[@MetalheadNation]

@@MikkelGrumBovinOne of the best descriptions/comparisons I’ve seen of Allan. Every once in a while, there comes a one in a billion musician (or artist in general) that completely changes the artform and is light years ahead of everyone else in their respective field. Allan was that artist in my life time. And @MTheoOA is absolutely right. There are plenty of technical/experimental musicians in the world, but none like Allan. He was the one guy who combined unparalleled technique with a pure musical intuition and genius that cannot be taught. Inventing and constantly innovating an entire harmonic language is something few musicians in history can lay claim to. And as he said, the textures created by Allan are something truly special. The more I listened to Allan, the more I heard these stunning melodies within his lead playing. Absolutely beautiful melodies that I couldn’t compose in a lifetime, much less improvise on the spot. And also as mentioned by the original comment, he was an incredible composer on top of being an unparalleled improviser. He wrote beautifully dramatic songs like Pud Wud and White Line, absolutely insane songs like Devil Take The Hindmost and Non Brewed Condiment, alien sci-fi-esque love letters to more traditional genres like bebop/swing jazz and blues with Dominant Plague and Bo Peep, and everything in between. Truly a once in a lifetime musician, artist, visionary, innovator, engineer (with all of the incredible modifications he made to his gear), and human being.

[@NeonKnightXD]

I'd say he likes to turn his chords all the way to 11

[@EgoShredder]

Simply stunning, both Allan's chord creations and your re-enactment of them! Taking one for the team here for sure!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Haha thank you! My hands dont really give me any problems doing these so theres minimal pain. Sometimes itll get tense just like if you were playing power chords for a long time!

[@feriasexta]

This was so engrossing I watched it beginning to end without pause. A few years ago I figured out how to play "Home" from some printed transcription. One of the chords I just couldn't believe was possible to play as notated, so I found a video of Holdsworth online to verify. Not only did he play it as notated, but he grabbed it effortlessly, then held onto it while he leisurely moved over to adjust his amp. The rest of us are just trying to grab it for a split second and let it go before we rip our tendons, but Holdsworth was super-human in both body and mind. RIP Allan, and great video TurrigenousOfficial.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

What a great compliment!. Thanks! Also keep your hands healthy!

[@investorart58]

Brilliant!! Thank you very much. Keeping his Highness alive for future generations.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you!! Doing all I can haha. Itll be nice when people finally catch up what they missed, my AH music friends and I will be there to show em the light

[@Maysha6bona]

6:31 Same reaction of scientists when they saw the first picture of a black hole.

[@Dolanian1492]

/woooosh

[@brettgarsed]

Great video! Thanks for all your insight and research and also for being brave enough to attempt some of these stretches. I'd be dead in the water at chord # 10!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Wow! I am HONORED you checked out my vid and dug it!! Thank YOU so much for the kind words and for being an incredible player :D

[@axeljuengst2522]

Thanks for this!!! My love for Allan‘s music just grew even more. He was just out of this world... subscribed!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you! Check out my other videos for some AH lessons! :)

[@Remi-B-Goode]

Amazing analysis! well done and thank you

[@jaysrinivasan8205]

This is by far the best instructional video on KZbin because it will keep any guitar player busy for10 lifetimes

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Haha I wish that was true, but thank you!

[@Studio_19]

Learning these voice inversions or note choices for the chords really helps understanding harmony in a different but clear way. I think it also helps with soloing when you get your hands used to this way of playing. And it was your #4 chord from home, that chord is a major struggle for me. I am persistent though and will get it over time. Taking it slow to keep from getting injured.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

You can do it! Believe it or not, I remember learning arpeggios and trying to play an Em one and my first finger was on the high e 7th fret and my pinky couldn't reach the 12th fret!

[@trashbirdie]

Love the vid, what a journey

[@snowfiresunwind]

Great video - I've always loved 'Home' but love it even more know I see how the chords build this beautiful tune.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you! Its one of my top 5 favs

[@EthanMckennaMusic]

Such a cool video! Thanks for making such a cool video

[@zxcvmjg]

Bless you for making this man!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you!

