Learn how to play Jacob Collier - Little Blue (Mahogany Sessions) with this guitar tutorial that explains Jacob’s guitar tuning DAEAD / DAEGAD, provides easy chord diagrams/chord inversions, and demonstrates a comprehensive and easier way to understand the chord shapes he uses, including his signature “surprise” chords and modulations.

Discover the beauty of Jacob Collier's "Little Blue" with this comprehensive guitar transcription, perfectly aligned with his live Mahogany Sessions acoustic performance. Featuring Jacob's unique altered tuning (DAEAD / DAEGAD), this arrangement is an invaluable resource for guitarists looking to explore his signature harmonic brilliance.

Key Features:

• Based on Jacob Collier's Mahogany Sessions live version, capturing his relaxed and organic performance style.

• Includes study notes, chord diagrams, fingerings, tablature, and rhythmic guidance for an immersive learning experience.

• Easy and repeatable chord shapes: Despite the harmonic complexity, this guide simplifies Jacob's approach to make the song more playable for all levels.

• A flexible chordal and rhythmic framework designed for strummers and fingerpickers alike.

• Supplemental materials: Links to online video tutorials, licks, and tips to enhance your mastery of Jacob's style.

• Unlike a strict note-for-note fingerstyle transcription, this guide encourages you to adapt and personalize the song to your skill level, offering freedom and creativity while staying true to the original's spirit.

About the Arranger:
Justin Roth, a professional fingerstyle guitarist, has crafted this transcription with unparalleled precision and care. Known for his expert Jacob Collier guitar tutorials and transcriptions, Justin’s attention to detail and passion for music education make this an essential resource for fans of Collier's music.

Supplemental Resources:

• Watch Justin Roth’s accompanying video tutorials here: https://bit.ly/JCtutorials

• Explore additional materials on Jacob Collier's unique tunings and chord shapes on Justin Roth’s Patreon for deeper insights.

Transform your playing and unlock the magic of Jacob Collier’s "Little Blue"—download this guitar transcription today and begin your journey into Jacob's signature sound.

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The studio version of “Little Blue” is featured on Jacob’s Djesse vol. 4 album, released February 29, 2024. This transcription is based on the live version from the Mahogany Sessions video, which was released Oct. 5, 2023. These videos, as well as the supplemental video tutorial by Justin Roth, are available on YouTube (see QR codes).

Jacob plays this song on his signature model 5-string guitar (built specially by Taylor Guitars’ master designer, Andy Powers) in DAEAD tuning. Custom string gauges were used (.053-.042-.030-.017-.012) to accommodate for the D-string raised to E. These gauges are close to a standard light gauge string set, but you may want to consider using a .030” or .032” for the raised 4th string to avoid adding too much tension if you typically use medium gauge.

For all practical purposes, this transcription is for 6-string guitar, tuned to DAEGAD, which was Jacob’s “FAVE” tuning before getting the 5-string. To accommodate for having 6 strings instead of 5, and to correspond to Jacob’s original chord voicings as closely as possible, we can simply mute the 3rd/G string by resting the lower part of your left index finger on the string (tip is on bass note) while fretting the other chords to keep it from ringing. Alternatively, you may find that your left pinky, which is primarily used on the 4th string, can also gently rest on the 3rd string when fretting chords to mute the string – or avoid this string altogether when fingerpicking. This will help correspond to Jacob’s original chord voicings as closely as possible. If you have the JCSM 5-string, simply disregard any notation on the 3rd/G string.

However, this open G note DOES work over some of the chords without changing the extension or function of the chord. To give you more flexibility with 6-strings, the 3rd/G string is marked as optionally open (0) when that note is merely part of the triad of the intended chord and does not change the function and/or extension if played (eg. Gadd9, Em7, G/B, Cadd9). This will limit how often you choose to keep that string muted. Another alternative is tuning your 3rd/G string up a whole step to A to allow you to utilize it as a unison droning string with your 2nd/A string. This way you don’t have to mute the 3rd string with your left hand. If you do this, I recommend also lowering the gauge of this 3rd string to 0.022w to minimize the tension.

This transcription is to be interpreted as a guide to: 1) the voicings of the chord shapes, 2) the rhythm in which chords change, and 3) the available upper droning strings for each chord. It outlines the harmonic accompaniment, rather than being a note-for-note fingerstyle arrangement, considering that this is a live performance and Jacob doesn’t always fingerpick it the same way every time. This grants you the flexibility to utilize the appropriate voicings, while allowing for accommodations to best suit your level of proficiency with your right-hand technique, whether fingerpicking or strumming.

This arrangement concludes before Jacob leads the choir in the acapella outro.

Tablature for the instrumental fills is also intended as a general guide of the notes played. Considering how Jacob’s sense of time is very elastic and rubato in this version of the song, the rhythmic notation is only intended as an approximation of his phrasing. You have freedom to interpret and feel the fills as you like and are able.

In regard to chord structure, Jacob exclusively uses the lowest three strings to determine the function and inversion of all the primary chord shapes, while the upper two strings are primarily used for color and extensions to the chords. He uses a standard capo on the 1st fret on the Mahogany Sessions video. However, the chord diagrams are shown as if without the capo to allow for easier visualization of the fretted position of the chords. Considering that the song is in E♭ with the capo on 1, these shapes are named as if without the capo, i.e. in D, because the chord shape names are based on the tuning itself. The “D” shape is the open chord (or 12th fret), no matter where the capo is. It’s the shape name we are using, not the actual pitch. Feel free to add the capo to play along with the original video or move the capo to better suit your vocal range and adjust the fret positions accordingly. Fret numbers indicate how many frets above the nut (or capo=zero), not the actual fret number of the entire neck.

Though there are over 30 different chord voicings throughout the song (based on actual pitches), only 6 different primary shapes are used (see table below). Even with the modulations and other “surprise” chords that Jacob uses, most of these additional chords are one of the following three-string shapes, but occurring on a different fret, thus having a different root (see supplemental Guitar Tutorial video for all other variations). This is the luxury of repeated shapes and patterns on the guitar, especially when in an altered tuning such as this.

The diagrams indicate when the open 1st and/or 2nd strings can (0), or should not (X), be used in order to preserve the function or extensions of the intended chord. Jacob’s fingerpicking varies throughout, but frequently includes plucking one or both of the top two open strings over many of the chords.

 The numbers below the diagrams are the suggested left-hand fingering (1-index, 2-middle, 3-ring, 4-pinky) for easier “economy of motion” when changing between chords. Choosing what fingers to use is important to help minimize the amount of fingering changes you need to make when moving from one chord to the next. Jacob tends to mostly use his index, middle and ring fingers, and rarely uses his pinky. However, I’ve indicated far more use of the left-hand pinky for better ergonomics. In general, I recommend keeping your pinky on your 4th string (on 6-string). You’ll notice in the two pre-choruses, that Jacob changes his left-hand fingering of the chords somewhat to accommodate fretting the top two strings with his pinky (see supplemental Guitar Tutorial video for tips). Also, during the second pre-chorus, notice how he either avoids playing the top two droning strings all together, or barres, when modulating or adding passing chords that are outside of the original key.