minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Nov 18, 2019 20:43:24 GMT
My chord knowledge is scant to say the least. A few years ago my brother told me I need to learn barre chords or I'm only playing half the neck's potential, or summat like that. But I have no chord charts and I want to learn a few to be getting on with.
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Nov 18, 2019 22:34:20 GMT
You don’t need chord charts, though if you want them you can find them online.
Play an E major chord, but instead of using fingers 1, 2 and 3 of your left hand use fingers 2, 3 and 4. Now slide everything up one fret and, using your first finger, hold down all the strings at the first fret. You’ve raised every string of the E chord by one fret, so what you’re playing is now an F chord. Alter the shape made by fingers 2, 3 and 4, as you would the basic E, to make minor and 7th versions. Whichever note your first finger is fretting on the 6th string, that’s the root, and name, of the chord. You can move this shape all over the fingerboard.
Do the same with an A major chord shape. In this case, most people will use just their third finger as a partial barre on strings 2, 3 and 4 to make the A shape two frets above the first finger barre. The root of the chord is now on the 5th string. You won’t generally be playing the 6th string so technically you don’t need your first finger to cover that one, though it’s worth doing so if you can. Again, the minor and 7th versions are made by altering the shape above the barre, using fingers 2, 3 and 4, in the same way as you would alter a first position A chord to make Am and A7. And again, this shape can be moved around the fingerboard.
It’ll be difficult initially to play these chords cleanly, especially at the lower frets. It takes a lot of practice, and patience, but it’s worth the effort.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Nov 18, 2019 23:12:29 GMT
What Richard said is spot on - and if you're a glutton for punishment you can do the same thing with a C chord - I didn't realise that until I saw George Harrison doing it in the film Hard Day's Night when on hol in Colwyn Bay. It wasn't even a wet day, but I was an avid Beatles fan - working out their songs is a great way of using lots of first finger barre chords if you wish. I tend to use thumbovers more often than barres though apart from the A major shape. ............................... It’ll be difficult initially to play these chords cleanly, especially at the lower frets. It takes a lot of practice, and patience, but it’s worth the effort. ...also spot on, so once you get the principle in your head, start around the 5th fret and work up first, then down as you get better. Keith
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Nov 18, 2019 23:26:49 GMT
I tend to use thumbovers more often than barres though apart from the A major shape. Me too. Learned to play the barres first though!
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Post by lavaman on Nov 18, 2019 23:33:57 GMT
Two things:
1. Google the CAGED system to understand how 1st position chord shapes (C, A, G, E & D) can be moved up and down the fingerboard to explore the 'dusty end'. Woody Mann and others have produced DVDs explaining this.
2. In my opinion, try to avoid 6 string barre chords. Over time you're at risk of developing hand / wrist injuries. Use the knowledge gained from the CAGED system to play chords on 3 or 4 strings only. It's a lot of information to absorb, but over time it will pay dividends
I forgot. Three things: Very many songs can be played using 4 chords (I, IV, V, and vi). In the key of G, these are G, C, D and Em. To start, use the CAGED system to find out where you can play these 4 chords all over the fingerboard. Practice playing songs you already know using these different chord shapes.
Iain
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minorkey
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Post by minorkey on Nov 19, 2019 8:50:45 GMT
Cheers guys. I've seen images showing the CAGED system but it just looks really complicated.
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Post by Onechordtrick on Nov 19, 2019 8:53:52 GMT
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Nov 19, 2019 9:16:36 GMT
That’s a pretty good article. It’s important to understand that you can go up the fretboard in the order C-A-G-E-D as shown, starting from any first position C, A, G, E or D chord. For example A-G-E-D-C, or D-C-A-G-E. Just as the notes from A to G form a repeating sequence in ascending octaves, so do the CAGED chord shapes, which repeat every 12 frets. I know all this sounds complicated written down, but if you work through it with the guitar in your hands it makes a lot more sense!
