I NEED SIMPLER ALTERNATIVE Bm and F CHORD (Page 1 of 2)

Hello sixstringrich - One solution may be to use chordie's nifty-keeno transposing tool (right side of a song's screen) to change a song's key.  This is one way around the problem and can provide a temporary fix.

Not all songs are properly coded to allow transposing - but most are.  Play around with the transposer until you move the song into a key that is in your comfort zone.  Hope this helps - James

Hi Rich:

Here we go again! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_rolleyes.gif" border=0 alt="Rolling Eyes">

Once more I'm about to aggravate the purists and serious players here who will inevitably say "practice practice practice", and they are of course correct.

Playing the full fingerings of any chord does indeed sound better, and I'm sure that with the recommended finger strengthening exercises and months of the aforementioned practice, practice, practice, most people could eventually play all the barred chords reasonably well.

If they did'nt first get frustrated to all get out and quit.

I'd be willing to bet that F and Bm and the rest of the barred chords have much to do with a lot of guitars gathering dust in unopened closets.

That being said, there are definitely easier ways to play F and Bm than the official and proper fingerings.

For those of us with no delusions of ever being Liona Boyd or Eric Clapton, F can be fingered 003211 with the first finger fretting e and b on the first fret , the index finger fretting g on the second and your ring finger fretting D on the third fret.

Bm can be done 004432 with first finger second fret e, index finger third fret b, ring finger fourth fret g and baby finger also on fourth fret but on the D string.

Yes I know that this isn't proper and that there are the dreaded open strings and that I will probably burn in Hell for attempting to seduce a beginner away from the pure and proper path to true guitar enlightenment, but to heck with it.

I play because I love to play and if making some chords easier, if less than perfect, keeps us amateurs pickin and grinnin rather than fumin and fussin and storing our guitars in the closet, then it's all good for me.

O.K. purists....let the Tunedeaf bashing begin! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_lol.gif" border=0 alt="Laughing">

Hi Tunedeaf,

No bashing from me, in fact I will let you into a little secret as long as you promice not to tell anyone else. I often play F as x33211 and Bm as a xx4432 especially if I am learning a song or I want a quick chord change.

The fact is I learnt to play them that way. I then later had to learn to play them as barre chords and I wished that I had done it properly from the start which was the reason I was advising Rich to learn the barre chord now.

Maybe you and Cytania are right. Rich will certainly be able to play these chords easier this way and if it keeps him playing, then that is good.

Roger

I too learned to play the "easy" F and Bm.  I have always played them like that and I always will. After 20 years it's hard to unlearn.  I just taught myself not to hit the open strings.  When strumming quickly, I think <b><i>not</i></b> hitting the open strings takes as much talent as playing the barre chords.  No bashing from me tunedeaf <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">

Hi guys ... I am well ... a beginner of sorts .. although I seem to have gotten better. I too started playing the easy F's and Bm's but what I am doing at the moment is since I can play the easy F's and Bm fairly well, I have begun to attempt the barre chords. Its a bit easier now because I know exactly where my finger placement should be. So now the challenge is barring with the index finger. Try it. It actually works.

Rich,

First off, it's great that you are learnning to make music!!!! By now I'm sure someone here has told you how to short cut them, how to eliminate them by transposeing the song and of course practice. Well the truth is...they are all very correct! each method has it's draw backs but I suggest using each one.

1) Simplified (cheat) chords are very appropriate in certain situations in some songs, especially if you are picking runs between chords which I do alot in country and blues.

2) Being able to transpose a song is a good skill to have. The vocalist may need the key of the song changed, you may be playing with a harp blower who has a limited variety of harmonicas, there are lots of situations where this comes in handy.

3)Barr chords were among some of the first chords I learnned. I didn't know they were hard because nobody bothered to tell me. My point is that you gutted it out and mastered the other chords so don't wuss out on these they are no harder that the others just different.

Good luck to you Rich!!!

                             -Mike

"Nobody paints by ear so why would I play guitar by sight?"

Heres the F I play, its simple.

Can someone let me know exactly how accurate it is?

My advice is to keep playing the Bm and F chords. And all the other barre chords for that matter. The problem with taking shortcuts is you'll never become a truly good player if you quit on certain chords because they're difficult. Keep trying.

I know the last thing you wanna do is shell out money ... but i'll tell you what I got fed up with my $200 Glossy/pretty big wide necked acoustic guitar that I bought to learn on.

I saw this 3/4 size Gretsch Americana series acoustic on Guitar center's web site, and all the reviews said how easy it was to play and great for beginners and experienced guitarists. It has some funky picture of a cowboy on it and a sort of rought finish but it was only $100.

I also am a police officer who works grave shift in Atlantic City and even in AC sometimes the winter nights can drag. So I figured.. "what the hell?" It's small,  and not too delicate or expensive, I could throw it in the trunk of the police car and not have to cringe every time I hit a bump on the way to a call.

So I ordered one... It was the best thing I did for my wanting to learn. It made playing sooo much easier, it had a narrow/thinner neck because it's scaled down annnd the strings werent heavy duty like the ones on my $200 mitchell where sometimes you think its gonna cut your finger open. So it's easier to hold a barre chord or any chord, mind you the fret is a little smaller but not noticeably but it really makes playing fun.

The only other difference you might experience with a 3/4 size acoustic like the one Im talkin about is that it has a rough/worn sound which  makes my shiny full sized acoustic sound like its always hooked up to an amp, but its great for practicing or playing for your friends it just makes it fun, Im no expert, ive only been playing for like 3 months but time after time if theres something I cant pull off on the full sized guitar... the 3/4 Grestch always makes it feel effortless.

I found a video on you tube of a guy playing one just like mine if you wanna check it out.. If you wanna buy one look around guitar center's website they should still have some.

youtube.com/watch?v=JZOaqCxAuOk

well theres always guitar hero

Wat if yer color blind??  lol

  Badeye 

I occasionaly throw in an "easy f" when playing...but only depending on the song and tempo... I usually play the barre though...

However... There is a way to cheat and still play it barred...

*prepares to be shouted at for bad habits*

Now as most of you know... the "F" barre chord is a barre across the first fret, and then an E shape... which leaves us with

133211  from low E to high...

What I sometimes do (though mainly with chords such as D/F#) is bend the thumb around and use my thumb on the first string...

My guitar naturally sits in the arch between my thumb and my index finger... Whenever some people see this they say it's a bad habit... and yes... it is... But it works for me and it's how I play... I know other people that this method works for too...