Original source: Paul Davids
This video from Paul Davids covered a lot of ground. Streamed.News selected 8 key moments and summarises them here. Everything below links directly to the timestamp in the original video.
If you want to move beyond basic campfire chords, learning inversions is a crucial step. Here’s why it’s especially powerful on an open-tuned guitar.
Jacob Collier Explains Why Chord Inversions Are Key to Unlocking the Five-String Guitar
To move beyond basic chords on the five-string guitar, Jacob Collier stresses the importance of learning inversions. By understanding the three primary shapes of a major chord—the root position, first inversion, and second inversion—a player can navigate the fretboard with much greater freedom. This allows for more fluid and melodic chord progressions instead of being locked into static, root-position shapes.
While this is a traditional learning method for standard six-string guitar, Collier notes that it feels particularly natural on the five-string. The instrument's open tuning lends itself to spread-out, open triads, making the study of inversions an essential step to mastering its unique harmonic landscape. It’s about creating movement horizontally up the neck, not just vertically across the strings.
"There's so much freedom about just these three strings. But for me, it's all about inversions. Like understanding that is a big part of this guitar, I think."
A Simple Tuning Change Creates a Rich Open D Voicing on the Five-String Guitar
A beautiful alternate tuning for the five-string guitar can be achieved by making a single adjustment to the standard D-A-E-A-D setup. Paul Davids suggests tuning the third string, the E, up a half step to an F-sharp. This small change transforms the instrument into a true open D major tuning (D-A-F#-A-D), unlocking a host of new harmonic possibilities.
Demonstrating the tuning, Jacob Collier immediately found rich, resonant chords and melodic lines, noting its particular suitability for the music of artist Adrianne Lenker. This adjustment provides a different harmonic base, inspiring new ideas and making it a perfect tool for songwriters looking to find fresh voicings and textures.
Jacob Collier Reveals Four-Finger Picking Technique Uniquely Suited to Five-String Guitar
Jacob Collier has developed an unconventional fingerpicking technique specifically for the five-string guitar that uses four consecutive fingers—index, middle, ring, and pinky—in rapid succession. By assigning one finger to each of the higher strings, he creates a flowing, harp-like arpeggio that is difficult to achieve with traditional right-hand patterns.
What's fascinating about this approach is how it solves a common problem in fingerstyle guitar. On a standard six-string, a player would eventually run out of fingers when trying to play consecutive notes across the strings this way. Because this instrument has five strings, the one-finger-per-string logic holds up perfectly, turning a potential limitation into a unique technical advantage.
"The thing with guitar is you would ultimately run out of fingers, but here you don't. And that is really funny actually."
How to Emulate the Five-String Sound on a Standard Six-String Guitar
For players who want to experiment with the five-string sound without a dedicated instrument, there are ways to adapt a standard six-string guitar. Paul Davids suggests a D-A-E-A-E-D tuning, which requires lowering the B string and raising the G string to approximate the open, fifths-based harmony. This method captures much of the instrument's character.
Jacob Collier offers another solution he has used: tuning the guitar to D-A-E-A-D-E. This clever configuration gives you the best of both worlds, as it contains both the standard five-string tuning (D-A-E-A-D) and the alternate tuning (E-A-E-A-E) within a single setup. While not as clean as a true five-string, it allows a player to access the same family of sounds and symmetrical shapes.
"You actually have both of these tunings at the same time. That's been a fun way of doing it for me. It's not as clean as the five string, but you can get kind of the same effect out of it."
Jacob Collier Shares Alternate Tuning for a More ‘Open’ Songwriting Feel
Jacob Collier revealed an alternative tuning for his five-string guitar that he finds particularly inspiring for songwriting. Instead of the standard D-A-E-A-D, he sometimes tunes the top D string up a whole step to E, creating an E-A-E-A-E configuration. This change replaces the D pedal tone with an E, giving the instrument a more open and suspended quality.
This adjustment alters the harmonic center of the guitar, which can be useful when writing in keys other than D, such as A major. What's special about this is how a simple change can spark new creative ideas, making the instrument feel more natural and spacious for certain songs. It’s a testament to how alternate tunings can serve as powerful compositional tools.
"There's some songs I've been writing in this particular tuning that just feel more natural in a way, more open."
