# Chords I find hard to play.



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

There are few chords I find a bit harder to play. One is B7...









I still tend to slightly mute the open B string with my ring finger if I am not careful and fumble a bit making the full chord. It is taking much longer to learn to play this thing without little fumble than most all other chords (except the ones that take the hand of Harlem Globetrotter). The other chord that gives a problem is an F barre chord, but only on an acoustic - harder to fret properly without buzzes, etc. unless I really focus and press harder.

Unfortunately I have weak puny little girly man hands (use an Austrian accent here). And shorter than normal pinky


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Augmented & diminished chords...
Sometimes (There are some chord forms for them that aren't too bad when isolated, but can be a pain changing to them sometimes)


----------



## Guest (Aug 8, 2016)

For me, it's quickly changing to a B minor.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

laristotle said:


> For me, it's quickly changing to a B minor.


Bb minor here, ... there is something about barring on the first fret. Bb is just like trying to a barred F,... mostly on an acoustic.


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

B7 got me for a long time, but it's fine now. Some of the 7th chords with the long stretch for the pinky are a big challenge for me, like in the bridge/chorus section of John Mayer's Gravity.


----------



## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Em/maj9

025442


----------



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Robert1950 said:


> There are few chords I find a bit harder to play. One is B7...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Just "Drop the F# on the first string" and you have a B7 and a clean sound on the B on the second string, you don't need all the notes to make your chord, basically form a C7, slide down one fret and you have your B7.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

fredyfreeloader said:


> Just "Drop the F# on the first string" and you have a B7 and a clean sound on the B on the second string, you don't need all the notes to make your chord, basically form a C7, slide down one fret and you have your B7.


The high F# is needed for what I am trying to learn. A few times it is just a triplet chord using the 3 high notes.


----------



## Jim9guitars (Feb 15, 2016)

When I was teaching I had students play a chord, and then, while maintaining the the shape of the chord in their hand, lift the fingers about a half inch(uh, 2cm) above the strings. Then push all the fingers back into place simultaneously and play the chord - repeat this 5 or 6 times a day for each chord that is giving you trouble and your hand will start to land in place everytime. I'm surprised that B7 is a problem though, it's always been an easy one for me, probably all those early Beatles songs had something to do with it.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

For some reason, B7 is easy for me and I like playing it. The one I don't like playing is a B chord (xx4442) and I will substitute a B7 when possible. _(Suggestions for a better way to play the damn B chord are welcome)._


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Guitar101 said:


> For some reason, B7 is easy for me and I like playing it. The one I don't like playing is a B chord (xx4442) and I will substitute a B7 when possible. _(Suggestions for a better way to play the damn B chord are welcome)._


Sometimes you can get away with x6444x. Depending on the song. Or if you have a good solid rythym section you can just play xx444x


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

when I read the title of this thread, the chord that first popped into my mind was B7. I've got the shape down, but I think the problem is that none of the songs I play regularly use it. Practice makes perfect, right? 
Like Jim9 said, old Beatles stuff, and Why, why, why, Delilah is about it.


----------



## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

That B7 is on the list of "easy essentials" chords the teacher is making my kids learn lately.


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Lincoln said:


> when I read the title of this thread, the chord that first popped into my mind was B7. I've got the shape down, but I think the problem is that none of the songs I play regularly use it. Practice makes perfect, right?
> Like Jim9 said, old Beatles stuff, and Why, why, why, Delilah is about it.


And all old country songs and blues songs in E. Folsom Prison anyone? I'll sometimes use xx4445 instead.


----------



## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Try some of the shapes in Micky Baker's Jazz Guitar book. I've had it for years and I still can't play most of them with any sort of speed. I spent a month at least an hour a day with the book many years ago. It would be amazing to be able to play the chords in the book but even after a month most were a struggle. I still take it out and slowly try to fret the chords as a finger exercise. One thing to remember, especially with electric guitar, is that usually you don't need or even should play all the notes in any particular chord shape. Another trick is to play the root on the first beat while your fingers are getting into place for the rest of the chord. Always fret the root first if you can, even if the rest of the strings are muted you'll still sound OK until your fingers get into place. My hands are no where near as fast as they used to be so you learn to use tricks.


----------



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Kerry Brown said:


> Try some of the shapes in Micky Baker's Jazz Guitar book. I've had it for years and I still can't play most of them with any sort of speed. I spent a month at least an hour a day with the book many years ago. It would be amazing to be able to play the chords in the book but even after a month most were a struggle. I still take it out and slowly try to fret the chords as a finger exercise. One thing to remember, especially with electric guitar, is that usually you don't need or even should play all the notes in any particular chord shape. Another trick is to play the root on the first beat while your fingers are getting into place for the rest of the chord. Always fret the root first if you can, even if the rest of the strings are muted you'll still sound OK until your fingers get into place. My hands are no where near as fast as they used to be so you learn to use tricks.


