what's good finger positioning for this?

[JESS]

I'm new at this. Can anyone suggest the easiest way to position my fingers to play this...X35553. I've been using finger 3 to hit all the 555, but it's not sounding great. Yet when I cram another finger in there, it's too crowded. Help?

[Plexiprs]

Use your first finger as the barre across the third fret. I'd use my ring (3rd) to cover the 5th frets all at once, but you can add your 2nd, 3rd and/or pinky if you need to !

Pinky would by my choice to pick-up the 2nd string and allow less pressure from the the other finger.

[Quake17]

Jess,

Since you're playing a twelve, I'd be inclined to just slide the Bb fingering up two frets to make your C and just ignore the top two strings. That "A" position barre takes a long time to get the knuckle bent correctly so you do not buzz and it's even tougher with double the string tension.

Grant

[~j~]

try deliberately to hit the highest string but I've still got the same problem sometimes I just stick to it and figure with practice I will eventually be able to do it correctly. bummer! I thiink the x13331 is even harder to get all the notes. it still sounds ok with the top 4, I can do this much more easily in general on a thinner neck like an electric, I've got a les paul I think those are pretty thin usually, esp. compared to the 414's neck

[Plexiprs]

Flex up them first and second knuckle joints on all four fingers, it comes in real handy !!!!! (Practice practice practice)

[bradley dr20]

Try it for a few minutes every day, changing to it and then back to something else and then back to it. 10 mins a day for 2 weeks and I bet you get it.

[Jim Tozier]

Since the note on the 1st string of this chord is the 5th (in this case, it's a C chord and the 1st string note is a G), which already appears on the 4th string, you can "cheat" a little and play it like this: x3555x. This is much easier on the third finger, as you don't need to worry about bending it awkwardly to let the first string ring. And this voicing places more emphasis on the 3rd of the chord (the E on the second string), which is the note that makes it a major chord.

So, when you play x3555x, you're playing the notes C-G-C-E, which are the 1-5-1-3 . . . so you've still got the entire major chord. The 5th on the 1st string is optional . . .

[Danzo]

Put a capo on the third fret and play an open A.

(I'll go now)

[patriot]

Try playing it with all four fingers. Bar the third fret with your first finger. Play the 4th string 5th fret with your middle finger. Play the 3rd string fifth fret with your ring finger and the 2nd string 5th fret with your pinky. Also, be sure to have your thumb behind the neck so you can curl your fingers to allow all the strings to ring out.

[815C]

I don't know if this will work in the context of the progression(s) you are using, but you can fret the same notes this way....


-----------------------------
--8---------------------------
--9---------------------------
--10---------------------------
--10---------------------------
--8---------------------------


...which may be a little easier to play on a 12 string.

[JazzDude]

My son can play this chord with his pointer barring at fret 3 and his pinkie barring strings 2,3, and 4. His finger is just the right size and the first pinkie joint bends back enough to not hit the 1st string.

I can do this with my driving (middle) finger, but it's a hard stretch at the 3rd fret. The 5th fret and above is easier.

I think the trick is to find a finger that's the right size and can bend back enough to free the 1st string. The flexibility gets better with time, of course.

[JonesKY]

I'd recommend playing the barred C (x35553) every and any way you can. The most common would be to barre the index across all the "3"s and ring across the "5"s. However, it's good to get quick with the 4-finger version you're using, as well as using the pinky to barre the "5"s. Some chord progressions facilitate different chord fingerings.

Practice slowly, listening particularly for clean sounding notes. Don't make the mistake of going quickly but playing sloppily. Then practice alternating chords (Em-C, G-C, F-C). Before you know it, you'll be playing those 'tough' barre chords like they were nothin'.

[RRtalpkr]

Jess: I, too, am a 12-stringer (T-355). I very much agree with Quake17. Making this too hard for yourself is poor psychology.

Dan (Rio Rancho, NM)