F#m and Bm

I know you want an easier way but I'd really recommend practicing the barre versions of these chords. Yes they are difficult and tiresome at first but once you get it you want belive how much easier it is to just move the forms around the fretboard... Not to mention the fuller sound and the ease of adding variation to your strumming patterns using barre chords. I'd personally prefer to play barre over open any day....It just so much simpler once you build up the stregnth. Peace! -Pix

The beauty of barre chords, is after you learn a couple of shapes & learn the fret board a little, you can play just about anything without learning a new chord form.  A lot of my friends see a flat, or a sharp, and they don't have a clue what to do--knowing barre chords, you just bump the barre up one fret for a sharp, and down one for a flat--it's easy.  Stick to it & practice the barre chords more than the open chords--you'll be glad you did!

No.  One of the universe's most vexing and horrible problems to which there is no solution is an easier way to play barre chords.  It is one way we can know for sure, despite the many kindnesses and beauty we may see, that we are not yet in heaven.   In heaven Bm and F#m will be easy, and there will be no cause for playing an "A" shaped barre chord ever.

- Zurf

Barre chords make playing so much easier and chord changes so much faster. I wish I would have forced myself to learn them years ago instead of avoiding songs that contained them. I think I will always avoid songs that have those four fret wide chords, my hands are to small.

barre chords are essential to most pop, rock blues and country songs.  Learn them.

Having said that, there are many voicings for any chord, but the voice you choose may create subtle changes in the song because each voice accents different notes and tensions. The same chord in different positions should not always be considered interchangeable.   A barre F#m played at the ninth fret and one played at the 2nd are not exactly the same and accent different notes.  In most cases, no real effect, but sometimes it can really be noticeable.

There is no such thing at cheating in guitar there is just what ever is easier.  I was taught always to be lazy playing the guitar (economy of movement) so if a "cheating" chord is handiest by G-d thats what I'll use, if not than there's a barcode

Ken,

How can you live with yourself, cheating like that?  The chords must submit to our will.  Except B, of course.  It vexes me.

Actually, I take the same approach as you do, except I don't 'cheat' the chords, I play the barre chord and it sounds awful but I don't care because as you say, I'm not getting paid.  I figure if I do it enough, eventually they may start to sound better and wouldn't that be nice if it ever happens.

- Zurf

Thanks for the support there getfiddle, but Upyerkilt is right too.  It's not the WRONG way to play the chord, it's a DIFFERENT way to play the chord.  Now, it might sound fine in some songs and not in others.  Well, that's Upyerkilt's pickle to munch.  So long as the sounds come out and don't make me cring to often, he's welcome to play the chords anyway he likes at my campfire. 

- Zurf