tuning and bar chord help needed - thanks

[Martin_uk]

Could someone please tell me how to tune to arminics - may thanks, oh also, any tips for betting bar chords, I still have difficulty moving around between bar chords, getting my fingers to stay in postion whilst I shift up (or down) the neck, eg. F (1st fret) to A 5th fret. Also the "A major shap" bar chord is difficult for me, esp. say around the B major area (3rd fret).

Many thanks

[Martin_uk]

is there a spell checker on this board or similar I meant harmonics but it came out a bit wrong - sorry ...ahhhhhhh

[Trailryder]

Hey Martin, check out this link: http://www.angelfire.com/in2/guitar/tuning.html

[jazzinthebox]

An important thing to look at is how low you keep your thumb on the neck. Generally, the lower you keep your thumb on the neck the easier it will be for your other fingers to reach and fret the chords. A lot of guitarists get into somewhat of a bad habit of curling their thumb over the top of the neck, and I'm not always surprised when I see them desperately trying to hit that one tricky chord. I'm sure you could name at least ten guitar greats who also share this "bad habit", and it probably has not hindered their playing, but if your thumb is curled over the neck...MOVE IT ANYWAY! It will just make things easier in the long run.

[Midnight Shadow]

To add to what jassinabox said, I have found it helps me to change my wrist position or arm position. If I am having trouble I will stop and try to break it down by changing my thumb, wrist, and arm position one at a time till I can get it.
Midnight Shadow

[Pancora]

Another barre chord thumb position thing to check out - I found myself developing the bad habit of having my thumb positioned further up the neck than it should be - sometimes a fret or two more toward the nut than my index finger. I was able to fret the chords OK, but was getting fatigue and cramping. Moving my thumb back more under my index finger has helped (darn hard habit to break, though).

I'm a "thumb curler" as well, though in my case it's intentional - the ragtime and delta blues styles I like pretty much require fretting the low E string, and sometimes the A as well, with your thumb and I actually form the majority of my "barre" chords that way. Unless the music you're playing requires it, it's best to do what jazzinthebox recommends.

[Martin_uk]

Thanks Guys,

Yes I've had a play around and I moved the guitar closer to my body which has helped. Cheers for the link.

[min7b5]

Tuning to harmonics is a good idea if you’re only going to be playing harmonics. Same thing with using a tuner to only tune open string. Neither method involved the depression of the string, which of course you’ll likely be doing more than a little of as you play, or the fact that certain compensations are to made in different keys. I think a more classical method ( and probably the way we all first learned ) of matching an open string to a fretted note at, say, the fifth fret, is a good start. Then maybe fine tune to a chord that relates to keys you’ll immediately playing in. A chord, or two, that contains both fretted and open strings. For example if you’ve got a few tunes coming up in the keys of A, E and D, take a chord like the one I’ve tabbed below and listen closely to the harmony and make small adjustments to get it sounding right.

--5--
--2--
--2--
--2--
--0--
--0--

[Gary1]

On learning Barre chords. Be careful about pressing too hard on the back of the neck with your thumb to correct crummy tone in an attempt to compensate for bad finger placement on the frets. Pressing too hard over time will develope into serious problems with your thumb that are not easy to get over.
Concentrate on hand are position. Move your elbow in closer to your body to provide a better hand angle.

[bigsbee]

Keep the faith

Getting your fingers to stay where you want them as you work barre chords up and down the neck is a matter of experience. the more you repeat the sequence-the smoother it will go. Several hundred reps should get you to the point of clarity when changing chords. It probably won't happen the first day. Maybe not the first week. But if you persist--It will happen for you.

Then the intro to Tommy with its' suspended barre chords will seem rekatively easy. Joe Walsh's Funk 49-Relatively tougher

But practice makes better--this is one of the "ESSENTIAL MUSICAL TRUTHS" we hear so much about

good luck

Bigsbee

912
912ce
MartinGT75
Samek
Fernandes
RolandFP3
A Violin
A Banjo
A Dobro
Harmonicas(beaucoup)
kazoos

[Beeblevrox]

Martin

You've already had some good tips, but no-one's mentioned this one. Everyone I've helped along, I've suggested they hold the guitar so they can't see the strings. I.E. tilt the top away from you slightly.

This opens up or straightens the wrist giving you more leverage and more reach at the same time!

If you don't have the pearloid dots on the upside of the neck to guide you, get the little lady's nail varnish and dab the relevant frets to guide you! It can look just like it was built that way!

You'll also find you can play faster and more relaxed as well. It's not so tiring! Try it and let me know how you get on!

It'll make you learn the string/fret positions quicker too.