Still tripping over a chord after 40 years! - Page 4

raysachs · #46 10-04-2019, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmp

Bm Meh! who needs it!!!

but on a more serious note....

Are you just having trouble making the shape, or getting notes clear? It seems the later but may I'm miss reading the thread

No, just getting to the shape quickly and cleanly without having to think about it. Usually, once I get there, it sounds fine, but there's almost at least a moment's hesitation and sometimes more. And sometimes as I try to practice just grabbing it (which I do unconsciously with almost any other open-ish chord) I just don't get it cleanly and then it also sounds bad. But once I get it planted, it sounds fine. But note I'm not talking about the full barre shape, but the abbreviated version on the four highest strings... The full barre shape I can play fine in the context of moving around the neck playing mostly barre chords, but jumping from an open chord into it is where I suck...

-Ray

12barBill · #47 10-04-2019, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raysachs

Man, please tell me I'm not alone in this. I've been playing guitar since 1977. In fairness, I barely played between about 1987 and 2017 - lost my callouses not long after my first daughter was born and only played enough to almost get them back for a month or two a couple of times over those 30 years of barely playing. And I've been playing a ton again for the past three years or so.

And I STILL freaking trip over the Bm chord. I'm not a great musician or player, but I'm long since proficient at the cowboy chords and pretty much any barre chord shape all over the neck. I have a decent feel as a rhythm player. The Bm is kind of a hybrid between an open chord and a barre chord - you can play it as a barre but I've never been as good as switching between barre chords, which I play primarily on electric and open chords, which I play mostly on acoustic. The F chord is very similar and seems to be one that a lot of beginners have trouble with, but I've never had any problem with it since the earliest days. Any other slightly less common open chord I learned when I started needing it pretty early on and honestly, I play them all without thinking and change pretty smoothly almost always, except for the occasional clam.

But the Bm, STILL trips me up. I mean, I can play it, some days even smoothly most of the time. But it's never gotten automatic, I've never been able to just grab it without thinking. And I've spent a lot of time playing songs that really use it heavily, like once or twice on almost every line. To practice it and because I like the chord and those songs. And some days I feel like I've really got it, but then the next day, I don't. And even when I do, if I record a song with a Bm open chord in it, I always hear a bit of hesitation in the recording, even when I don't feel it in my playing.

I keep thinking, 'one of these days, I'm just gonna be grabbing it smoothly without even thinking about it' and after all this time, it's never happened!

Anyone else have a blind spot like this that's lasted waaaaaaay too long? I mean, I have real limitations as a player, and I mostly accept them and work to expand my horizons. But this one just seems weird and is deeply frustrating...

-Ray

What chord shape are you referring to as an "open" Bm chord?

619TF · #48 10-04-2019, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordon Currie

Ted Greene, 1971 originally.

[Edited for space]

Thanks much... looks interesting... and helpful!

leew3 · #49 10-04-2019, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Sarad

Get Chord Chemistry.

then you can be intimidated by a whole new vocabulary of chord shapes courtesy of Ted!

frankmcr · #50 10-04-2019, 02:57 PM

Play a B minor 7th instead: x20202

raysachs · #51 10-04-2019, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Sims

What chord shape are you referring to as an "open" Bm chord?

E X
A X
D 4
G 4
B 3
e 2

Pretty similar to the "open" F, which is also just an abbreviated barre chord played on the highest four strings... And which, for some reason, I have absolutely zero problems with...

12barBill · #52 10-04-2019, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raysachs

E X
A X
D 4
G 4
B 3
e 2

Pretty similar to the "open" F, which is also just an abbreviated barre chord played on the highest four strings... And which, for some reason, I have absolutely zero problems with...

Those are not "open" chords. There are no open strings played in those shapes.
Those are closed chords and hence moveable shapes. I don't mean for that to seem pedantic, just passing along terminology.

raysachs · #53 10-04-2019, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Play a B minor 7th instead: x20202

That's a thought. Or I could play that shape but mute the G string and that's another voicing for Bm. And actually, fretting the G on the first fret gives you a B minor 6, which is a really sweet sounding chord that would probably work in some contexts... I'd kind of like to get the form I've been trying to play all these years, but it's nice to have workarounds...

Thanks for the suggestion,

-Ray

raysachs · #54 10-04-2019, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Sims

Those are not "open" chords. There are no open strings played in those shapes.
Those are closed chords and hence moveable shapes. I don't mean for that to seem pedantic, just passing along terminology.

Yeah, I know, you're right. But they're the chord forms most people learn for F and Bm when they're learning open chords, so I kind of think of them as part of the "cowboy chord" vocabulary even though they're just abbreviated barre chord that can be played up the neck as well...

-Ray

guitar george · #55 10-04-2019, 03:52 PM

My neighbour is a guitar teacher and he gave me this handwritten chart of guitar chords to practice. I’m still having trouble with the fingering of these chords. Any suggestions?

PROGRESSION 800x1067.jpg

rmp · #56 10-04-2019, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raysachs

No, just getting to the shape quickly and cleanly without having to think about it. Usually, once I get there, it sounds fine, but there's almost at least a moment's hesitation and sometimes more. And sometimes as I try to practice just grabbing it (which I do unconsciously with almost any other open-ish chord) I just don't get it cleanly and then it also sounds bad. But once I get it planted, it sounds fine. But note I'm not talking about the full barre shape, but the abbreviated version on the four highest strings... The full barre shape I can play fine in the context of moving around the neck playing mostly barre chords, but jumping from an open chord into it is where I suck...

-Ray

hey Ray, there is no sucking there is just a blocker somewhere that you want to bust down.

It should be muscle memory reaction. I'd just keep working at it using all kinds of different chord pattern combinations.

/(also) ray

619TF · #57 10-04-2019, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar george

My neighbour is a guitar teacher and he gave me this handwritten chart of guitar chords to practice. I’m still having trouble with the fingering of these chords. Any suggestions?
[pic removed]

I'd say you should Google the chord shapes for each and make a corresponding page of your own. That way you'll have the chord shapes and names together so it'll hopefully sink in some. Unless you're meaning you're having a physical problem in making the chords. Even in that case I'd suggest checking out various alternative fingerings on Google or some other big guitar site.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about:

Or you can look them up individually (usually better). Good luck!

guitar george · #58 10-04-2019, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 619TF

I'd say you should Google the chord shapes for each and make a corresponding page of your own. That way you'll have the chord shapes and names together so it'll hopefully sink in some. Unless you're meaning you're having a physical problem in making the chords. Even in that case I'd suggest checking out various alternative fingerings on Google or some other big guitar site.

Thanks for the tips, 619TF. I have no idea what most of those chords are or what songs I would ever use them for. I think I'll just use alternative chords that I know and won't go to him as a guitar teacher.

The Bard Rocks · #59 10-04-2019, 08:57 PM

Don't feel bad. I've played since 1962 and still can't manage a Dbm+sus8. If I knew where to put my fingers, I might do better. At least you don't have that problem.

JohnW63 · #60 10-04-2019, 09:20 PM

I thought the threads was going to be about tripping over the patch cable to the amp.

As to the Bm chord. I don't have any issues doing the barre cord, but I can NOT reverse bend my third finger to get the partial barre for C and D and E, ect. If I am finger picking, I use three fingers. If I'm strumming, a string gets muted as I try the partial barre.