playing B and F ? I need help

hello.

those chords aren't always mentioned in beginner books, as the most common voicings (way of playing..) of them involve barring.

there are lots of different ways to voice a chord, but for these two, these are the most common i've ever encountered...

(i'm going to assume that you were asking after major chords)

F major

if you don't know how to read tablature, it's not as daunting as it looks. there are guides all over the internet - here is one... it is as if one is looking down upon the guitar while holding it normally. the bottom row is the thickest string..

also - if you're having trouble with the barred chords, you're not alone... almost everybody does at first.

hey vempyre

yes Majors mate sorry I 'm musically stupid I know nothing about it at all I guess I should have mentioned that before ,please excuse my lack of knowledge as it is not to offend anyone it's just because I just don't know I have absolutely no muscial back ground at all and at the young age of 41 thought it would be a lot of fun .

please forgive me

and thank - you I just added your listing to my favourites and plan to read this religiously , it even talks about TABS what ever they are but Kool I 'll learn it .

thanks a heap really appreciate it

see ya

Open --Barre--
B F B B F F
E|-2--1---1-7---8-1-----|
B|-0--1---3-7--10-1-----|
G|-X--2---3-8--10-2-----|
D|-1--3---3-9--10-3-----|
A|-2--X---1-9---8-3-----|
E|-X--X---1-7---8-1-----|

The X means that you don't play the note - mute the G string with the finger, playing the D string.

ahh grasshopper...when you can snatch this pick from my hand, it will be time for you to leave. :)

Welcome aboard.

Have a look here:

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/guitar/index_db.html

There's a chord generator that'll likely give you every chord you'll ever need to know and it lets you print your own chord sheets.

Have fun.

Check this site, Cyberfret's Barre Chords, for some photos. That may help too.

thanks boys for the tips, iam having really tough time on the open f chord i do fine until i try to press down on the b e string with my index finger on that damm first fret. seem to rock my other fingers down and i mute out everything.... tim

I once heard this really good tip at practicing open chords. For a little while in the beginning, just place each individiual finger in the right string and fret at a time, and then strum the chord. Do this a little at first and your fingers will get used to making that shape.

FYI, It took me all summer to learn the F & B chords (I stareted playing last April), and I still struggle with them some, especially the B.

There is always what I call the "poor man's" F- index on the first fret high E and B, middle on the G fret 2, ring and pinkie on fret 3, A and D, respectively. I call it the "poor man's" although it is a true F chord. All you lack is the F bass note on the 6th string (which you don't play in the poor man's version). There's still an F on the 1st string so it works.

The B? There's also a poor man's version using only strings 1-4. I myself didn't bother with those because I wanted to learn thre barres and I just spen several months sweating my way through them.

However, I know one guy in my guitar choir who doesn't barre at all- uses only the poor man's chords, and he does okay. It's all personal preference.

yes Majors mate sorry I 'm musically stupid I know nothing about it at all I guess I should have mentioned that before ,please excuse my lack of knowledge as it is not to offend anyone it's just because I just don't know I have absolutely no muscial back ground at all and at the young age of 41 thought it would be a lot of fun .

please forgive me

don't be sorry for that!

usually when chords are written shorthandedly and there is no other indication of what type it is, say "e" - one can generally suppose that this is a major chord. i just thought that i had better check... i didn't want to send you barking up the wrong tree.

hilch

Yeah, you are not stupid at all. I remember quite well when I first started playing guitar. I looked at all those strings and frets and it was a total mystery to me. It can be a little overwhelming at first. But stay at it, and in a short while it will begin to make sense.

Tab is super easy. It is just like looking at your actual guitar.

First, you see your six strings. The high E is always placed on top, and the bass E string is always shown on the bottom.

e------------------ Treble E string
b------------------
g------------------
d------------------
a------------------
e------------------ Bass E string

See, that is your six strings exactly from the perspective you see them when you are holding and playing your guitar.

The numbers on these strings simply tell you at which fret you should hold them. However tab does NOT show you which fingers to use.

So the F Major chord

e---1------
b---1------
g---2------
d---3------
a----------
e----------

The B Major chord

e--2-----------
b--4-----------
g--4-----------
d--4-----------
a--------------
e--------------

Sometimes, someone will be thoughtful enough to show the fingering.
i= index finger, m= middle finger, r= ring finger, p= pinky, t=thumb

So here is the fingering for the F Major and B Major chords.

e--1i---------2i---------
b--1i---------4p--------
g--2m--------4r--------
d--3r---------4m-------
a------------------------
e------------------------

For the F chord, you will need to hold the 1st and 2nd strings (e & b) with the tip of your index finger. This is called a mini-barre.

Hope this made Tab a little easier. You will understand it easily soon. And 41 is not too late to start. There was a thread earlier this week. Many, many people start playing in their 40's, 50's and 60's. It's never too late.
So stay at it. It will all make sense soon.

Wes

Thanks everyone :

so much help cheers but when will my fingers bend like rubbber ? man I can see why F& B are not in my beginners book , if I would have tried this when I first got my guitar I think I might have stopped right there.

But I am going to do this , just a quick up date to all those who posted replies to my other posts I am changing from G to D really well and EM to G , i realise it won't be a biggy for actual guitar players but for me I am rapted

thanks again

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :P :P :P :P :P :roll:

hilch

That is great. Stay at it. With each new chord you learn, it becomes easier to learn newer and more difficult chords. Your fingers gain strength and flexibility.

And yes, F and B are tough chords. Almost everyone has difficulty with F at first. So don't be discouraged, these chords are hard for everyone.

I find F and B are easier to play with a full barre.

e--1i---------2i--------------
b--1i---------4r--------------
g--2m-------4r--------------
d--3p--------4r--------------
a--3r--------2i---------------
e--1i--------2i---------------

Use your index finger for a full barre over all six strings and use the fingers shown to play the other notes. On the B chord I have included the V(5th) tone on the 6th string. When you play this chord with the full barre you do not strike the 6th string even though you are fretting it. However, this note does belong to the chord and can be played. On the B chord you must also play a mini-barre over the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings with your ring finger. This will be a little difficult at first as well, but stay at it.