[@cfibanez]

A lot of fun to watch this. Thanks so much!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nanoareva83]

Viva Allan!! many interesting chords begin to appear when you start to propose to use the 2 or 3 or 4 finger to type the tonic. It is my humble contribution. Thank you very much for sharing this video. 😊😊😊

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@robertebone]

I happen to be a keyboard player, but LOVE the chord voicings, THANKS for your videos

[@ntesslafan]

Thank you for going over these chords! I found them interesting and amazing that you can reach as many of them as you can. I also like your Mystery Science Theater 3000 shirt :)

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I really surprised myself before I got into it, I thought they would be MUCH harder but I think it shows you dont really need 'long fingers' to get some of these but it helps! And thank you! My fav tv show ever :D

[@jazzfusionaire]

Kids, Don't try this at home! Doing the splits with your hands can lead to serious injury! Rest In Peace,Yoda,I mean Allan. We really miss you.

[@shredfactor7]

I dont think there is anything wrong with trying the chords but if you are going to practice playing them often and dont have the hands then yes you will potentially hurt yourself. Especially trying to play like Allen because Allen doesnt tilt the guitar up to play them. He just goes for it. He always amazes me and will forever

[@jazzfusionaire]

@@shredfactor7 I totally get what you're saying,Bro. If someone has drive and commitment to emulate the master, Please do!, Prodigy power!

[@MakeWeirdMusic]

Awesome video. I can see the love you have for this stuff. Great work.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I try my best. Thank you so much!

[@beamzappa6266]

Excellent vid, thanks man!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@ChrisTarpleyAsylumOfCerberus]

Sweet Ibanez jem ham model and sweet representation of Allan's work! Great job dude!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you! I love that Jem 😁

[@oliviermalhomme9923]

thanks for adding injury to injury :-) Unique effort you did produce.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Sorry haha. Thanks for watching!

[@rkatz0]

You did a lot of work here, very good. Thanks so much.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@michaelstevens8]

Hello from Kansas City, Missouri. Great Video John. Thank you for all you've done to help us better understand Allan Holdsworth's Music. Your contribution is truly appreciated. In my opinion, Allan's greatest chord playing was his Chord Melody Ballads, in particular Home, All Our Yesterdays, Distance Vs. Desire, Endomorph, and Above And Below. Also, most of Allan's more unusual Chord Voiceings or close variations of them can be found in Ted Greene's book Chord Chemistry from 1971. They didn't call him The Chord Chemist for nothing. Thanks.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I agree 100%! Those are some of my favorites too! I got Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry a LONG time ago. When I was putting my book together, there was a chord name I wasnt sure of. I thought i'd check to see what Ted called it and he called it the same thing I did. IIRC it was an interesting 7#9 voicing, so I knew I was on the right path :).

[@emmadetten]

Thx a lot. I vividly remember giving up on those minor add9th chords in White Line. The Gmaj#11 with the 5th on top from Home; I thought we were supposed, to get the C# and the B, to halfbar the middle finger on the 4th fret. Now I'm blissfully aware of the other, correct, insane way 😀

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Whatever way works! I could never do it that way personally. My finger isn't long enough

[@TheUnrealAllanHoldsworth]

Great video! Thanks for going to all that effort John. URAH Approved :)

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks :D

[@Meshuggapeth]

Playing an Amin7add9-11 but played 5, 9, 3, 11, 7. No wonder that chord makes me feel so rootless! Allan’s music makes me want to learn keyboard to imitate his voicings more easily. The extended guitar technique is not for everyone but the voicings are where the magic is. Thanks!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Yup! He played chords like how a keyboard player would. I always wonder to myself how he would have played if he didn't have the hands to grab those voicings!

[@dcuss7294]

Yeah I bought Allan's book 'Reaching for the Uncommon chord' back in the mid-eighties. Learned every song in the book. With patience and practice, it wasn't that difficult. Also learned a lot about beer from that book.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Hahaha

[@manitheman0806]

Learned the beginning of UnMerry Go Round..great picking exercise from that book....

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@manitheman0806 Nice! Although thats not how AH played it. Its actually MUCH simpler since its used with delay. The clean middle section is one of my fav AH things EVER and id love to go over it but dunno how. Just the section or the WHOLE thing!

