A lot of times when you are a beginning guitarist, you have that ‘one chord’ that gives you trouble. It’s often different for each different person, but it’s easy to let it trip you up when you are trying to play a song.
Instead, let’s look at some ways that you can work around the more difficult chords to get through a song when you need to.
Of course, you can always go back and practice that chord more, and over time you’ll get it, but it shouldn’t stop you from playing when there are ways to make it simpler for now.
Check it out:
19 replies to "Working Around Hard Chords"
I remember struggling to play an f chord. When I finally got it down, it was a revelation. Now I could play any major, minor, sixth, or seventh chord. I was soon trying to barre all the open shapes The A (B flat) was the most useful, and the C worked well in some situations. Practice that F chord until your hands cramp up. The sooner you can play it, the sooner you’ll be playing rhythm guitar in a band!
Yes I can see that this works. I did struggle with tall cords ,but , with practice I emerged to a better player. Purple haze and Jesus is just alright .
Thanks for the lesson, Griff. This technique follows in the same vein as some of your earlier videos on using “little chords” in place of full barre chords. I like the idea of learning to play a difficult chord note by note or string by string, advancing until the full chord rings true and correct.
Great lesson Griff. Love the way you can simplify the technical stuff.
This is the kind of thing you don’t get from other teachers. Thank you Griff.
Amen!
That’s because many of them aren’t successful gigging musicians.
Thanks for your thoughts on not playing all the notes. I can only play 4 notes anyway so the lesson helps me not feel so bad about not being able to play more than 4 strings. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
For once I’m there BEFORE your video arrives. Exactly how I’ve just learnt Deep Ellum. Now I sometimes strum… sometimes arpegiate because I think it sounds better and adds some variation. Though finding I’m just cheating is a little bit of a downer.
Never mind. I like it that way. It’s how I do it.
As always, a great lesson. Thanks.
Ty griff, you make learning fun& easier.especilly not forgetting the pawns.lol
YOU JUST BLEW MY MIND! I WROTE A SONG WITH MY BAND BUDDY ABOUT IN 2003. THE INTRO IS THE SAME CORDS, BUT PLAYED AT THE BOTTOM THEN WHEN THE LYRICS COME IN IT GOESE TO THE THAT SAME STRUM PATTERN.
THE SONG IS CALLED A”WOMEN WITH NO HEART”! IT IS ORE OF A JAZZY TUNE THEN THE BLUES. NICE ONE GRRIFF. ALWAYS LOVE YOUR VIDEO’S.
It would be great if you would post the tune, “A Woman With no Heart”, I would very much appreciate it. Have a nice day….
You could also use different inversions. I wasn’t familiar with that Fmaj7, it might be nice to use the Fmaj7 with the 5th on top (a) going to the E7#9, then you would get that 1/2 step motion down from the A in the F chord, the 5th to the G# in the E7#9. It probably would sound better, and be easier to play.
thank you griff make sense .
Thanks Griff. Breakin’ down like that helps a lot.
12/10/18
Thanks Griff! Every song seemed to have the dreaded F chord in it. I discovered the barre chord and power chords and I was finally on my way to enjoying learning.
thanks for the reminder of how much I struggled with the barred “F” chord back in the days…like most things, what was once difficult is now the norm…
love your ability to keep things simple…later.
cowboy
Thanks for that tid bit ….. wish you woulda added that to your blues course. On the other hand…. I appreciate all that you do….. Thank you
thanks, Griff! This will help me a lot!