7th Barre Chords

A tip that's been passed around here before is to roll your index finger slightly towards the nut. I've not tried it but there's never been any negative feedback about it.

Best,

A :-)

That happens to me, too, many times.

The fourth string is muffled because your index finger is not straight. Rolling towards the nut will not solve your problem. I suspect you do not have enough of your left hand on the fretboard side of the neck. Here is a link with pictures of my left hand while barring http://www.tampaguitarlessons.com/betterbarchords.htm Notice how much of my palm you can see on the fretboard side of the neck. That link also describes torquing, which is something you'll want to do once you straighten out that index finger.

Good Luck!

Hi Guitarteacher

Thanks, your idea of torquing the index and thumb certainly helps.

Any advice for nailing the barre chords with root off fifth string.
I play them using two barres ..

Thanks
Vic

P.S corbind, thanks, its encouraging to know that I am not the only one. :)

Any advice for nailing the barre chords with root off fifth string.
I play them using two barres ..

Doesn't everyone?

GoodVicHunting wrote: Any advice for nailing the barre chords with root off fifth string.
I play them using two barres ..

Please forgive my ignorance, but I'm fairly new to barre chords. Do you mean such as the IV7 and V7, for example:

E A D G B E

X 3 5 5 5 3

where you would barre the fifth fret with the third (ring) finger?

That's what my guitar teacher does, but I can't flatten the top joint of my ring finger enough to do that, so I hold the D and G strings with my ring finger, and catch the B string with my pinky.

Margaret

Hi Margaret,

When it comes to music theory, most of us here would make that "ignorant" list .. so no apologies are ever necessary. :)

The chord diagram that you have listed is of a C major barre chord, where the root note is on the 5th string.

E A D G B E
X 3 5 5 5 3

I play it differently than you.
I use two barres, one with index and one with the ring.

http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/5th%20String%20Bar.htm

My problem, however, was with 7th barre chord with root on 6th string.
For example, if I tried to play this G7 barre chord, I could never get the D string to ring out ...

E A D G B E
3 5 3 5 3 3

Vic

P.S Hbriem, a minority of ppl play it with just one barre.

Hi Guitarteacher

Thanks, your idea of torquing the index and thumb certainly helps.

Any advice for nailing the barre chords with root off fifth string.
I play them using two barres ..

Thanks
Vic

P.S corbind, thanks, its encouraging to know that I am not the only one. :)

A more efficient manner of fingering this chord is to use fingers 2, 3, and 4 on the fourth, third, and second strings, respectively (they make the shape of an open A Major). Once you master this technique, you won't go back to hyper-extending the third finger, even when you don't have to play the note on the first string (hyper-extension is BAD!).

GT

GT wrote: A more efficient manner of fingering this chord is to use fingers 2, 3, and 4 on the fourth, third, and second strings, respectively (they make the shape of an open A Major). Once you master this technique, you won't go back to hyper-extending the third finger, even when you don't have to play the note on the first string (hyper-extension is BAD!).
You mean on the X 3 5 5 5 3 chord, right? Seems like it would be difficult to hold the barre with the index while doing that with the other fingers. Not sure I can separate the 2nd/middle finger from the index enough to reach two frets away. I'll try it when I get home. I agree that hyperextending the fingers doesn't seem like a good thing for the joints, and I find it a little painful.
GVH wrote: My problem, however, was with 7th barre chord with root on 6th string.
For example, if I tried to play this G7 barre chord, I could never get the D string to ring out ...

E A D G B E
3 5 3 5 3 3
Yes, I have this same problem. The joint in my finger hits at that spot and I can't reliably make it ring out, either. Still working on that concept of "torquing."

Margaret

GT wrote: A more efficient manner of fingering this chord is to use fingers 2, 3, and 4 on the fourth, third, and second strings, respectively (they make the shape of an open A Major). Once you master this technique, you won't go back to hyper-extending the third finger, even when you don't have to play the note on the first string (hyper-extension is BAD!).
You mean on the X 3 5 5 5 3 chord, right? Seems like it would be difficult to hold the barre with the index while doing that with the other fingers. Not sure I can separate the 2nd/middle finger from the index enough to reach two frets away. I'll try it when I get home. I agree that hyperextending the fingers doesn't seem like a good thing for the joints, and I find it a little painful.

Easier said than done, indeed. The trick is to allow the first and second fingers to separate as opposed to forcing them apart. It's all about learning the way your body works and using that knowledge to your advantage (see tagline). In this particular example, you might try forming the chord farther up the neck where the frets are closer together. Keep in mind, though, that as you go farther up the neck, you will have less room to put your second, third, an fourth fingers in the same fret.

Good Luck!

I have read several posts on this site, regarding "hyperextending" your third finger by playing a major chord with a root on the 5th string, in the traditional way - with a first and third finger barre. I have never had a problem with this chord, although I know it is very difficult for some. As long as the guitar's action is not too high, I can bend my third finger so that the first sounds cleanly. I guess my third finger is fairly bendable. I can't play the same chord with four fingers, as suggested by GuitarTeacher. My reach isn't far enough to have my middle finger two frets from my index finger.

I guess it goes to show you, that there is no "correct" way!