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Topic ClosedNecessary to play Barre Chords?

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Asyte2c00 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Necessary to play Barre Chords?
    Posted: February 25 2006 at 17:49

Is it essetial to play barre chords? 

I  can work my way around the neck pretty well and can play open chords decently. 

I can solo relatively well too. like slow solo

Its not fast soloing, but i hit the strings hammer ons/pull offs bends areall good. 

I realize any guitarist is at  adisadavantage is he/she doesnt perfrom barre chords.  I dont want to be like Yngwei Malasteem, and probably never will reach the lofty heights of his greatness, but i want to be able to get by as an average guitarist. 

 

Plus, I fingered a few barre chords to acclimate myself with the fingering of them, and I have deemed it physically taxing to finger the first finger.

Is it worth learning?

Why so difficult?

Any Suggestions?'

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Lindsay Lohan View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 18:05

Yes it's pretty much essentiall! And they are quite handy too!

Because if you play a proper open A-major chord you would use the DGB strings on the second fret. To play a B-major chord then you would have to play the DGB strigs on the fifth fret and then you would have to barre at the 4th fret the other strings and then you could continue down the neck with the same fret and then you got all the major chords!

So its handy because once you know all the open chords then you just move down the neck and barre the rest of the string that was played as open to play them i new keys...

Ok...that was quite quirky explained but its very practical to learn!

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Lindsay Lohan View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 18:06
Plus once you get some strength in your barre finger then it should be easy to use barre chords!
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 18:31

It's absolutely essential. And it's easy - everybody can learn it.

Start with the easiest barre chords - based on the open E-major/minor. Then move on to those based on open A-major/minor. And then, if you think you know it all, try those based on open C-major.

 

 

And then ... try this:

-5-
-5-
-5-
-4-
-5-
---


 



Edited by MikeEnRegalia
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cobb View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 20:09
Simply put, bar chords make it easier to play. Try a simple progression like wild thing. E A B A E. This is actually quite complicated as open chords, as these are three completely different chord shapes, and it will not give the flow that is needed to get the feel of the song. Played as bar chords it is one shape (E) that just moves from open E to (same chord shape) bar at 5th, bar 7th, back to 5th, back to open.

Essentially there are just two main shapes to construct major bar chords with - E and A. Barring involves more strength, to hold down the bar and the chord, but once you gain this strength, everything becomes much easier to play, remember, only two main shapes to know. Most rock songs you try to play will be played using bar chords. Take the time to master them, you won't regret it. It should be obvious that the same principle goes for all variations of E and A - minor seventh dim etc..


Edited by cobb
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goose View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 20:47
Surely it's not even possible to play a B chord without using barres? And the same goes for Bb, F, F#, and... others (I'm not a guitarist!)

edit: no, I guess I'm wrong. I was for some reason thinking of anything that wasn't an open chord a barre chord for a second... I'm not a guitarist

Edited by goose
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stonebeard View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 25 2006 at 20:56

Originally posted by goose goose wrote:

Surely it's not even possible to play a B chord without using barres? And the same goes for Bb, F, F#, and... others (I'm not a guitarist!)

edit: no, I guess I'm wrong. I was for some reason thinking of anything that wasn't an open chord a barre chord for a second... I'm not a guitarist

Yes, they can be played differently. But the B barre chord is easier to play than the open.

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Kid-A View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2006 at 17:37
 Just keep trying the E shape, that's the easiest. A couple of strings may not ring but that's not a problem, and soon you'll be able to get them all to ring and suddenly find them easy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 28 2006 at 21:43

nothing is deemed absolutely essential in terms of music....its your own...and you can do whatever you want

but if you keep practicing your Fingers WILL get stronger and there will be a time in your life where you couldn't believe you even had trouble with them....

if you really want you can get 9 or 10 guage strings that are easier to push downs

If I had a puppy I would name it Tessa so it would cooperate well.
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2006 at 02:37

Originally posted by cobb cobb wrote:



Essentially there are just two main shapes to construct major bar chords with - E and A.

There are at least two more shapes - read my previous post. 

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cobb View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2006 at 08:49
Yes, Mike, I know there are others, basically any open chord that can be shaped with a bar can be moved, but this is for someone just trying to get them working.

My particular favourite is the C chord. Very nice wherever you put it.
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MikeEnRegalia View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 01 2006 at 09:31

Originally posted by cobb cobb wrote:

Yes, Mike, I know there are others, basically any open chord that can be shaped with a bar can be moved, but this is for someone just trying to get them working.

My particular favourite is the C chord. Very nice wherever you put it.

Boys are Back in Town was the first song that made me learn that chord. Although this chord is possibly the most difficult barre chord, there is a simple and beautiful variation:

-2-
-3-
-2-
-2-
-2-
-0-

 

 

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