Something you might like to try

[luckylarry]

Hi All BBG students. I also read BGU when I am on the forum. I don't know what they are talking about most of the time but from time to time I learn something...generally an aspect of theory. It helps at times to understand what we are doing in BBG and I know that when I begin BGU I will be able to fill the knowledge gaps quicker. Just something for you to think about.

 

[Steve_M]

Hi Lucky.....I couldnt agree more. I generally cannot comment on many of the topics because lack of expeience or familiarity with the lesson concerned. But there a few topics I have bookmarked for info when I arrive at that lesson. 
I have had BGU on a shelf for a while and have just started on lesson 1 again so I guess I will be looking in even more from now on. 

Cheers,

Steve

 

[MandyC]

Same here,

I think this is a really good idea.
I run into information overload if I'm not careful but I'm paying more attention to BGU stuff now.
The main problem is spending too much time on the forum and not enough time playing so I'm reading and bookmarking topics for future reference like Steve.
I'm lucky because I can ask Bob about a lot of stuff if I get stuck although he's not pushy about my playing and generally leaves me to get on with it. (V.wise methinks!!!).

 

[SunnyOne]

Yep, I do the same.

Most of the time I don't understand what BGUers are talking about, but I think maybe (hoping anyway) that it goes into my subconscious so that when I get to it (with high hopes) that it will make some semblance of sense (hopes reign supreme!).

 

[Alexander Blue]

Good point Larry ... when I first began this journey being a beginner I naturally went for BBG ... I purchased BGU also, put it in a drawer ready for use after completing BBG  ...
   Man, I can't imagine how much trouble it must have been for a beginner to attempt BGU before BBG came out  ... I mean BBG is not a walk in the park for someone like me that couldn't even tune a guitar ...
   I wonder how many students purchased BGU and after receiving it got bogged down on the first lessons and never completed the course ? ... just wonderin' ...
   Now that I have purchased SWS (which I am currently into also along with BBG) BGU will be in the drawer longer than I thought ... I look though the lessons every now and then and I have to be honest, I am not looking forward to BGU ... I believe I will have a very trying time with the first lessons therein ...
   I need to change my thinking somehow to : "Miracles do happen" ! ...  : ... I have tried a few of the barre chords ... can't even come close ... I can't even make my fingers into the pattern for something like a G Major barre chord ...
   I have absolutely no idea how I am going to overcome that 

 

[MandyC]

Actually I did start with BGU but started to get bogged down early on because all I'd done before is noodle about with the guitar and picked up how to play little bits of songs. I also didn't log onto the forum because Bob was already involved with it.(sounds daft I know)
Having done BBG I've just started back on BGU and the first few lessons seem really easy now. Suspect I'll hit another wall in the not too distant future but a little further on than last time.
I can't describe what a HUGE difference BBG has made and now I know that when I get stuck again, I've the backup of the forum to help me get through.
BTW, the barre chords DO come - it just takes time

 

[Steve_M]

Alexander take it from me... also a rank beginner... that barre chords are possible. When I first started I had BGU and attempted the first lesson - barre chords. I spent about 15 mins a couple of times every day, just trying to get my fingers somewhere close to where they should be. It still sounded awful and everytime I looked at my fretting hand it looked like someone elses Quite frustrating.
I eventually settled just on the G7 and practised it in isolation,thinking I would crack it one chord at a time. And I did.....sorta : I had to practise the G7 every day to make sure my fingers didnt forget where they were supposed to be. I ignored the D7 & A7 barres.
Then BBG arrived on the scene and I put BGU back in the cupboard. I have now been on the barre chord lessons in BBG for a few weeks and gradually the 6th string chords have got better,play cleaner/smoother and I can change chords quicker. 
The 5th string barres are proving more difficult - and in fact I have just looked at Griffs lesson again to double check his finger positions again. I think more tweaking is required - but they are better than they were last week.
Anyhoo...two days ago I picked up BGU and started lesson 1 again. I played the G7, A7 & D7 barres without too much grief. I know they could sound better etc ....but I played them - which I couldnt when I first had BGU.
So BBG will set you up fine for BGU.
Just as Mandy said....barre chords do come...just a bit of practise and time.
Cheers

