Go Low for Tone

rite of passage for a fledgling guitarist to finally venture out of the familiar confines of the so-called “open position” (formally 1st and 2nd positions) and into the wild frontier of barre chords and boxed scale patterns. And for many, it’s such a proud moment that they never turn back, forever shunning the “baby pool” of elementary guitar playing. If these players only knew what they’re missing! The open position can be fertile ground for cultivating juicy riffs and licks for all occasions, thanks to the superlatively rich, ringing tonal character of the open strings and notes fretted within the first five frets, and the added fingering options that the open strings present. So let’s roll up our pants-legs and wade into the shallow end