[@manitheman0806]

@@TurrigenousOfficial I love the clean middle section....Regardless, the song is epic.....I saw him couple times in Jersey. He warmed up for Chick Corea's electric band on Halloween night back in 86.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@manitheman0806 thats awesome. I only saw him once in 09 and i barely knew anything about him. The only thing I recognized at the time was Proto Cosmos cuz of his REH vid

[@papunAlicea]

Waow...Great job brother. Thanks so much for share...Always great Allan music...virtuoso...GENIOUS

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks!!

[@agus6115]

Another awesome vid! I thought the Ebmin add9 from white line was gonna take it but you proved me wrong. It's fingered differently in reaching for the uncommon chord too. Cool "Was there.." footage. Wish the whole concert was available online. "Out from under" lesson next.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I know! That chord looks so scary! The next song im going to do is gonna be another 'short' one like Leave them On but im going to go into some deeper harmonic analysis for one section.

[@Michaelbrian777]

" Sample And Hold " one of my favs.

[@hangrosta9985]

Very suggestive video! THX!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@dontillman]

AWESOME!! Thank you! :)

[@marzzz1]

I met Allan at the Kiesel Booth at NAMM a few years ago. When I asked him, "How big are your hands, anyway?" I was surprised when he held up his hand to mine and it really wasn't much bigger than my relatively smallish hands- his fingers were barely a centimeter longer. Just amazing talent (and great stretching!).

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Yes but I bet his hand was 'wider' which makes thats stuff easier. Yknow I was asked to go to that NAMM and I didn't so the other guitar player in the band went. When I saw AH and Frank were there together I told him to meet them and get a signature for me. He didnt. Had I known it would have been the last time he was there :(

[@marzzz1]

@@TurrigenousOfficial Not to rub it in, but he did autograph a picture for me. Regarding width, I am first a pianist/keyboard player, so I can do "the splits" between my thumb and fifth finger and span a tenth. It's those other fingers that give me problems. Our heroes are getting older, now is the time to see them. I recently missed a chance to meet Jeff Beck because of other commitments...

[@ubuedro]

Great Video! you could do another where you talk about the simplest Holdsworths chords, those simple enough to play easily but still sound "holdsworth like"

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you! I like the idea but I really don't want to make any more 'clickbaity' vids, as well as it would be tough for me to judge what would be easy. If anything it was easier to know what was difficult because I couldn't do them haha. This vid was more about showing how extreme it can be and if you can do these, you can probably do anything! I would even go and say a good percentage of his chords are relatively easy if you watch some of those lesson vids I've done.

[@ultrahighgain412]

“Allan, you know there’s an easier way to play that?” What an amazing mind for music. He had a language all his own.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Part of the reason why he was so great. He took such a simple concept and ran with it.

[@TheHey54321]

Great video🤘🔥

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@Roman8883]

This is awesome

[@alexkopteev]

Thank you very much, very interesting and useful )

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching!

[@WinstonTexas829]

Thank you. I had such fun trying these. Only way I could make the stretches was on my Mustang with my nails trimmed.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Nice! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@dmguitar9645]

That's insane!! I miss G major chord 😂

[@jamesha175]

we called that one the 'flipping you off' chord

[@antonioperani8448]

Alla is monster guitar player, no one has gone that far, no one is the same as him.

[@filipedoria9561]

great job, seriously

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you!

[@romanadrover6251]

great vid ty

[@pranavphx]

This is a fantastic channel!!! Love your work. Thanks

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you so much

[@pranavphx]

@@TurrigenousOfficial would you ever consider doing a lesson on Allan's legato playing?Marshall Harrison has covered it, but id love it if someone can cover the muting aspects when using the hammers only approach. It sounds so beautiful when Alan does it.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@pranavphx Hmmm probably not. To my knowledge AH just had excellent control of his fingers. His action was stupid low and using very thin strings so he doesnt pull off as much as lifts his fingers. Think about it like the way a piano player uses his fingers

[@modularcuriosity]

