How do I make this tab sound clear?

Barre the D,G, and B strings with your third / ring finger and use your first / index finger on the A string. Also, keep the high E muted with your barring finger and/or be careful not to strike it.


E---------------
B-------4--------
G-------3--------
D-------2--------
A-------1--------
E---------------


OK... first of all, your fingers should not be in one fret! The numbers represent the fret, not the finger! So, it should be first finger on A string, first fret, next finger on D string, second fret, next finger on G string, third fret, next finger on B string, fourth fret. It'll be a stretch until you get used to it! Strum from A string to B string.
E---------------
B--------------5--------
G--------------5--------
D--------------5--------
A-------3--------
E---------------


Barre the D,G, and B strings with your third / ring finger and use your first / index finger on the A string. Also, keep the high E muted with your barring finger and/or be careful not to strike it.

Or, if you find Hyperborea's method unweildy in the beginning you can also use 3 or 4 fingers for this one by placing first finger on A string, third fret and using any combination of remaining fingers to depress D, G & B strings in the fifth fret. It is possible to hold down two strings at one time by placing the finger flat onto the strings rather than using the fingertip, therefore making it possible to hold down three strings with two fingers. Again, strum from A string to B string.


E---------------
B-------4--------
G-------3--------
D-------2--------
A-------1--------
E---------------


OK... first of all, your fingers should not be in one fret! The numbers represent the fret, not the finger! So, it should be first finger on A string, first fret, next finger on D string, second fret, next finger on G string, third fret, next finger on B string, fourth fret. It'll be a stretch until you get used to it! Strum from A string to B string.

It would be a stretch, and it might sound pretty weird too. I think that actually was the finger chart that you're trying to play there EB. :wink: Both diagrams refer to the same chord - one shows the fingers, the other shows the frets.

Win-DOH,

If you have trouble with the method shown in the chart, or with either method suggested above, then try swapping fingers 2 and 3 around. This way you have a little squeezed up triangle shape instead of a straight line.

In these cases it's good to work out what you're actually trying to play though, as often that suggests alternatives. That's a C chord. As written, the notes are E, C, G, C, E, E (if the high and low Es are played open). The minimum you need is C, E and G, so at a pinch the GCE would do on its own and you could miss the two bass strings and the high E and just strum those three. Mute the others if you're not good at partial strums. It could also be played as a full bar with your index finger laid across the third fret (the outer Es then become Gs, but all still good for a C chord, just differently voiced). The 5th fret could then be fingered as a mini-bar, or with any combination of fingers that were comfortable to use, and convenient to change to and from.

There's nearly always more than one way, so long as you know what is the important part of the sound. Usually you can drop a string or two out with no ill effect. It's better to have it light and clean than full and buzzy/muddy.

Whatever you use, that "A shape" (the three in line on the 5th fret, that you first meet as a basic A major chord) is a tricky one to get right, especially as you start moving it along the neck and room gets tighter. On a good day, with the planets correctly aligned, I can manage it by using the end part of my third finger and bending it back at the joint enough to clear the high E string (as Hyperborea suggests). But whatever you try will probably be awkward at first but will come eventually. Good luck with it. :)

Whatever you use, that "A shape" (the three in line on the 5th fret, that you first meet as a basic A major chord) is a tricky one to get right, especially as you start moving it along the neck and room gets tighter. On a good day, with the planets correctly aligned, I can manage it by using the end part of my third finger and bending it back at the joint enough to clear the high E string (as Hyperborea suggests). But whatever you try will probably be awkward at first but will come eventually. Good luck with it. :)

Yeah, getting the third / ring finger bent back enough to let the first / high e string ring out in a full A-shaped barre chord is tough. I still can't do it reliably. Getting that finger bent back enough to mute the first string was a lot easier - it took some practice but it wasn't excessive. I'm sure that for some it's a lot harder and for some it requires no effort but getting that ring finger partial barre is really useful. Besides, they can work on their partial chord strumming skills at the same time and work on not striking the first string.