excersizes for chording?

[flatfacerincone]

Okay, so recently i picked up the first two copies of Fretboard Logic.

 

Since I already knew the pentatonics, and the Major scale (although i suck at playing it,) it made sense to me how the C A G E D chord forms related to the scale boxes.

 

As for actually playing the barre chords, im having a hell of a lot of trouble. Ive got the E and A forms down easy, but C, G, and D give me trouble. So i was wondering... are there any excersizes designed to improve your chording?

 

Everybody knows excersizes to improve your dexterity, up your chops, ect, but ive never seen anything for playing chords. Maybe something that helps develop finger independence and strength? (especially for my pinky )

[typedeaF]

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184299

Also, a exercise I personally do. I get soda bottles (or beer if you prefer) and place them on my fingers (tip: leave some full for extra weight) and then I practice for an Hour doing basic scales and stuff that looks like scales.


I am playing "Far Beyond the Sun" by Yngwie in this photo.

[Frank Prince]

One approach to learning difficult chord shapes is to break it down to a matter of muscle memory.

For instance, with the G form making a D chord, the first step is to actually get your fingers around the shape. Best to start with your forearm roughly perpendicular to the guitar neck, wrist relaxed and slightly bent in towards the guitar neck, and the fingers curled in towards the fingerboard.

Now place the fingers into position one at a time, (if I remember right), 3rd finger on low E string 10th fret, 2nd finger on A string 9th fret, 1st finger barred across the D G and B strings 7th fret, and 4th finger on the high E 10th fret.

This is probably the hardest of the shapes, so if you are having a difficult time getting your fingers in place, move the whole shape up the neck toward the body of the guitar, since the frets get closer together as you go up.

Once you get to where you can comfortably play the chord shape and it sounds good when you strum it, start letting your fingers come up a little from the fingerboard and then put them back down in position. Do this about 50 times, but don't press hard or strain.

Next, start lifting your fingers all the way off the fretboard and straightening them out, and then putting them back into the chord shape. Do this slow enough that your fingers go back onto the correct frets in perfect position. Repeat this about 50 times.

Finally, practice taking your hand all the way off the neck and pulling your arm away, and then putting your hand back on the neck with your fingers in the chord position in one smooth motion.

It also helps to look at the shape that your hand is making when you do the chord, and use this as a rough guide for getting your fingers in position. When you start getting comfortable with the chord, start looking away from the neck.

Take it slow and be precise, and you should be able to get any chord drilled into your muscle memory fairly quickly using this method.

[flatfacerincone]

Originally posted by typedeaF http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184299 Also, a exercise I personally do. I get soda bottles (or beer if you prefer) and place them on my fingers (tip: leave some full for extra weight) and then I practice for an Hour doing basic scales and stuff that looks like scales. I am playing "Far Beyond the Sun" by Yngwie in this photo.

I hope youre not serious about the Yngwie thing. How do you play anything (other than slide i suppose, haha) with bottles on youre fingers? How do you get your fingertip onto the fret to hit the note?

[Kinetic]

Originally posted by flatfacerincone Everybody knows excersizes to improve your dexterity, up your chops, ect, but ive never seen anything for playing chords. Maybe something that helps develop finger independence and strength? (especially for my pinky )

As you've noticed barre chords rely on physical strength, much more so than other chord forms. I advise students to sit and hold the chord while doing something visual, because it is quite boring. You must prcatice it everyday because if you don't you can take a backward step and that is frustrating!

Here's what I used to do:

Sit and hold the barre chord while watching TV. Arpeggiate the chord to make sure you have the notes, if any are not correct make minor technical adjustments (I did not remove my hand at first as this is a technique reset button). The idea behind this is almost entirely to build strength. Do this for at least 30 mins every day for a month.

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by typedeaF http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184299 Also, a exercise I personally do. I get soda bottles (or beer if you prefer) and place them on my fingers (tip: leave some full for extra weight) and then I practice for an Hour doing basic scales and stuff that looks like scales. I am playing "Far Beyond the Sun" by Yngwie in this photo.

You forgot to put one on your thumb - {censored}

[WVKeith]

Does anyone actually play the G or D shaped barre chords? I am trying to learn the D shape now and have been for the last 9 days. I am a lot better than I was when I started but need to get faster on the chord changes for it to really be useful.

I keep asking myself why? Will I really use this chord. I want to learn it now just because I set out to do it initially, but I doubt I'll ever really use it.

[Slave_New_Wurld]

Originally posted by Kinetic Sit and hold the barre chord while watching TV. Arpeggiate the chord to make sure you have the notes, if any are not correct make minor technical adjustments (I did not remove my hand at first as this is a technique reset button). The idea behind this is almost entirely to build strength. Do this for at least 30 mins every day for a month.

 

 

It's as much changing from one chord shape to another as it is actually having the stength to barre.

 

You need to physically be able to change from

 

C shape to D shape

C shape to E shape

C shape to A shape

C shape to G shape

C shape to open chords

 

then

 

D shape to E shape

D shape...yeh you get the idea.

 

D shape to

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by WVKeith Does anyone actually play the G or D shaped barre chords? I am trying to learn the D shape now and have been for the last 9 days. I am a lot better than I was when I started but need to get faster on the chord changes for it to really be useful. I keep asking myself why? Will I really use this chord. I want to learn it now just because I set out to do it initially, but I doubt I'll ever really use it.