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Post by martinrowe on Nov 19, 2019 9:21:53 GMT
I agree with Riverman 's first post but I'll add this as I think it may make things easier. Finger the chords with your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers as he said and move them up and place the first finger across the fingerboard behind them (as he said) but, and this is an addition, move the whole structure up to the fifth fret and get used to that (at this place on the fingerboard it's not so much of a stretch and your fingers won't complain as much as they would do at the first fret), and then after time move down to the fourth and get that, then down to the third, then the second, then the first. I only say this as it's a bit of a stretch when you first start to do this and you can think it is impossible - I did. After time your fingers get used to it and you wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place. I found it takes time so one way to keep yourself doing this is to build up to it e.g. simply take an A minor chord (all the others will work), use the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers, as said before, and simply move the chord up to different positions on the neck and try to only pluck/play the 2nd, 3rd, 4th strings with your right hand. Try all the chords that you already know like this - at the normal position where you already know them, the 5th fret, and the 7th, each time only plucking with your right hand the strings that you are fretting (e.g. with E minor only pluck the 4th and 5th strings) - this will work musically and should sound like something. I suppose what I'm saying is that it's best to take a small, do-able step from where you are at the moment - that way you can see progress and, I've found, this helps to keep you going - small victories. For most people this is not a two minute thing so a little, often, over a period of time seems to work, and after a while you'll find that your fingers are getting used to it. It's worth it as it really opens up your understanding of the instrument. It's worth remembering that every guitar player who ever existed (Eric included) has been through this step - no one is born knowing how to play barre chords - not that I know of anyway. So, in a nutshell - start playing all the chords you know with your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers all over the fingerboard only plucking the strings you are fretting. One last barrier - if your 4th finger is not strong at the moment, it has to be to play barre chords - breaking things down like this this should have the added benefit of strengthening it. (Here's another two pence worth - after a while you'll think that there must be some kind of underlying pattern to the way the chords work together up the fingerboard - the CAGED system explains the pattern - but I'd leave that to later. I'd get your fingers used to playing the chords alll the way across the fingerboard - strangely it gets easier (up to a point) the higher you move up. I'd think that tying to understand the CAGED system straight away may stop you - small steps. Hope it helps
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Post by jangarrack on Nov 19, 2019 9:24:44 GMT
That’s a pretty good article. It’s important to understand that you can go up the fretboard in the order C-A-G-E-D as shown, starting from any first position C, A, G, E or D chord. For example A-G-E-D-C, or D-C-A-G-E. Just as the notes from A to G form a repeating sequence in ascending octaves, so do the CAGED chord shapes, which repeat every 12 frets. I know all this sounds complicated written down, but if you work through it with the guitar in your hands it makes a lot more sense! Try this one The CAGED System In Under 10 Minutes. I found it really helpful.
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Post by scorpiodog on Nov 19, 2019 12:15:57 GMT
Half the problem with Barre chords is that your forefinger doesn't make complete contact with the fingerboard at the point you need it. Your finger needs to be as close as you can get it to right angles to the neck. Practicing just that will help you. It might be a worthwhile exercise to start by just barring across the fingerboard at various frets just to get used to fully barring all six strings. If you are tuned to standard tuning (EADGBE from bass to treble) it won't sound particularly melodic as you do it. but if you retune to, for example, EBEG#DE (which is just a matter of tuning up the 5th and 4th strings by a whole tone and the 3rd string by a semitone) your open strings will play an E major chord. So barring at 1st fret will give you F, 3rd fret will give you G and so on. This will sound more melodic. When you have got used to doing this, just try putting a single finger (middle, ring or pinky) on another fret at the same time, and some will sound nice and some won't. When you've become bored with this, try 2 fingers at the same time, and then 3. If you do this for a little while, your forefinger will become used to playing a barre, and you will have trained your other fingers to adopt positions behind the barre. At that point, I would suggest you retune to standard and practice holding down the chord shapes you can find in all sorts of places on the web. As others have said, this is a difficult learning process and will take time to get good at. There really isn't a shortcut. It's just slog, really, as many things are on a guitar. Another thing that strikes me. Do you know the theory behind chords, minorkey? I didn't for my first 30 or 40 years of guitar playing, but I wish I had. I just slavishly followed the chord shapes I had learned by rote. That's a different subject from the one you posted about, though, so I will refrain from going any further.
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minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
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Post by minorkey on Nov 19, 2019 13:04:42 GMT
Right so I've watched the video and it clicked, it made sense,I understand it now. The problem is my fingers don't agree! Terrible buzz all over the place. If I play the chord shape at the new position and just play those fretted strings it's not so bad, but when I put the index finger down for the barre the fingers shift positions and it all sounds horrible! My trouble is I'm not brilliant with chords anyway,even normal chords often sound buzzy because I'm not pressing with just the tips of my fingers so I'm catching the next string. I discovered that rolling my thumb back away from the top edge helps with this. Plus my barre finger is all soft, and tends to be laid with the bottom soft part rather than the side! Need practice,lots of!
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minorkey
C.O.G.
Too many instruments, too little time
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My main instrument is: hurting my fingers!
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Post by minorkey on Nov 19, 2019 13:32:48 GMT
Ok @scorpiondog I did that tuning, but had to raise the second string up a tone, but check this out. Finger picking and barre practice! Something to work on!
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Nov 19, 2019 13:40:12 GMT
There looks to have been a typo in scorpiodog’s post. Raising the second string to D makes it an E7. Personally, I’d tune down to a D major chord (DADF#AD) rather than tuning up - raising the pitches risks breaking strings, and also puts a bit of unnecessary strain on the neck. The barres would be a little easier tuned down as well.
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Post by scorpiodog on Nov 19, 2019 14:07:57 GMT
There looks to have been a typo in scorpiodog’s post. Raising the second string to D makes it an E7. Personally, I’d tune down to a D major chord (DADF#AD) rather than tuning up - raising the pitches risks breaking strings, and also puts a bit of unnecessary strain on the neck. The barres would be a little easier tuned down as well. It was indeed an error, Richard. Thank you for putting me right. I understand why you would tune down, but (apart from my stupid mistake) tuning up involves retuning 3 strings, but tuning down retunes 4. Probably not worth the risk, I agree.
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