While working through Ted Greene's book I've learned a few similar chords. It's interesting that when a chord is diagonally backwards (that is, as the chord goes across the next to higher strings the frets are lower) it gives you small intervals. But if the chord is diagonally forward (like the #1 chord) you get very wide intervals. Just for fun, try this Em : low to high 0 7 5 4 2 2 Great voicing with very close intervals.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

That Em chord is very similar to the first chord in Texas (x,7,4,0,0,2)

[@michael_caz_nyc]

All the Greatest Speed Shredders - hail him as Their Inspiration. I saw him perform live @ small Jazz Club in NYC = "EPIC" - Listen to the Mind-Blowing Guitar Solo in: Red Alert (Tony Williams Lifetime) R.I.P. Legend.

[@Prossdog]

Yep. I once heard Steve Vai say that with all the incredible guitarists coming out, he may not be able to play what they do but he can at least visualize it. With Allan, he can’t even figure out what he’s doing when he’s listening.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@Prossdog Yep - so did Eddie Van Halen and Guthrie Govan ( who I both love ) praise Allan Holdsworth. Hey Man - they all Motivate & Inspire me.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I think Steve is being very kind! Im sure he knows to a degree.

[@Dani-ff6gq]

Just watching this gives me tendinitis.

[@evetsnitram8866]

Its the Holdsworth carpal tunnel syndrome chords.

[@DanielOrtegaMonge]

😂😂😂

[@gunbladesarah5027]

Jesus christ, that gmaj9add11# from home!!! I moved all the way up to the 13th fret and I could just about play it, and thats after the ambulance had arrived!!! Great vid man, Holdsworth is the guy who makes shredders trade their guitar in for a triangle!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you so much! I love that chord too and how it resolves!

[@kapalin846]

cool stuff. honestly it is pretty ez and fun to come up with these types of voicings and shapes. total respect to Mr. Holdsworth. all the overanalyzing of his playing is utterly useless. Allan was a theory master no doubt, however he didn’t jerk off with it like most of his fans do...his mind was open.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks! I wouldn't say he was a 'theory master' the way a composer would, its just his idea of music is so simple and unconventional, trying to use function terms and stuff makes it so difficult! Which is why I thought it was so amazing because I came from the opposite approach. Allans approach was incredibly refreshing and honestly, more fun and easy.

[@Studio_19]

#10 - That first chord from Home is a monster. I have shorter fingers too and it is has been quite the accomplishment to grab it. 17, 14, 12, 9

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I know! If there wasnt an easier way to play it, it would be top 5

[@chuckamok12]

so this finally answers my question of whether AH used alternate tunings for those chords. No - he just has monster hands.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Haha he DID for some stuff! On almost all his synthaxe stuff theres some 5ths tuning in it. Either the chords, solos or both.

[@mandrich]

MADNESS !

[@frankthebaldguy9819]

Wowzers

[@Returnality]

Great choice for number 1! Shawn Lane called that exact chord the hardest chord in the world

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks! I wonder if Shawn was inspired by it cuz his is a little different. Gotta barre between 2 frets and have an open string. Bonkers!

[@bobnagy6962]

Thanks for all of your AH work, which is fantastic. Briefly, I have two possible suggestions for any adventurous person who wishes to pursue these chordal shapes with less physical struggle. 1) Short scale length, and 2) Tuning in thirds. My guitars use a scale length of 22.718", using custom built necks on standard Strat bodies. Much easier to play, especially on lower frets. Tuning the guitar in major thirds also pulls all of the notes closer together on the fretboard, and allows much easier grabbing of clustery chordal shapes.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks for watching. Also tuning in 3rds seems interesting

[@bobnagy6962]

I agree that playing in major thirds tuning is interesting. For a player who is not afraid of the initial shock of such a radically different tuning, where all of your current chordal, scalar, and riff muscle memory and knowledge goes poof, you will find yourself in a completely new and amazing world of possibility. Tight and beautiful chord voicings you have never played before simply fall under your fingers easily. All you need to enter this universe is a set of single strings, whose gauges you can find with an online string tension calculator, to match the tension of the set you normally use. Another benefit of Ma3 tuning is that you no longer have/need the odd interval jog on the 3rd string. It's symmetrical across the entire fretboard, making AH-style runs easier. Playing a guitar with a short scale neck is also a large difference. Obviously the price of admittance is higher, but you can get a taste of what this is like by visiting your local music store and playing a Baby Taylor or a Strat Mini. A guitar with this scale length affords much easier fretting, and AH's chords pull closer together, even in standard tuning. This short scale length is now my standard, due to the added fretting hand comfort.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@bobnagy6962 I can just tune my sytnthaxe to 3rds 😁

[@wakingupfrom]

broooooo you're the man

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks!