Good advice, there is a chord book out by Joe Charupakorn 40,000 chords published by Cherry Lane Music. I've been slowly working my way through this and I empathize slowly. This a very interesting book even if just for browsing through, you never know what may catch your imagination, mind you I very much like different sounds.


----------



## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

Four pages only Amazon.com: Jazz Guitar Chord System (Acoustic Guitar Magazine's Private Lessons) (0073999952919): Scott Henderson: Books


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

Just like you Robert, it was several YEARS after I started playing that I could make the B7 quickly in a change, even though it was one of the first chords a teacher taught me (after basic cowboy chords and barre chords, it was the first I think).


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I don't hit anything cleanly. NOTHING.


----------



## Jim9guitars (Feb 15, 2016)

Guitar101 said:


> For some reason, B7 is easy for me and I like playing it. The one I don't like playing is a B chord (xx4442) and I will substitute a B7 when possible. _(Suggestions for a better way to play the damn B chord are welcome)._


I usually barre the 4th fret strings with my 3rd finger and play the 5th string note with the first finger, while muting the bottom string with a slight lift on the 3rd finger there. There's also the option of playing it as a full barre chord at the 7th fret.


----------



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

adcandour said:


> I don't hit anything cleanly. NOTHING.


The perfect Fusion/Rock musician, clean doesn't matter, loud, proud and in your face.


----------



## johnnyshaka (Nov 2, 2014)

adcandour said:


> I don't hit anything cleanly. NOTHING.


I like to call that "technique" my own style or signature.


----------



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Jim9guitars said:


> I usually barre the 4th fret strings with my 3rd finger and play the 5th string note with the first finger, while muting the bottom string with a slight lift on the 3rd finger there. There's also the option of playing it as a full barre chord at the 7th fret.


You could also play 7x787x fingering would be 1x243x for me this is easier than a barre chord.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

adcandour said:


> I don't hit anything cleanly. NOTHING.


You put the right kind of dirt on it (amp or pedal induced) and it won't matter.


----------



## nonsense (Aug 3, 2016)

I realize these are intended more as a mental shorthand than a proper chord, but the G barre chord used in CAGED stuff is extremely uncomfortable.

I also find it oddly difficult to cleanly play the major triad inversion on the g, b and high e strings. It shouldn't be difficult, but something always comes out ugly.


----------



## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

laristotle said:


> For me, it's quickly changing to a B minor.


That's what the 7th fret is for


----------



## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

Merlin said:


> Em/maj9
> 
> 025442


Nice chord.

One that gave me a hard time is the third chord in the verse of an STP song

X2312x

Thankfully I only play the top three strings of the chord with an overdrive tone and that resolved that!


----------



## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

ah so thats what that chord actually is, I always played X2323X and then slide the whole shape down to the 1st fret for the following chord.


----------



## bluebayou (May 25, 2015)

adcandour said:


> I don't hit anything cleanly. NOTHING.


If you were in Ottawa we could form a great band - totally original! Noone could recognize any covers we might play.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I am now getting the B7 about 80-90% of the time now.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

bluebayou said:


> If you were in Ottawa we could form a great band - totally original! Noone could recognize any covers we might play.


We could've named our band, "The Dead Strings". It has a nice ring to it.


----------



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

My pet peeve is C to G. Whatever G it is. The Angus style 3xxx33 or the regular 32xxx33. B7 can be tricky depending the chord structure of the song. I am practicing these with other chord changes and just bouncing back an forth between them.


----------



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

The Jimi Hendrix chord as well. Going to an coming from.


----------



## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Funny how #9 chords tend to change name according to the decade. In the 30s and 40s, that was referred to as the Gershwin 9th.


----------



## amagras (Apr 22, 2015)

Lola said:


> the regular 32xxx33.


 7 strings?


----------



## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I'm learning a tune by guitarist Pete Thorn and at the closing of it, the 4 chords are 

xx9557 (pluck the open low E)
xx7033
xx4023
xx4012

the first 2 chords are a hand killer!


----------



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

amagras said:


> 7 strings?


Lol! Can't count


----------



## LexxM3 (Oct 12, 2009)

adcandour said:


> We could've named our band, "The Dead Strings". It has a nice ring to it.


