A,C, and D shaped barre chords

Barre chords work just like their open string cousins.

So with a standard A,C of D chord you would just mute or avoid the 6th string, so it's just the same really.

Although C shaped barre chords are fairly rare, and i havn't come across a D shaped barre chord in yonks, a wee bit fidly for my liking :)

hi everyone. just wondering for the A, C, and D shaped barre chords if the 6th string is muted or played. thanks,

pab

A shape would not. C shape is same as a D shape (aren't they? A D is a C shape on the 2nd fret with a lucky open 4th string, right?)

For a C shaped bar I don't play 6th or 5th string because I just don't have quite enough control of that pinky reach to the 5th string to play a barred C shape - at speed anyway. Maybe someday.

Yes.....and no.

With the A-shaped barres, if you're strumming, then it doesn't matter too much if you hit the 6th string; wherever you are on the fretboard, the 6th string will be the fifth of the chord. ie, 5 5 7 7 7 5 - that'd be a D chord, and the you'd be playing an A note on the 6th string.

With the C-shaped barres, it's slightly different - the note on the 6th string would be the third of the chord, so while technically it's a necessary note, it does tend to jar somewhat.

With the D-shaped barres, you'd definitely mute the 6th string - otherwise you'd be introducing a 9th (E) note into the mix.

I've tried to think of songs that actually use C and D shaped barres - all I can think of at the moment is "Under The Bridge" - RHCP, which uses both....and "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd, which uses a D chord moved up two frets to make an E, although it's actually an E/D chord as he plays it like this..... x x 0 4 5 4.

I can see where they'd come in handy for fingerpicking, though! You'd get some nice alternative chord shapes higher up the neck sounding completely different from open chords.....

:D :D :D

Vic

there's also a Paul McCartney tune off Flaming Pie which uses the D shape up the neck, but he just plays to thop three strings.

And The Who uses the A shape moved up the neck on Substitute, but that is with open strings if memory serves me well. So the riff would be A A A D E A (or something like that, no guitar handy to check, lol), using the A chord shape moved up with the 5th string (A) left open.

For an A shape chord, I find the 6th string (if added) sounds muddy. Ditto with the C shape. Definitely not for the D shape but I do find the 5th string doesn't sound bad on that one.

the only song i can remember off the top of my head that uses a C shape barre is,
"do you want to know a secret" (Beatles) on the 7th fret.
the theory police will need to wrestle that one to the ground because I'm blissfully unaware of it's moniker.

D shaped barre chords? that gives me the willys :?

I think "All My Loving" also uses the C-shape - there's a spot in the bridge where it goes C#m - C#m/maj7 - E, and the easiest place to do that is a C-shape E in fourth position.