[@ForcesInMotion]

"Yeah... That's just not happening." LMFAO!@#$%!! Great job with this vid, man. Thank you.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you so much!

[@polobluesman]

Thank you for your great work! Could you in the future do a video on Bill Connors' 80 albums? I'm pretty sure there are some very interesting chords there! Also, as a Brazilian, your guitar covers of Angra material are awesome! We'd love to have you playing here! :)

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks! The Angra stuff is the other guitar player in the band Greg. Im gonna get him to do some more vids haha. As for Bill, I dunno mucj about him. Im really not a big jazz guy but Ill check it out!

[@polobluesman]

@@TurrigenousOfficial His albums are Step It / Double Up / Assembler - you can find them on KZbin. If you love Allan, you will find them interesting as well!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@polobluesman Great thanks!

[@12floz67]

Nice job 👍

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you!

[@gbattle]

It’s crazy. I can play #1 (gorgeous movement between the two), but I just can’t do that add9#11 to save my life! That was a hand workout for sure.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I bet in time you could probably do it! As for #1 whenever I do my Material Real lesson (which im dreading, those chords... so painful!) theres a way you can cheat that resolution :P. Thanks for watching!

[@jobryant8672]

Quick nurse, the screens! Major surgery required on broken hand/fingers. Well done.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Hahahah I should have put a disclaimer up!

[@givepeaceachance940]

Coming back to this video a year later. #6 is much harder than #5 for me. Anything low on the neck can't stretch that much, but high up on the neck I can manage. #2 same reason, I can do it because its high enough on the neck.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Sorry I didn't see this comment! Its odd because even some of the chords in here are harder in different positions but the one I listed here isn't. For example, even though its not in the video, this m9 voicing (12,x,12,11,8,x) is a popular Allan voicing. I can play it in A (5,x,5,4,1,x) without issue but if I try to play it up high on the neck (like F or F#) I have a MUCH harder time. Mostly its because of the way I hold my arm and when I play higher across the neck, I cant twist my arm and use the sides of my fingers, lengthening my stretch like what I do for that Ebmadd9 chord.

[@anonymoususer3496]

Master of the 6 strings

[@radkon67]

Thanks so much for this bruv.! I have Home and Material Real both on the go for Chapman stick, just for the hell of it. What is so convenient about the last section of Material Real, is that it's all the same diatonic shape. Stick having the parallel 4ths tuning melody side, translates very quickly. It was the only passage of AH that I feel I can get under my hands without too much fuss. Lots o love and regards. 🖖🎯 Stickrad

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Just trying to play a Chapman stick normally would make my head explode!

[@radkon67]

@@TurrigenousOfficial Mate, it's so much easier than people think. It's all in the parallel tuning, all diatonic shapes remain the same in any key. I have tied myself in knots in the past and that's getting better. Your vid has helped me find new ways to play those voicing. Allan had a stick for a while, as did Joe Zawinul and Jeff Beck. Once you got over the beginner phase you'd know what I mean about stick being such a great stringed instrument for playing complex chords.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@radkon67 With all the tapping and the bass strings in the middle, its too much for me haha. But thats great to hear! When I do these videos, I want to make sure I give out what the right chord voicing is. Then if you cant play it, you know what you can keep or switch with another instrument to get it to sound right. :)

[@radkon67]

@@TurrigenousOfficial Thanks again bruv. It's a great help having an "in" to some of Allan's songs. It's a big help. Catch ya soon. Stickrad

[@ulrichrohde4071]

Chapeau!

[@tomershalev6828]

Love your video...

