Description
Dominant chords used repeatedly in a section of a song always creates a nice, almost ambiguous quality that can work well in a
singer/songwriter and pop song format. To channel his appreciation for both blues and up-tempo folk, Jack Johnson mixes these chords together in his songs to add more conviction to his laid back style.
Using the key of D major, this example mixes a series of dominant chords that while the root notes stay in D major, the use of dominant over major chords creates a more interesting sounding set of chords.
The right hand playing with this example is done by using the hand to strum across the strings, while also hitting on beats 2 and 4 on the guitar body. This steady mixture has proven well to Jack Johnson's style as a strong song writer and creative acoustic guitarist.
A similar technique can be heard in Jack Johnson's song, "Banana Pancakes."
Lesson Info
