Trouble with the B7 chord

KirkJohnston

KirkJohnston

Northern Michigan
Been working on this cord for weeks now, but still not getting my fingers to make a smooth transition to the chord and keep rhythm and tempo going. While it has certainly gotten better at forming the chord and making it sound clear, I just cannot transition to it with any speed at this point to keep in sync with time. Anyone have some practice advice on mastering this chord?

Thanks,

Kirk
 
Bob630

Bob630

Blues Newbe
KirkJohnston said:
Been working on this cord for weeks now, but still not getting my fingers to make a smooth transition to the chord and keep rhythm and tempo going. While it has certainly gotten better at forming the chord and making it sound clear, I just cannot transition to it with any speed at this point to keep in sync with time. Anyone have some practice advice on mastering this chord?

Thanks,

Kirk
Click to expand...

I hope somebody has some good advice, I am in the boat as you. With constant practice it is getting better but it’s taking a long time.
 
Iheartbacon

Iheartbacon

Blues Junior
Assuming open chord? First, keep at it. Practice E(x) to B7 to A(x) transitions a little bit every day.

Second, to work it into a song while you are still far from mastering it, choose a rhythm pattern that has a couple rests at the end and or beginning of the measure. This gives you extra time to pull off the change. Once you can do the change without breaking rhythm, I find it is easier to practice more because you can actually play a song and take your mind of the finger movements.

Eventually you will get faster, but you can always use the “cheat” rests anyway since a good rhythm leaves spaces for the rest of the band and for the song to breath a little.
 
Elwood

Elwood

Blues
in addition to what Iheartbacon said may I suggest...take your open E chord. Only consider the three strings you have depressed. Practice moving those three fingers smoothly from the E config. to the B7 config. forget the other fingers and strings. I would drill this motion until it feels good and sounds good. Now just add your pinky for the f# on the e string and your B7 happens.
Sometimes I learn muscle memory things only by boring repetition. Good luck!
 
MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Definitely a muscle memory thing.
Hold the B7 and press and release (Bounce it) but keep your fingers in the B7 form and close to the strings, then play the E then back to the bouncing B7. This assumes that you can get back to the E easily. If not then bounce on the E also.
No need to strum this at all. do it for 5-10 minutes a couple of times a day.
A day or three of this should clear it right up.
 
artyman

artyman

Fareham UK
Many years ago when I first learnt the B& was my bogey chord, I remember practising just changing back and forth from E to B7 it soon became second nature and after a while it just happened and now I just do it without thinking. An alternative fingering is barring at the fourth fret and sticking a finger on the top e string at the 5th fret, a great easy shape for moving a seventh chord around.
 
J

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
It took me about two years of practice to get it down. I don't have any trouble anymore as my hand now forms it naturally.
Just don't give up on it and keep at it slowly. As slow as it takes to form it correctly. Don't practice mistakes.

I had to use that shape up and down the neck a lot in Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed when I was learning the lesson "Deep River Blues".

It's a common chord in guitar music since it's the V7 chord in the key of E.

Eric
 
S

ScottMFL

Blues Newbie
Jalapeno said:
Just don't give up on it and keep at it slowly. As slow as it takes to form it correctly. Don't practice mistakes.

/QUOTE]
Agree: Keep at it. I’m also a beginner and was stuck on the transition. I found it best to add chord transitions to my warmup and moved onto the next lesson. But I kept coming back every day to the lesson until it worked. I now struggle with transitions in the G7, D7, C7 sequence. That will come to me when the time is right. That’s a hidden benefit with Griff’s lessons. Overcoming struggles give confidence that future struggles can also be overcome.
Click to expand...
 
MikeS

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
The "open B7 is something of a finger twister. The key for me is/was first to get my first finger down in the first fret (that's a lot of firsts) then the other fingers seem to follow easily.
 
Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Bob630 said:
for some unknown reason I found barre chords easier to play than that B7.
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In barre chords you fingers are "spread out" more horizontally along more frets.

In that open B7 all 4 fingers are "scrunched in" vertically within only 2 frets.:whistle:
 
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Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
MikeS said:
The "open B7 is something of a finger twister. The key for me is/was first to get my first finger down in the first fret (that's a lot of firsts) then the other fingers seem to follow easily.
Click to expand...

That's how I finally got it, as well. I kept grabbing the chord slowly and figured out which finger seemed to go down first most naturally. After that, I concentrated on getting that finger in place first and then the others had an easier time following it.

After the better part of a day slowly going back and forth between the B7 and other chords, I finally called ight a day. The next morning I decided to give it a try and nailed it on the first attempt. I can't say it was the first time every time after that, but it was much easier.
 
MarkDyson

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
What worked for me was first focusing on the "lower three" notes, what felt like the "meat" of the chord, then adding the pinky note as it naturally fell into place after. If I tried to focus on all four at once I either got the pinky or the other three, never both. If I felt like I could drop the pinky as I was able, not all at once, I relaxed and wasn't as tense about chording it. YMMV. :Beer:
 
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