[@timcummiskey1178]

Yeah man!

[@andy148]

Thanks dude. I could play all of them on my 3/4 scale. Haven't played guitar in about 5 years. Think I might have given them a go on a full scale in my twenties but jumping from one to the other looks like a whole other kettle of fish. Think I need to go soak my hand in some ice for a few hours

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Be careful! Also try some of them higher on the neck and they wont be so bad.

[@oddfellowfloyd]

@@TurrigenousOfficial I tried some of them higher up, and like you, the upper horn on my Ibanez got in the way! XD I play a TAM10 8-string, with a 27" neck, and thought that by starting some of them at the 12th fret would help, nope! hahaha!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@oddfellowfloyd Ugh yeah! Most of AHs guitars have complete freedom on the higher register so you ALMOST need to buy that type of guitar to even try!

[@BanthaPoodoo94]

Incredible 😆 I actually find 6 the hardest, stretches with ring and little finger just don't work for me 😅

[@erenanidem3479]

*Home* is full of stretch and wierdly beautiful voicing chords

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Yes! One of my favs!

[@bishopyar2215]

I don't know if it's just me, but in my transcription for "Home", I have to use my pointer on my right hand to fret some of the notes on the high e string I can't reach with my left hand.

[@Gregorypeckory]

@@bishopyar2215 To me that is an excellent strategy in general when playing voicings that are just beyond one's ability to play without risking injury. More often than not monstrous voicings become quite manageable just by assigning one note to the other hand. Allan himself mentioned in some interview that he went through a period of exploring chords that are just too hard for one guitarist in standard tuning (even for him) with a fellow guitarist (don't recall him saying who it was). Obviously with two guitarists, a whole new world of possible voicings opens up if you take it in that direction. It might not work through a marshall stack turned up to 11 though.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@bishopyar2215 No shame in that!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@Gregorypeckory It was probably Steve Robinson who unfortunately passed away last year

[@LivioLamoneamusic]

Love it! Now we need a Material real tutorial..and a low levels high stakes

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I cant really play Material Real which sucks cuz its one of my favorites haha. Low Levels im not sure cuz theres a lot of 'improv' in the chords. It was a tricky one!

[@LivioLamoneamusic]

TurrigenousOfficial ok, “was there”?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@LivioLamoneamusic Eventually! I always forget about that song. Its a toughy.

[@pauljames2017]

@@TurrigenousOfficial Funnels would be amazing. Would you be able to do that some day please?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@pauljames2017 You might be pleasantly surprised!

[@fleet4fingers]

Could u give a historical video as to how or where u got started in transcribing Allan Holdsworth’s music?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I COULD but I dont think anyone would be interested haha

[@timpenfield5]

Though I am a few credits short of a degree in music/guitar from a major university, I consider myself about a c+ as a guitarist, but is it just me? all these chords sound a bit like the chords at the start of Diary of a Madman=Randy Rhoads intro?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I personally dont think so. There are some interesting ones but all pretty simple for the left hand.

[@lasherthirteen7456]

! LOL 'yeah that's just not happening" hahahahah word up bro

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

I’m glad that the top ten list are finally disappearing from my suggestions, but I’ll watch this one. lol

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Haha this was from a couple of years ago but there's at least some substance to it!

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

@@TurrigenousOfficial oh yeah! I’ll be working in this stuff for sure now! I was told by my first guitar instructor “ maybe you should be listening to Alan Holdsworth.” When k first started playing. I was into Satch quite a bit back then and loved the crazy stuff.Holsworth is a whole other/higher level though. I should have listened to that suggestion from my instructor. lol... low income though... small town...

[@robertebone]

Hi - do you have your chord book in Word or PDF version? I do not have a Kindle - happy to PayPal you payment outside of Amazon for it, if that helps

[@EDWINPIERCE168]

Killer player, love the working knowledge. Share the love of holdsworth, and this video is a service for all of us.. but here’s my thing. Is that a stucco Jem?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Haha it's a rare 90th HAM Ibanez Jem

[@kooshikoo6442]

Very interesting stuff! I could play #4 and #3 without much difficulty. #2 played with a lot of difficulty, and a bit of pain. I could not play the ninth chord though. I didn´t try the rest.I guess it´s just anatomical differences. My fingers are pretty long, but I´ve never practiced stretches or difficult chords much at all

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I've gotten this kind of comment a few times. I find it pretty interesting. I was surprised how ones I found really hard were easy for others and vice versa!

