The Bflat fingering in The Shins "Young Pilgrim"

[KarlK]

In the intro and verse lines of James Mercer's great song, "Young Piligrims," he plays what the tabs say is a Bflat. Tonally, that is correct, (I think) but his fingering is very unusual. He is not playing a A shape with a barre one fret up, but another fingering that allows for a smoother switch to the follow on G.

Can anyone here figure that out?

Two performances.

In the first, the fingering is at 0:19

In the second,at 7:02

[rick-slo]

Looks like x-1-x-3-3-x. Index, ring, pinky would be my fingering

[KarlK]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Looks like x-1-x-3-3-x. Index, ring, pinky would be my fingering

That looks pretty good, but as I was working it, it's a just a bear to keep the muted strings muted, especially the low E and the D.

As I was listening and playing along, it's like the muted or played strings, other than the A with the first frer A#Bflat, don't matter. If you just move from the D chord and strike that A#Bflat root, and that's all that rings out, the song works.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by KarlK

That looks pretty good, but as I was working it, it's a just a bear to keep the muted strings muted, especially the low E and the D.

As I was listening and playing along, it's like the muted or played strings, other than the A with the first frer A#Bflat, don't matter. If you just move from the D chord and strike that A#Bflat root, and that's all that rings out, the song works.

Yes, but you also have to strum something after the Bb bass.
It sounds to me like he has the F on 4th string under his fingers too. In the 2nd video it looks like he's barring 3rd fret with his pinky, while in the 1st video he seems to have ring finger on 4th string - pinky on 2nd, and either one also covering (or muting) the 3rd.
I actually find it pretty easy to grab strings 4-3-2 at fret 3 with a combination of ring and pinky (as he seems to be doing), while the leaning pinky mutes the 1st string and thumb mutes the 6th (as it should have been on the previous D anyway).

[BFD]

Originally Posted by KarlK

...it's a just a bear to keep the muted strings muted, especially the low E and the D...If you just move from the D chord and strike that A#Bflat root, and that's all that rings out, the song works.

You can certainly play it that way, if it 'works' for you. We all 'adapt' when necessary. That said, playing chords w/muted strings, especially 'inside' (the 4 inside strings) chords, is extremely common in anything above basic guitar technique.
If that's your aim, then now's a good time to get it down rather than 'adapt'. Just give it some time, it probably won't happen in 1 or 2 sessions.

[KarlK]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Yes, but you also have to strum something after the Bb bass.
It sounds to me like he has the F on 4th string under his fingers too. In the 2nd video it looks like he's barring 3rd fret with his pinky, while in the 1st video he seems to have ring finger on 4th string - pinky on 2nd, and either one also covering (or muting) the 3rd.
I actually find it pretty easy to grab strings 4-3-2 at fret 3 with a combination of ring and pinky (as he seems to be doing), while the leaning pinky mutes the 1st string and thumb mutes the 6th (as it should have been on the previous D anyway).

Yikes!

Your suggestion not only hurts when reading about it, it hurts when I just tried it!

And of course, it assumes your hands are big enough that you can get your thumb around to mute the low E. And like James Mercer, I have a J-45 with its thin neck profile, but it remains physiologically impossible for me.

[rick-slo]

On the video you can see he is pretty accurate hitting the intended strings with the flatpick. Not sure muting adjacent strings would be an issue. I can also play it without setting off adjacent strings.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by KarlK

Yikes!

Your suggestion not only hurts when reading about it, it hurts when I just tried it!

And of course, it assumes your hands are big enough that you can get your thumb around to mute the low E. And like James Mercer, I have a J-45 with its thin neck profile, but it remains physiologically impossible for me.

Well, admittedly it takes practice to get your hands flexible enough. Average hands are big enough. What I mean is, I can play it the way he plays it. (But OK, I've been playing a long time....).

rick is right that if you can guide that pick accurately enough, the outer strings don't need muting. The thumb just hangs over the 6th in case. (At 7:11 he uses it to fret the low F, a common way of avoiding the barre.)