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20/10/2005 8:36 am
I can form barre chords, and can get them to sound pretty consistantly, but I want to work on speeding up my transitions to barre chords. Practice, obviously, but I was wondering if there are any tricks or pitfalls in terms of the way they should be formed. Currently, it takes me at least one moderately paced measure (55-60bpm) to transition to a barre chord (if I want it to sound like something)
I transition to a E-shaped barre by placing fingers 3, 4 down first, then finger 2, and finally the index barre. I struggle to get my other fingers in place if I barre first. I've also tried placing finger 2 first, and that could work. I form other barre shapes similarly.
Is there anything wrong with my method? Otherwise, I'm perfectly happy just practicing until it comes right, but I don't want to get into any bad habits.
20/10/2005 10:35 am
First grimm, I wouldn't practice barre transition with a metronome or any timing yet. Just pick 1 barre chord and a related open chord and change back and forth between them concentrating on fretting them correctly. You could also practice sliding the barre chord up and down the neck...
Once you think you can transition fairly well from one chord to the other then add the timing only using downstrokes....
This is what I did and it's coming somewhat quickly for me...however I am only concentrating on the "E" shaped barre at the moment since it is the one in most of the songs I am learning...plus I like the sound of it the best...
As for what fingers go down first I believe I read that the index (barre) finger is the last finger to be placed....eventually you'll be able to place ALL your fingers at the same time...
20/10/2005 12:49 pm
There are three keys to making a smooth chord change, and you should work on them in order.
1. Learn the shape of any new chords. Pretty obvious, but if you need to be looking at a chord chart, it's too early to be working no a change.
2. Learn to 'land' the new chords. Take all your fingers off the guitar, and then place them in the new as quickly as you can. Keep repeating this until you can nail it - you should be putting all your fingers down at very nearly the same instant.
3. Analyze the change, and minimize the motions. This really requires some thought in the beginning, and it will be slightly different for every pair of chords... but there are some general rules:
- if a finger frets the same string in the same fret in both chords, don't move that finger!
- if a finger frets the same string in a different fret in both chords, don't remove that finger from the string! Instead, ease up the pressure slightly and slide up or down to the new position.
- if fingers move as a 'block' (like the open E to open Am change), don't separate your fingers!
- look at your wrist angle. If you're fingering open A7 using 1-2, and going to open D, the angle doesn't change... but if you're going to open B7, you're rotating your wrist. That slows you down and limits your accuracy. If you find you're using a wrist rotation, change the fingering of one or both chords! (In this example, changing to a 2-3 fingering for A7 not only eliminates the wrist rotation, it also lets those fingers act as a 'block' in the change.) There are lots of ways to skin a cat here - the goal is to minimiza all the motions.
- keep your fingers close to the strings. Lifting them way up in the air wastes time.
- stay relaxed. You can't be smooth if you're tense.
None of these tips apply specifically to barre chords, I know... but barres are just chords like any others, and the same principles apply.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
20/10/2005 1:19 pm
learn the song "lay lady lay". that is the ultimate barre chord song.