[@dante6x]

You deserve way more views

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thanks! If you know places to share this stuff that could help :)

[@danielcottar3269]

I really LOVE this video !! I guess the diagrams on the screen (momentarily) that have the dark line for the nut , should not be considered , the nut . I guess you are using a pre-fabricated guitar grid picture that happens to have the nut pictured . When it appeared , I started drawing it , because , I can SEE it clearly . I used one of my full length guitar grid pictures . The circled note shown on the 5th string must be the root , but it is not a G (for a G major add 9) . But I noticed Allan & you are doing it higher on the neck , for the #1 hardest chord . I had a moment of slight freak outage for a few seconds . You are awesome !! Do more Holdsworth episodes please .

[@danielcottar3269]

Sorry ! I mean a : G major 9 . Sorry .

[@danielcottar3269]

Holdsworth is SURELY my overall most favorite guitarist , composer & improvisor of ALL time !!!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thank you so much! Yeah I was just using those diagrams to show what the voicing would be and then saying where you would place it across the guitar. Purely for convenience. If you like more Allan videos, check this page out. I have like 50! Haha

[@johnkarakatsianis7281]

Honestly i think Gadd9/#11 was the most difficult...I have quite big hands, I've tried every chord on this video and man that G was nuts... I couldn't even reach that extra fret needed to hit the A note.... Allan is truly an alien... One of the best musicians and guitarists ever to walk on this planet

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thats pretty impressive still! Im hit or miss with it but I really have to bend my 3rd finger in a weird way to do it.

[@johnkarakatsianis7281]

@@TurrigenousOfficial Allan will always be the BOSS👌

[@GuitarUniverse2013]

At10:00 minutes. What I was taught was: triads have 3 notes, 7th chords add the 4th note with will be the major 7, the min 7, or the 6th degree, and that next you can add tensions, which are typically one whole step above a chord tone. As such, I think playing the minor 7 (aka the b7) on top makes the chord sound richer. No hard and fast rules, just my preference.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Of course! What makes Allan's chord choices so tough, is that they do not follow any traditional rules. Lets say you have the notes C E G B. Cmaj7 with the extension on the top. Well what if I arrange the notes like G E C B? Is it still a major 7th? Sure it can be an interesting inversion. The problem is naming it if you consider G the root. Its because the rules of harmony and chords follow tertiary harmony. If you try to go further than that in a non traditional way, naming those chords can be really tough. So with Allans stuff, its easier to name the chords if the extension are in the bass, or the whole chord is arranged or voiced in a very unusual way.

[@giovanygallegos2958]

de lujo bro desde las costas de oaxaca mexico giovay gallego

[@brisbrg5179]

My fingers dude!!

[@ChrisTaylor-Guitar]

Yes, the size of your hand does matter, but it’s also about flexibility of the hand, which is mostly how tight your tendons and ligaments are. Remember there are no muscles in our fingers, most of fretting movement is controlled by the forearm muscles. You can learn to stretch your fingers further, pianists do this regularly. Pianist Keith Jarrett has relatively small but can play 11ths with either hand, Middle C to F4 for example. He worked on stretching his hands from a young age.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Absolutely. I can go from C to E but stretching can only go so far. Your hand with and finger length cant be improved by technique. Which is why I cant play those chords at the top of the list. They're not stretchy but if your hand is big enough it isn't too bad.

[@angusorvid8840]

One of the main things holding the guitar back from further evolution is the resistance to learning new chords that so many players develop. I find this is more common among seasoned players than new players, who usually have a more open mind. Learn chords and what chords are made of. You can't be a good lead player without understanding the scaffolding that chords represent.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I certainly agree. Although I'm not sure if its resistance as much as its just accidental ignorance. You're taught these common chords and thats it, now you can play guitar and 99% of all the guitar music out there. I myself have been playing for 25 years and only recently started to think outside the box with chords and how they're developed. Its like learning a language. You learn the words and then you use them. But what if you had a language where you can create your own kind of words? That could be pretty cool but you just don't think of doing it, because you're surrounded by those more common words. Thats kinda what I think.