Steve 

 

[Alexander Blue]

Thanks for the reassuring Mandy and Steve  ... people say you will look back sometime and wonder what all the fuss was about  :-/ ...
   gotta tell y'all : Wish I was lookin' back wonderin' what the fuss was all about right now ! 

 

[MikeS]

Alex, try this: Hold an F major chord.

--1--------------
--1--------------
-----2-----------
--------3--------
--------3--------
x----------------


Now learn to play this up and down the neck. (Move this form up to  the third fret and you are playing a G maj chord. Once you have mastered this, you will find that it's easier now to use your index finger (1) across the entire fret (barre), because your fingers have already learned the rest of the chord.
If you already know all this, just ignore me and keep on keepin' on.

 

[Alexander Blue]

Alex, try this: Hold an F major chord.

--1--------------
--1--------------
-----2-----------
--------3--------
--------3--------
x----------------


Now learn to play this up and down the neck. (Move this form up to  the third fret and you are playing a G maj chord. Once you have mastered this, you will find that it's easier now to use your index finger (1) across the entire fret (barre), because your fingers have already learned the rest of the chord.
If you already know all this, just ignore me and keep on keepin' on.

Thanks Mike,
   I appreciate this ... No, I don't know all this as yet ... everything you all throw my way I need ! ... Honest 
                     Thank you all 

 

[MandyC]

Realised I said 'having done BBG' - still trying to completely nail the 5th string barres - hopefully post something if I get time on Sunday.
They're still not quite there but starting BGU anyway.
On the subject of barres - lesson 2 in BGU is A7 barre and D7, E7 chords. I actually ended up playing them all as barres because it was easier to do the chord change with the barre shape. Wouldn't have thought that a few months ago!!!

 

[luckylarry]

WOW, I need an explination. I have been doing the barres as an E shape and as an A shape. Then I was just trying to move my hand up and down teh fret board to get different chords. I.E. I use teh E chord shape at the 3rd fret and I have a G chord. With the A shape I mute teh 6th string and use the 5th string to tell me what chord I am at. From the conversations here it seems that I can just change shapes where ever teh barre is to get different chords. Am I on the right track? :-/

 

[MikeS]

Larry, I'm not sure I understand your question. The simple answer is yes. If you barre the third fret, you can play any of the Open chords (some easier than others) and have a movable chord. The mos common are the E and A form. So, with a barre at the third fret, if you play the E form you are playing a G chord, but if you play the A form,you are playing a C chord. IF you look at the F chord that I posted earlier, you can see that it's really just a barre at the first fret and an E form chord.
Let me know if I'm off track on your question.

 

[KevinD]

This is especially handy for minors and 7th's as well.  If you use the Em or Am shape and bar it you can now play minors all the way up the neck.  Personally, I prefer the sound of the Am shape but both work.  The same logic applies to 7th's, the E7 shape and A7 shape barred up the neck and you now can play all the 7th's easily as well. 

Kevin

 

[Garymcm]

One thing that took me a while to figure out when I was learning barre chords was that when I played an open  E, for example, i used my pointer, middle and ring finger, same with open A (have broken my fingers too many times on my left hand to even get close to useing a single bend finger as Griff suggests). When I played a barre I fiddled around too much changing the fingers that normally played the shape as I needed to use my pointer finger as the barre and then the middle, ring and pinky to do the E shape or A shape. I then got a revelation and started playing open E and A chords with my middle, ring and pinky fingers and then when i need to barre them, i just had to play around with gettingmy pointer finger to use the correct pressure. Worked for me and I thought I was just a goose for not doing it earlier, but realised now that others may do the same thing. If not , happy to be the sole goose.

