What's the chord (and fingering) used?

[Robert C. M]

I love this version of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, but I need some help with the chord and fingering.

The guy on the left – he’s got a capo on the 3rd fret (though that doesn’t really matter in terms of my understanding) and he’s going from G to D to Am and then from G to D to . . . what? (Also, I know that some people don’t like to call it a G when there’s a capo on the 3rd fret, that in this case it should be referred to as A, F# and C.)

I’ve tried all sorts of different fingerings and I can’t make it sound right. According to the charts, it should be a C that’s next, but no matter what I do, it doesn’t come out right.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Chip

Topic

[GnLguy]

Chip

If I’m understanding your question correctly – After the D shaped chord, he switches to what would be a C chord if played without the capo, pretty sure that he is fingering the 2 upper strings 3 frets above the capo and then playing the 5th string 3 frets above the capo, 4th string is played 2 frets above the capo. Its a 9th voicing

[Robert C. M]

Thanks.

[Call me Al]

It looks to me like his guitar must be tuned down a whole step which would make it the same when the capo is applied as his friend on the right. The song goes G, D, AM, G, D, C. Instead of a normal C chord, he is playing a Cadd9 but only playing the 2 upper strings so it sounds like a normal C chord. This technique is very common as it means you do not have to move your pinky and ring finger from the Cadd9 chord on the change to G. Your pinky and ring finger just stay in place. Every Rose has its Thorn uses that technique as does Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead or Alive.
Gabriell’s song Rise uses the same chord progression and strum pattern as Knocking on Heaven’s Door.

Why is it called a Cadd9? Because the major scale has 7 notes. The 8th is the same as the first only an octave above. When you play a normal C chord, your index finger is on the C root note/ octave/ 8th note. When you play a Cadd9, you are playing the next note in the scale above the 8th note or octave. In other words, the 9th note in the scale, hence the names Cadd9.

[sunjamr]

The guy on the left is actually the young Josh Turner, who is now recognized as one of the best young guitarists around. He has achieved great fame and glory, and he’s 8 years older. I guess that makes him in his early 20s.

Sunjamr Steve

[Robert C. M]

I’m not positive, but I think Josh Turner is the one on the right, isn’t it?

[Sal]

Yes,Josh is on the right!

[sunjamr]

Yeh, hard to tell, he looks so different now days.

Sunjamr Steve

[Author]

Replies