[@angusorvid8840]

@@TurrigenousOfficial I've been playing for thirty-six years and I'm still learning things. A lot of stuff I learn is from younger players who may know something I haven't come across yet. There is always more to learn with guitar. Always keep an open mind. That's the real lesson with Holdsworth. He saw the limits and pushed beyond them and carried the guitar with him. He was all around innovative. It's impossible to solo like Allan without learning his chords. Solos are made from chords, which are the scaffolding of solos.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

@@angusorvid8840 I always felt with Allan he just cared about the scale the chord was in and every note had equal 'value'. He would just make up melodies and phrases. But he did use a lot of scalar motifs/harmonic concepts and shapes that he developed himself. I always strongly felt that a solo is only as good as its harmony underneath it and really understanding Allans harmony for those solos will not only demystify his phrasing, but also get a better understanding of what he's doing.

[@angusorvid8840]

@@TurrigenousOfficial He tended to use a very clean setting for his chords and a light overdrive for his leads so it could all be crystal clear. He needed perfect note separation for one piece of the puzzle to fit into the other without being unintentionally dissonant.

[@Xenouvious]

Weird. I can manage to pull out all those until the first 2, but I can also find my way around to playing the crazy F add 11 voicing from High Levels, all the way down to B, albeit with a lot of struggle. Guess I'll have to work on my barring while stretching, huh?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Thats pretty cool!

[@LEE_MILLARD]

yeah defo injury, I have a similar prob now my left bicep is always tender, it doesn't hurt but sometimes when i move suddenly I feel a sensation, its where I have tried doing stretchy chords like this & not holding the neck up like in the vid !!!!

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Ouch! Play safe!

[@LEE_MILLARD]

@@TurrigenousOfficial yes wise words been like that for about a year now 🤯

[@DaveManleyguitar]

One can definitely ones self attempting these chords without out a long slow ramp up.

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Totally. It was more about what AH can do and how crazy it can be. But always take caution attempting this!

[@r_e_n_z_]

I find that its much easier to use your left hand thumb like a cellist would Also makes 5 note chords with a minor or major 2nd's in them actually possible

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Interesting! I tried making my own chords with that technique but it felt too uncomfortable.

[@r_e_n_z_]

@@TurrigenousOfficial yeah, it takes some getting used to, and it also will hurt a bit, but now I cant help but add a third at the top of a m9 chord anytime I can

[@brianreed5349]

What song is that at the start of this video? Or better yet how do I play the riff/vamp at the start of the video?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Its called "City Nights". Im pretty sure you can find a few lessons on it online. Its pretty popular, but Allan did not write it, even though its on his album "Secrets".

[@Lithuania8634]

Nice MST3000 shirt man

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

Number ten reminds me get out my Ted Greene book and work out a little! So thanks! (I think)

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

That book is great. Lots of similar chords in that book to what Allan would use

[@MrDizzyvonclutch]

@@TurrigenousOfficial one if the very first books I bought, worked it hard for two months... it’s been hiding ever since! Ha

[@tubo777]

Some of these chords were played on the Delap baritone so the stretches are wider than they look on the Ibby

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

I must disagree. AFAIK none of the chords on this list were shown on the baritone Delap. The main Delap Allan used was normal 25.5 scale and thats what was shown here and from the tunes they come from. His baritone guitars were 32", 36" and 38" tuned in C, Bb and A. So far that I know, the 32 was used for Zarabeth, the 36 was used for Wardenclyffe Tower and the 38, only for live improv. Some of those guitars were also used for solos on the Wardenclyffe record as well.

[@alessandrobaca8124]

Is there a specific tune to make all' this stuff easier?

[@TurrigenousOfficial]

Hmmm not exactly. A good amount of these chords arent used many times. Id say House of Mirrors has some tough stretches but is doable I think. I did a lesson video on it so check my other vids