Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2022 January 17

= January 17 =

Woodstock
In the original Woodstock logo, does it depict an actual chord being played? 2603:6081:1C00:1187:D94:75F0:870E:13A2 (talk) 20:14, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I can't find an example of a chord fingering that uses the thumb and little finger simultaneously. But, although it looks like the thumb is depressing a string, perhaps it is merely holding the edge of the fretboard. --Lambiam 21:51, 17 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I've done my best to guess the fingering there, and it takes some considerable artistic liberties, but here's my take: The thumb is barring the third fret on both the E and A strings, index finger is playing the second fret on the D string, middle finger playing the third fret on the B string, the ring finger playing the fourth fret on the G string, and the pinky finger playing the fifth fret on the e string. That gives (low to high): GCEBDA.  Whatever unholy chord that is is a mess, This has some options, the simplest might be "G6/9add4".  Whatever it is is spicy AF.  You could also assume that the thumb is muting the low E string, giving this which isn't any prettier, honestly.  The best it comes up with is Cmaj9/13(no5).  If the thumb is sounding the low E and muting the A string, you get, which is just G6/9, a not uncommon chord, and probably the nicest sounding possibility. -- Jayron 32 01:22, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Or it could just be depicting someone holding a guitar before starting to play. This seems especially likely given that the bird is just sitting there and not flying away from the motion and noise.--User:Khajidha (talk) (contributions) 01:48, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * That, and the graphic artist probably wasn't a musician. I thought it might have been a common fingering, but evidently not. 2603:6081:1C00:1187:D94:75F0:870E:13A2 (talk) 03:00, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I wonder if it might make sense with some alternative tuning. Unfortunately I can barely play anything (and nothing well) with conventional tuning, so I lack the knowledge to suggest one. Kudos for an interesting question. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.195.175.103 (talk) 17:10, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Taking a look at it the answer is no. IT appears they are simply just holding the neck of the guitar. The reason being is 4 of his fingers would be on the same string which is not how you play a cord. ― Blaze WolfTalkBlaze Wolf#6545 18:40, 18 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I disagree (speaking as a [rotten] guitar player) with some of fingering interpretation. If we assume conventional E-A-D-G-B-E, I'd estimate the thumb is fretting the low E (at the third fret?) and possibly the A, the first and third fingers are likely fretting the G at the 2nd (ineffectually) and 4th, and the second and fourth fingers the B at the 3rd (ineffectually) and 5th. (I myself find this fingering almost impossible to attain, as I have shorter than average fingers.)

Woodstock was an event that lasted for 3 days and is famous for it's cultural touchstone, and impact on American counterculture, on the topic at hand, I do believe that a chord is being pressed on the guitar, but not being played however.
 * This would yield G-A or C-D-B-E-E, assuming all strings are sounded – they need not be. I could spend an hour or so trying to identify this in a chord book, but will leave it as an exercise for more competent contributors like, who may well be right in his interpretation above. Equally, it may just depict someone holding the guitar, as and Blaze suggest.
 * I'd be surprised if this hasn't already been discussed somehere in the last 50-odd years. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.239.195} 90.193.128.231 (talk) 17:04, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
 * I'm really only saying that it's not an actual chord because in the image, all the fingers are close together and not spread apart more like on an actual guitar (yes I know some guitar chords involve the fingers being close together such as an A major chord but still they are close vertically). But really, there's no way to tell without drawing the strings and frets on the guitar. ― Blaze WolfTalkBlaze Wolf#6545 17:09, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
 * The way I see it, it does look like a common folksy chord. The thunb is on the 3rd fret of the low E. The first two fingers are on fret 2 of G and fret 3 of B. That is the base chord. The otehr two fingers hover over frets 4 of G and 5 of B. You strum the base, then you press the higher frets and strum again. You can try it. It sounds like a folk song. But, I don't personally think this is on purpose. I think it is just an artists depiction, not an actual chord. But, the question is "what is the chord?". Assuming it is two chords as I described, the first is GADADG, so it is just a chord with GAD. That is commonly the Gsus2 chord, which is fingered differently. Then, adding B and E in the second chord, it is a bit weird because the D is kept, which it shouldn't be. GBE is a common chord, but it is usually played as a G6/9 chord including GABE (notice, D is not included). So, they are real chords. You can play them as shown in the picture. But, it isn't common and I seriously doubt the artist was looking at a real person playing a real chord. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 20:30, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
 * Everything is a "real chord". It's just a matter of how it works musically in whatever context it is being used.  -- Jayron 32 20:37, 19 January 2022 (UTC)
 * A melody isn't a real chord. And lead guitarists aren't always shredding, or even electrified. Not saying you weren't right the first time, just leaving this slim possibility out there. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:00, 21 January 2022 (UTC)