Your "cheater" chord fingerings

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by cdkrugjr

It's only a "Cheat" if you believe there's One True Way to play a chord.

The "right" fingering for a chord has everything to do with the previous chord and the next chord, plus whatever other notes you're playing.

I thought the humor was obvious, sorry.

[RagtopGT]

At age 67 I didn't start playing until 14 years ago. I could never do full barre chords. A few years ago after I retired I dedicated almost four solid months of practicing nothing but barres, every single day, all in vain. Can't do it and I've given up.

But I've adapted with a few cheats. On B chord for instance I've taught myself to "barre" just the D, G, and B strings on the fourth fret while muting the high E, basically just playing the same shape as an open A without the benefit of the bass strings. I do the same thing with an A when I use a capo and the fret distances become tighter up the neck.

I do something similar for some minor and seventh chords involving partial barres on the first three strings.

I'm basically a cowboy chord player so it's not often I need to get fancy, but once in a while when I have to go to that "dreaded place of chords" I can get by a little.

[ghostnote]

I play partial chords, or pieces of chords, in many songs, even when the "actual" chord is a simple one. There's much to be learned from messing around with chord structure. Dropping a note that you expect to hear, or adding one that you don't, can do interesting things to a tune. Of course, it can do horrible things, too, but finding out what works is half the fun.

[Mr. Jelly]

There are times when one note can take the place of a chord.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by RagtopGT

At age 67 I didn't start playing until 14 years ago. I could never do full barre chords. A few years ago after I retired I dedicated almost four solid months of practicing nothing but barres, every single day, all in vain. Can't do it and I've given up.

But I've adapted with a few cheats. On B chord for instance I've taught myself to "barre" just the D, G, and B strings on the fourth fret while muting the high E, basically just playing the same shape as an open A without the benefit of the bass strings. I do the same thing with an A when I use a capo and the fret distances become tighter up the neck.

I do something similar for some minor and seventh chords involving partial barres on the first three strings.

I'm basically a cowboy chord player so it's not often I need to get fancy, but once in a while when I have to go to that "dreaded place of chords" I can get by a little.

A tendon injury last year put barres off the table for some months, and I had to adapt. Mostly I transposed, but in situations where that was not possible I did some adapting of chord shapes too.

I really, really missed being able to barre. It's only in the last few weeks I've been able to do it without significant pain.

[Scotso]

There is no cheating in guitar or music. All that matters is that you are getting what you want cleanly, melodically and rhythmically

[macmanmatty]

Those Don't look like cheater chords to me . They look like nice chord shapes to use for a given situation. I use those shapes sometimes too. Now this guy shows some cheater chords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSiHcOutDc4.

I don't use any of his cheater chords in place of the real correct chords, because from sports, to math tests, to spelling bees to guitar cheating is wrong!
Remember when you cheat on guitar by using easy incorrect shapes in place of the right chord formations you're only cheating yourself.

[mercy]

If you know chord theory you dont have to remember any shapes. All chords are based on 1,3,5 of the scale tones. You can add or take away from that core chord. So for example lets write out, which you should be able to do in your head its so simple, an Am7 chord: just count on your fingers or write the 1 is A, flat 3 is C cause the 3rd is C#, and the 5 is E. Then two more past E is the 7 which is G. It doesnt matter where you play those notes but the more treble the placement the more the effect of the change you made.
To make the chord Am7-5 you just flat the 5 which is E-. So the chord is A, C, E-, G, anywhere on the fingerboard.
A cheat would be playing a C chord without the C note on the 5th string, or not playing the B note on the 5th string for a G chord etc. You can instruct beginners to do that as they get used to playing. But the correct way to play a C chord is 1, 3, 5 or C, E, G.

[charles Tauber]

Garrison Keeler: “And that’s the news from Lake Woebegone, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” To which I add, and all the musicians play autoharps where chords are easy to play, with no "cheating" necessary.

'Nuff said.