Five-String Guitar Design Offers Ergonomic Advantage for Barre Chords
The five-string guitar, despite using a standard six-string neck, offers a surprising ergonomic benefit: it makes playing barre chords easier. Because there are fewer strings stretched across the same width, the spacing between each string is greater. This increased room makes it simpler to press down a barre without accidentally muting adjacent strings.
This feature is particularly helpful for beginners who often struggle with clean barre chords, or for players with larger fingers. The design simplifies forming major chords all over the neck, as a single-finger barre across the top three strings instantly creates a major triad. It’s a subtle but significant design choice that enhances playability.
Jacob Collier Uses Guitar Neck for Unconventional Percussive Textures
Expanding the guitar's sonic palette, Jacob Collier demonstrated his unconventional technique of using the instrument's neck for percussion. By tapping on the wood above the nut while playing, he adds a distinct rhythmic element to his performance. This method provides a sharp, woody knock that integrates directly into his playing, a sound not easily achieved by tapping the guitar's body.
While this approach can sometimes mute the strings, it opens up a range of percussive possibilities often associated with players like John Mayer. Other techniques discussed included slapping the strings or flicking a string with a finger immediately after a slap to create a combined bass and snare effect. It's a way of thinking about the guitar as a complete rhythm and harmony instrument.
"It's very strange, it's quite unconventional, I guess, but I use this bit of neck as part of my playing."
Collier Highlights the Five-String Guitar’s Suitability for Left-Hand Techniques
Jacob Collier shared a powerful minor seventh voicing and explained his preference for expressive left-hand techniques over intricate picking patterns. For him, the guitar first came alive through players who used tapping, hammer-ons, and pull-offs to create fluid, vocal-like melodies. He appreciates the five-string guitar's design for exactly these kinds of techniques.
Because the instrument has a standard six-string neck width but only five strings, there is more space for the fingers to work. This makes it feel less cramped when tapping or executing wide bends. The increased room provides a sense of freedom and control, making the guitar a highly physical and expressive tool for players who focus on left-hand articulation.
"I really appreciate the width of the neck 'cause you can kind of... there's just lots of space. It just feels like there's lots of space."
Also mentioned in this video
- The five-string guitar is described as having a mirror string, allowing for… (0:00)
- The simple D-A-E-A-D tuning of his five-string guitar, which allows all strings… (1:01)
- The new sounds and voicings possible with the five-string guitar, including a… (1:26)
- Jacob Collier and Paul Davids discuss the unique experience of playing a… (2:05)
- The symmetrical nature of the middle string as a mirror for voicings. (2:47)
- He uses two different 'brains' for playing the five-string guitar, splitting… (3:57)
- The GS mini, a new, more affordable five-string Taylor signature model, and… (7:07)
- His favorite chord, which he describes as a 'double diminished' chord with a… (7:57)
- Sequence that is 'fifths friendly'. (9:04)
- Paul Davids and Jacob Collier play and discuss how to replicate traditional… (9:46)
- Jacob Collier observes that the five-string guitar often acts as a mirror to… (17:42)
- The wood choice for his signature guitar, explaining that Andy Powers, Taylor's… (17:56)
- A concert experience playing 'Yellow' with guitarist Wallace Burke. (19:09)
- The unique sound of his high strum on the five-string guitar, comparing it to a… (22:27)
- Jacob Collier demonstrates how he would arrange 'Stop This Train' with… (24:05)
- Jacob Collier announces his new album, recorded in four days, featuring six… (24:46)
- The beautiful hiss from his ribbon microphone, which typically would be… (26:19)
- A particular unplayable song on his album, 'Sweet Melody', which required… (27:13)
- A question about the downsides of perfect pitch, revealing that his inner pitch… (28:13)
- His drifting perfect pitch is only a problem when he relies on it for live… (29:11)
- The interesting aspect of pitch, where a perfectly tuned major third on a tuner… (30:03)
- Jacob Collier performs his favorite song from the album, 'Heaven… (30:42)
- Enjoyment of creating an album with just one instrument, comparing it to… (33:00)
- His musical influences, including guitarist Ted Green's smooth harmonics and… (34:12)
- Acoustic guitars can pick up negative string sounds without a pickup. (35:13)
- Jacob Collier reveals that his new album, 'The Light for Days', includes a… (35:51)
- The guitar as a delicate, vocal, and physical instrument due to the direct… (36:51)
- The greatest joy of the five-string guitar is its inherent openness, allowing… (38:03)
Summarised from Paul Davids · 40:06. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.