BTW: Alexander - it will come, usually when your not expecting it as mentioned, trust me (we Aussie's never lie!!!LOL).

Cheers
Gary

 

[luckylarry]

OK, I got it. I just didn't know that from a barre you can change chords. I thought I had to move my whole hand to the appropriate fret. So tonight I played some barre chords that sounded like barre chords. I used the E form at the 3rd fret which is then a G chord. I then tried to use the A form at the 3rd fret to get a C chord. Man that is going to take practice. But at least I won't have to run all over the fret board LOL

 

[SunnyOne]

I had trouble understanding the barres when I first saw them on the video, then I thought I understood them bec. I just did what Griff did. I have one lesson left in BBG, "5th and Main."

Now after reading all this stuff, I am back to being confused. Because I don't understand how one is supposed to know when to use barre chords vs just a regular "open chord," as you all call them.

Bec. if I see A7, I just do A7, how am I supposed to know that it would be played on the 5th fret, or whatever??? That is the main thrust of my question, how does one know that it's not just a regular A7 (or whatever) by looking at the music???????????  :-/

 

[MandyC]

One thing that took me a while to figure out when I was learning barre chords was that when I played an open  E, for example, i used my pointer, middle and ring finger, same with open A (have broken my fingers too many times on my left hand to even get close to useing a single bend finger as Griff suggests). When I played a barre I fiddled around too much changing the fingers that normally played the shape as I needed to use my pointer finger as the barre and then the middle, ring and pinky to do the E shape or A shape. I then got a revelation and started playing open E and A chords with my middle, ring and pinky fingers and then when i need to barre them, i just had to play around with gettingmy pointer finger to use the correct pressure. Worked for me and I thought I was just a goose for not doing it earlier, but realised now that others may do the same thing. If not , happy to be the sole goose.

BTW: Alexander - it will come, usually when your not expecting it as mentioned, trust me (we Aussie's never lie!!!LOL).

Cheers
Gary

Hi Gary

I suspect there's a flock of geese around somewhere. I've had some v.similar revelations. It doesn't matter what fingers you use to play the chord and how you play it can vary depending on the chord progressions. After all, why make life difficult for yourself?

 

[mw1954]

Realised I said 'having done BBG' - still trying to completely nail the 5th string barres - hopefully post something if I get time on Sunday.
They're still not quite there but starting BGU anyway.
On the subject of barres - lesson 2 in BGU is A7 barre and D7, E7 chords. I actually ended up playing them all as barres because it was easier to do the chord change with the barre shape. Wouldn't have thought that a few months ago!!!

So I guess I kinda want to question this . To my untrained ear ,  the open D7 and C7 and the barred C7 and D7 , don't sound the same . So I guess my question is , when is it ok or not , to do this ? And I guess this also addresses Sunny"s question in this thread . ( I wanted to quote her , but haven't got my pea brain wrapped around the whole quote  quote thing )  .

 

[KevinD]

So I guess I kinda want to question this . To my untrained ear ,  the open D7 and C7 and the barred C7 and D7 , don't sound the same . So I guess my question is , when is it ok or not , to do this ? And I guess this also addresses Sunny"s question in this thread . ( I wanted to quote her , but haven't got my pea brain wrapped around the whole quote  quote thing )  .

Personally, I'll typically choose the easier chord change.  Sometimes it's opens, sometimes it's barres, but the majority of times it's a combination thereof.  There is a different sound as evidenced by the Doobie Brothers China Grove (barred A followed by an open A) but for the most part I think it's pretty much up to you.  Make what you're playing your own.  I'm not all that interested in just duplicating sounds, I want my own little "voice" thrown in to whatever it is I'm playing.  IMO, there is no right and wrong, just play what sounds right to you (unless you're a studio musician anyhow, hehehehe).

Kevin