[bufflehead]

My cheater Bm = xx4432

[TBman]

There's plenty of times I'll play a mini barre and a treble or two. It's not incorrect. It a nice way to play a few notes arpeggio and then go back and partially lift the barre to play an open string underneath without getting any movement noises at all.

[vindibona1]

So as not to try to cover ground that's already been said, there is something here that can be used in this that can expand the exercise far beyond the original question of correct chord shapes and "cheater chords". It's already been said by others that there are many ways to create the same chords. But perhaps this is a good opportunity to use this to learn some other things from the original question. Trying to understand the chords can help learn some of the notes on the fingerboard. It can help in understanding the notes within the chords, and how minor and minor 7th chords are constructed. We can also use this example to show how to use simple fingering changes to create variations in the same or similar chords. To clarify what I'm trying to say, I made the following chart. Hopefully it will be self explanatory. [Please advise of any errors. I already caught a few careless ones and hopefully got everything right now].

Note: I was perplexed by the fingering on the OP's original Am, noting that there was a bar between the E and the A, which I know I would find difficult, if not wholly unnecessary. The fingering chart below eliminates the bar.

[charles Tauber]

A question:

When topics like this arise, as they often do, some of those responding begin reeling out the music theory. Does this help anyone, really?

I mean, basic music theory isn't particularly difficult. Anyone who wants to can learn it. There are many sources of information including teachers, on-line videos, websites, books, even magazine articles. It isn't like basic music theory is a secret that only a few in-the-know people know about. It's widely available to anyone who wants to learn it. Does having someone introduce tidbits of theory in discussions make any difference to those reading these discussions? Many guitar players seem to wear as a badge of courage that they can't read music, can't "spell" chords and know no music theory. I ask in all sincerity.

===================================

As an aside, Vindibona1 posted four different fingerings. The first one, an A- chord, doubles the fifth, the E. The second one, an A-7 chord, doubles the fifth while adding the (minor) 7th. The Third one, an A-7 chord, doubles the root, A. The fourth one, an A-7 chord, doubles the (minor) 7th, G.

The general "rules" are to double the root or fifth. Doubling the third or 7th isn't often done as it changes the character of the chord, as can changing the inversion. For example, in the third fingering, if one plays a C in the base, doubling the third, it'll tend to sound more like a C chord (C6). Same notes, different "voicing": voicing matters. Of course, one can double any note as a passing tone, but doubling certain notes will make the chord sound "thin".

[Laughingboy68]

Originally Posted by mercy

A cheat would be playing a C chord without the C note on the 5th string, or not playing the B note on the 5th string for a G chord etc. You can instruct beginners to do that as they get used to playing. But the correct way to play a C chord is 1, 3, 5 or C, E, G.

A G chord without the B note on the 5th string still has the B note available at the second string. A “proper” G chord without inversions has the G in the bass and the notes G, B and D within the chord. There is no proper or improper way to play a G chord as long as it meets these criteria. If it doesn’t meet these criteria it’s still not a cheat, you just have to call it something else.

The C chord without the C in the bass is just a first inversion C chord - still a C chord, but more accurately identified C/E. Again not a cheat. It might not be what works for the song or it may be exactly what is needed. For me it would depend on the voice leading in the bass, as to what choice I’m going to make

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

A question:
When topics like this arise, as they often do, some of those responding begin reeling out the music theory. Does this help anyone, really?

I don't know but it doesn't help me. To my way of thinking theory thoughts come after the fact not before or during, mostly. I know my share of things that work that are substantiated with theory. Sure there are times I think of theory and try it out. Most often it's the other way around. I can't imagine someone thinking a long paragraph of theory before playing a note. And doing that for every note or chord.

I play allot of partial chords that when played in context come across musically in allot different fashion than theorizing it as a stand alone type of chord. I think there are different ways to look at theorizing. One as a stand alone chord or two as the notes played along with other instruments. Three in context with what came before and what came after the chord or notes. Technically I'm ignorant as the more knowledgeable can see. But I'm sure there are academic explanations of my thinking.