I Don't Play Any A Shaped Barre Chords!!

[daza152]

And I don't plan on doing it any time soon, not easy for me I'll stick to E shaped Em shaped and Am shaped Barre's. However if I was to be attempting them(A shaped) do you only use 2 fingers? is your index finger only fretting the 5th string and your ring barring 3 strings? I'm confused. Do you play them or avoid them and just play a different voicing?

Cheers Daza.

[sachi]

When I do an A barre I use two fingers, and not worry about the high E string. I might also do a non-barre with four fingers on the 4 higher strings. Depends on the song.

[donh]

yes, exactly what you said!

[Stringin Swing]

They're tough, at first, for sure. Making say, a D with the A-shape, I barre the whole fifth fret with my index finger and barre the second, third and fourth strings on the seventh fret with my ring finger. I find it easier just to barre the whole fret with my index and avoid what I don't want to sound -- avoiding or muting is an art in itself that, it seems, comes just with time and then automatically, rather than with trying to apply any technique to learning how to achieve the effect. As for the three-string barre with the ring finger -- that's really the tricky part of it, making that little barre. It's kind of difficult at first to get your finger to bend that way on command. But, again, like with all things guitar, it comes only with time and practice -- repeated muscle and reflex training. These chords do have their use, particularly in Rock. And it's not always necessary to have the high E sound -- you have just to make the choice in each instance that comes up, based on the sound. There was a discussion of this a while back, related mainly to the fairly difficult Bb A-shape. Though I've been using A-shape chords for years and continue to find use for them, lately, I have found myself substituting C-shapes for them, just to get a different voicing.

[bbongo]

I used to steer clear of songs with the B chord, it was just to difficult, not only to play the chord, but to get to it from another chord.
Finger training and muscle memory is the way forward - unfortunately, this means playing it over and over.
I like to mute the high E.

[Losov]

Index barring all six then pinky barring 2-3-4 arched over the first.

[IainDearg]

My fingering for B major is: 112341. Needs a bit of practice strength and stretch-wise but worth it (for me).

[mr. beaumont]

Two fingers, I don't worry about the first string. If I absolutely need it (and need all the other doubled notes) the advice above me is spot on.

[Howard Klepper]

Originally Posted by IainDearg

My fingering for B major is: 112341. Needs a bit of practice strength and stretch-wise but worth it (for me).

??? . . . . . . .


It's really a good idea to bar the 2d, 3d,&4th strings with the ring finger. Try playing it as a four note chord on the inner four strings.

[rick-slo]

Though it is a bit finger crowded like Dave I usually finger 112341 as I find it more useful. For example in this tune if you can play it you are doing pretty good with the A barre shape chord shape.
http://www.dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%...abs/Breeze.pdf

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Though it is a bit finger crowded like Dave I usually finger 112341 as I find it more useful. For example in this tune if you can play it you are doing pretty good with the A barre shape chord shape.
http://www.dcoombsguitar.com/Guitar%...abs/Breeze.pdf

How is it a B chord with the two Fs and no F#s?

[walternewton]

Originally Posted by Jhengsman

How is it a B chord with the two Fs and no F#s?

If you're talking about the first measures there's no B chord, or F notes, there's a C chord (w/variations) based on the A shape.

x35553 - xCGCEG


EDIT: by 112341 they're talking about the LH fingers they're using, not the frets they're playing.

[Howard Klepper]

It was puzzling me too how that could be a B. But I finally got that they are talking about what fingers to use, not the fret numbers. That's not the usual convention.

I think it's a mistake not to bar with the ring finger; puts the hand out of position, and you lose the ability to add the major 6th with the ring finger or dominant 7th with your pinky on the high string. Lots of things work that are less than optimal, but if you are starting out, try the ring finger first.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Jhengsman

How is it a B chord with the two Fs and no F#s?

In context of the thread 112341 obviously is referring to the fingering used, not fret numbers and it is the fingering of the chord shape that is the point whether it is fretted as a A# or B or C etc.
Use the fingering that fits the song. Outside of that I would not say there is a right way or wrong way. Ring finger barre makes some chords available while going in and out of sus2, as in my song, works better with 112341, and then going in and out of a seventh (B- B7-B eg) I might even finger it (again not fret numbers) 112431. Whatever works in context.

[bluesbassdad]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

It was puzzling me too how that could be a B. But I finally got that they are talking about what fingers to use, not the fret numbers. That's not the usual convention.

I think it's a mistake not to bar with the ring finger; puts the hand out of position, and you lose the ability to add the major 6th with the ring finger or dominant 7th with your pinky on the high string. Lots of things work that are less than optimal, but if you are starting out, try the ring finger first.

Howard,

Is your recommendation intended only for fingerstyle? Or should one develop the ability to do strum patterns on the inner four strings? (I'm doing well to avoid accidentally hitting the fifth and/or sixth strings when strumming. Avoiding the first string while strumming rapidly seems like an insurmountable challenge.)

I know that some players, my son included, can arch the ring finger backwards so as to fret strings 2,3 & 4 without touching the first string. My fingers don't bend that way.

Fred Sokolow's video shows him using fingers i, m and a on strings 4, 3, and 2, respectively. I've never been able to fret all five strings cleanly using that method, not even for a fraction of a second. (I just realized that I've never tried that on my classical guitar. I wonder whether the greater string-spacing would make it any easier.)

I can just barely eke out and hold a full, A shape by fretting the second string with my ring finger and strings 3 and 4 with my middle (which hyperextends at the last joint due to injury). However, doing so requires moving my entire arm into a hopelessly awkward position.