Actually, no it doesn't, it has no ring to it at all .


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

LexxM3 said:


> Actually, no it doesn't, it has no ring to it at all .


I'm glad someone caught that, ha.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Lola said:


> My pet peeve is C to G. Whatever G it is. The Angus style 3xxx33 or the regular 32xxx33. B7 can be tricky depending the chord structure of the song. I am practicing these with other chord changes and just bouncing back an forth between them.


What fingers do you use for the G chord?
If playing the standard G chord 32ooo3 I use my third finger on the 6th string, my second finger on the 5th string and 4th finger on the first string--it makes it easier to switch to a C chord--and if it's a G7 I use my first finger on the 1st string & my fingers just move inside one string.
Although I often mute the 5th string on a G chord.--often 3xoo33


Lola said:


> The Jimi Hendrix chord as well. Going to an coming from.


I always found that one easy--but maybe it's just my fingers...


----------



## GuitaristFred (Aug 27, 2016)

I remember that I was having trouble with F chord in the beginning. After months and years of practice, everything is going quite smooth now.


----------



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

GuitaristFred said:


> I remember that I was having trouble with F chord in the beginning. After months and years of practice, everything is going quite smooth now.


I forgot about that damned F chord! That dogged me for months! I hated that chord with a passion. I persevered though and now it's easy!


----------



## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

That damn SRV E contraption is a pain too. Modified hendrix chord at 076789 or 076899 or something like that.


----------



## GuitaristFred (Aug 27, 2016)

Lola said:


> I forgot about that damned F chord! That dogged me for months! I hated that chord with a passion. I persevered though and now it's easy!


Yeap, same here


----------



## vanderkalin (Sep 4, 2009)

Robert1950 said:


> The high F# is needed for what I am trying to learn. A few times it is just a triplet chord using the 3 high notes.


Trying to learn New Kid In Town?


----------



## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

If you practice those damned chord changes daily it helps so much. I have a sheet that my guitar teacher gave me. I set up a practice schedule for myself of things to practice. I limited it to 10 different songs. Some I know, some are almost perfect, some suck and some are in between. Within each song there are things to practice such as bends, palm muting, pinch harmonics. I practice within in the context of each song. I waste far too much time noodling which is not good. One song that I am going to learn which is on my list is Stairway to heaven but in fingerstyle. It's a challenge. We need to move out of our comfort zones and keep challenging ourselves so we can evolve as musicians. I am practicing a lot more blues rhythms. A lot of people think being a rhythm player is easy but for me it's not complicated but it's a challenge. Without rhythm there would be no leads. Just trying to do all the incidentals required in some of the blues song we play in the band can be a little uncomfortable because I haven't practiced enough. Now I know better. I started this schedule last night an am sticking to it! It's about 2 hours or so long. I can find that time in a day. Either all together or broken up in to 1/2 hr segments! I also need to go back to the gym. My day needs to start at 6 am. It's going to be very hard but I need to do it for me!


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

vanderkalin said:


> Trying to learn New Kid In Town?


It's a common chord used in old delta and Memphis blues tunes, often as part of the turn around, B-D#-A-B-F#


----------



## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

a chord i find a pita and is relatively simple is an E7 funk chord

xx6757

I try to visualize it as a D minor first position shape but one string up or a double stop on the 7th fret but once i add some speed, i tend to flub it.


----------



## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

When I first started playing I found D major tricky. I would cheat and bar my first finger across the second fret and my middle finger on the 3rd fret b string. Then I learned about the sus and that screwed everything up. Lol 

Back in the day I learned the Rain Song in standard tuning from Led Zeppelin Complete. The chord that slides right before the singing can be difficult. If I played up a string it would be much easier but doesn't sound right. It is just a 9 chord played on the D-hi e. 
xx6576 then slide down one. 

Anyway, reading this thread reminded me of what I thought was the coolest blues riff when I first started. It seems to be a good exercise for practicing that b7. Pretty simple but good for form.


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Believe it or not, I have trouble with an open A. Over the years I just started to bar it along the way. I can still get the sus chord where you're sharping the 3 but double flatting the 3 for the other sus chord requires rearrangement of my fingers. The advantage is...it's easy to throw the 6 in there.


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

JBFairthorne said:


> Believe it or not, I have trouble with an open A. Over the years I just started to bar it along the way. I can still get the sus chord where you're sharping the 3 but double flatting the 3 for the other sus chord requires rearrangement of my fingers. The advantage is...it's easy to throw the 6 in there.


I use my 2nd, 3rd & 4th fingers for that


----------