 

 

Yes - although personally I don't play the D shape as a bar... i usually only play 4 strings and finger it that way. Similarly i playing it open I'll rarely if ever include the bass 'A' note cos I think the chord sounds better without it (you might disagree).

 

 

e.g. D# played

--3--3rd

--4--R

--3--5th

--1--R

--x--

--x--

 

If I want the chord with a fuller voicing I'll use a C shape bar chord. That way the root note gets repeated twice instead of the 5th.

 

e.g. D played

 

--2--3rd (if dampen this note you don't even have to bar)

--3--R

--2--5th

--4--3rd

--5--R

--x--

 

 

To be honest i often tend to use a power chord rather than the full "G" shaped bar, great for sliding fast changes up and down the neck.

 

--5--R

--5--5th

--3--5th

--3--R

--x--

--x--(sometimes i include the root here n'all)

 

I guess what i'm saying is you don't need to be entirely ridged and play all the strings and you don't always have to play it as a bar chord.

[Frank Prince]

Originally posted by WVKeith Does anyone actually play the G or D shaped barre chords? I am trying to learn the D shape now and have been for the last 9 days. I am a lot better than I was when I started but need to get faster on the chord changes for it to really be useful. I keep asking myself why? Will I really use this chord. I want to learn it now just because I set out to do it initially, but I doubt I'll ever really use it.

 

The D shape minus the high e string was pretty common in hard rock and metal at one point. Ozzy's "Bark at the Moon" comes immediately to mind.

[Kinetic]

Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld It's as much changing from one chord shape to another as it is actually having the stength to barre. You need to physically be able to change from C shape to D shape C shape to E shape C shape to A shape C shape to G shape C shape to open chords then D shape to E shape D shape...yeh you get the idea. D shape to

 

 

That comes later. You can't change if you don't have the strength in the first place. You're jumping way ahead.

[jazzbo]

Originally posted by WVKeith Does anyone actually play the G or D shaped barre chords? I am trying to learn the D shape now and have been for the last 9 days. I am a lot better than I was when I started but need to get faster on the chord changes for it to really be useful. I keep asking myself why? Will I really use this chord. I want to learn it now just because I set out to do it initially, but I doubt I'll ever really use it.

 

 

no, not as a barre

 

but in other forms such as

 

D shape

 

8

9

8

x

x

x

 

or

 

x

9

8

6

x

x

 

G shape

 

8

5

5

5

7

x

 

playing the D shape as a barre isn't really practical IMO... the G shape can be done, but not really necessary

[jazzbo]

Here is a finger strengthening exercise:

1 finger per fret, using frets 1, 2, 3 and 4
play every combination of your fingers across all six strings, up and down, alternate picking
This means
1,2
1,3
1,4
2,3
2,4
3,4
1,2,3
1,2,4
1,3,4
2,3,4
1,2,3,4
it's hard but your hand will get strong

[Moggo]

Originally posted by typedeaF http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184299 Also, a exercise I personally do. I get soda bottles (or beer if you prefer) and place them on my fingers (tip: leave some full for extra weight) and then I practice for an Hour doing basic scales and stuff that looks like scales. I am playing "Far Beyond the Sun" by Yngwie in this photo.

LOL

You must be pretty {censored}ing good man!!

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by Moggo LOL You must be pretty {censored}ing good man!!

Nah - he only has the beer bottles on one hand, that's easy.

[typedeaF]

Originally posted by Knottyhed Nah - he only has the beer bottles on one hand, that's easy.

I do classical guitar with bottles on all fingers

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by typedeaF I do classical guitar with bottles on all fingers

When playing classical i find coke cans give much better tone

[Kinetic]

Originally posted by Knottyhed When playing classical i find coke cans give much better tone

I agree but only if they're natural coke cans, the fake ones just don't have the right attack IMHO.

As for bottles... ptch... Segovia would never have used bottles.

[Slave_New_Wurld]

Originally posted by Kinetic That comes later. You can't change if you don't have the strength in the first place. You're jumping way ahead.

 

 

Changing IS a strength exercise!

 

I found the best strength building lies in actually playing - anyone can just hold down strings for long enough, the strength lies in moving the fingers from one position to another and then applying the pressure.

[Knottyhed]

Originally posted by Kinetic I agree but only if they're natural coke cans, the fake ones just don't have the right attack IMHO. As for bottles... ptch... Segovia would never have used bottles.

 

 

Agreed; bottles definately work better with steel strings... if you're using nylon strings you need coke cans.

[Kinetic]

Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld anyone can just hold down strings for long enough,

 

 

That's just not true is it? The first problem encountered by someone new to barre chords is finding the strength to have one finger hold down several strings. It's partly positioning too, knowing how to set the barring finger can help immensly helpful.

 

I don't disagree with anything else you've said I just think you're missing a step.

[Slave_New_Wurld]

Originally posted by Kinetic That's just not true is it?

 

 

no sir

[typedeaF]

For a serious response: I have seen children of the age 7 hold down barre chords. I have seen girls with little girlie hands barre chords on acoustic guitars set up with 10mm of action at the 1st fret. I have a freind who is 28 and still whines about "I just cant do barre chords". I have zero sympathy. He cant, becasue he hasnt tried long enough. period.

[Kinetic]

Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld no sir

[Slave_New_Wurld]

Originally posted by typedeaF I have seen girls with little girlie hands barre chords on acoustic guitars set up with 10mm of action

That's nay girl