Forums > Tone and Technique > have any tips about barr chords? please comment
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Forums > Tone and Technique > have any tips about barr chords? please comment
Original message:579 days 2 hours 40 minutes ago
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i am having some trouble playing barr chords such as Bmaj7. can any of you give me some suggestions about how to make this easier?
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Reply:579 days 2 hours 14 minutes ago
Member: Zombre
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Take Bmaj7; and learn 2 versions of it. 1 rooted off of the 'E' string and one off of the 'A' string. (When I say 'learn' I mean just remember the shape, OK?) Now follow these steps...

PART 1
1)Finger the chord at the 1st fret
2)strum the chord 1x
3)Take your fingers completely off of the fretboard
4)Move up a fret, and repeat these steps until you hit the 12th fret (or so) with your first finger.

PART 2
1)Finger the chord at the 1st fret
2)strum the chord 1x
3)Move the chord up to the 2nd fret
5)strum the chord 1x
6)Move the chord BACK to the 1st fret
7)strum the chord 1x
8)Move the chord up to the 3rd fret
9)repeat this, always coming back to the 1st fret so it's like this;
1st - 2nd 1st - 3rd 1st - 3rd 1st - 4th 1st - 5th etc until you get to the 12th

PART 3
Drill this chord with 4 other chords that are VERY easy, play each chord only 1x, and do each one for a timed interval (1min each!)
Remember that you just want to work on getting the dead time between the transitions down... Since you have 2 fingerings of Bmaj7, I'd do this drill 2x, once with each fingering. Some of these pairs will sound better than others, keep in mind that this is an exercise to help you really learn the PHYSICAL part of playing these chords. Once you're done, go improvise,or work on a tune that has this chord in it...

C D A G Bmaj7

C-D
C-A
C-G
C-Bmaj7

D-C
D-A
D-G
D-Bmaj

A-C
A-G
A-D
A-Bmaj7

G-A
G-D
G-C
G-Bmaj7

Bmaj7-A
Bmaj7-D
Bmaj7-G
Bmaj7-C

Run these drills 2x a day for a week and I bet you have the fingering of Bmaj7 mastered.

Hope that helps, good luck!
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Nyah Nyah na naa Naaaaaaa!!!!
Reply:579 days 1 hours 19 minutes ago
Member: sixsteelstrings
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that totaly helps thanks alot
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Reply:566 days 21 hours 56 minutes ago
Member: BolinTrucks
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Practice is the key. Previous commentor's reply is spot on. The only thing to add would be to practice all of the moveable chord shapes all over the fretboard and always practice clean...no noise. Good luck! TK
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Reply:564 days 18 hours 42 minutes ago
Member: Jippy
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ditto. If you find your hand cramping up heaps (I used to have this problem) try relaxing your hand as much as possible whilst playing.
Reply:561 days 2 hours 36 minutes ago
Member: johnny cox
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A good exercise for bar chords is House of the Rising Sun in Em and for double bar chords play it in Am
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Plug in, turn up and spank the plank
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