Whoa boy.. ok I am learning a new song today called "How Great Is Our God" and it goes from an A chord to E/G# to F#m7 and it shows those chord as played:
A = X02220
E/G# = 422100
F#m7 = 242222
Now my question is HOW in the heck can I switch from that A to the E/G#? It seem impossible. I cant reach the thumb up to the 4 to use it.. I can stretch any other fingers up to it.. Any idears?
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Mini barre with your index across 4th and 5th strings, muting the 3rd string with the rest of the index (or maybe it suffices playing just the 4th-6th string), ring finger on 4th fret 6th string ... tada :-)
lars
...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...
LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk
E_____|____|____|____|
B_____|____|____|____|
G__1__|____|____|____|
D_____|_2__|____|____|
A_____|_3__|____|____|
E_____|____|____|__4_|you could try this
"thats alright baby i still got ma guitar"
to make the stretch you've really got to bring your thumb low down the back of the guitar neck i dont know the true way to play the chord but that way seems possible, by using your third finger on the A string youve got the shortest span between third and fourth fingers i think you can get. good luck
"thats alright baby i still got ma guitar"
Hmmm
How about, barre the 2nd fret, 4th finger on the 3rd string 4th fret (B) and 3rd finger on the 6th string 4th fret (G#). Et voila - G#, B, E, and B, and if you can get your index finger up so the 1st and 2nd strings aren't damped at the same time - G#, B, E, B, B, E.
Not easy, but...
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Jim, I know this doesn't answer your question but in my church we got around that due to the bass guitar playing the low notes so the guitars didn't have to, esp on those combo chords.
If you have to play it alone, that is a different deal to contend with.
Bish
"I play live as playing dead is harder than it sounds!"
First question is are you playing this on one guitar and with no other instruments? If you've got a full band (or even just a keyboard player), then let the bass or piano take that note (as noted in the post right before this) and don't even worry about it.
Next question (and this is only if it's just you playing it) is whether you're singing while playing that chord. If you are, then I'd suggest a simpler version of what Alan suggests, just play the three lowest strings. That's your full E chord with the proper note in the bass. This is what Lars suggests and it should work fine. What else do you need?
Third question would be whether or not you can do a C shape barre chord of E (476454) on the fourth fret. This gives you your E/G#.
The final question should be "does that G# in the bass make any significant change in the sound?" Most of the arrangements that I've seen of praise music are piano arrangements and usually the chord's inversion is rarely as important as the chord itself.
By the bye, Jim, I did get your email a few weeks back. My apologies that I've been kind of backlogged. I hope to dash you off a reply later in the week. My thanks (always) for your patience.
Hope this helps.
Peace
First question is are you playing this on one guitar and with no other instruments?
Next question (and this is only if it's just you playing it) is whether you're singing while playing that chord.
The final question should be "does that G# in the bass make any significant change in the sound?"
By the bye, Jim, I did get your email a few weeks back. My apologies that I've been kind of backlogged. I hope to dash you off a reply later in the week. My thanks (always) for your patience.
Hope this helps.
Peace
I really appreciate all the answers. While you were answering I was chugging away and realized something BUT I will answer to the questions David post first.
#1 Yep, Just little ol me
#2 Yes, singing always.. Its my better trait. :oops:
#3 Its makes a TON of difference.
Finally David.. I appreciate you saying that. I was hoping that I didnt over step professional bounds by dropping that on you. Man, I felt small. But turns out that the site I quoted to you is a great source of information and once I got over myself. I have learned alot about the business side of music.
Also, if you see Gigs and Jams.. you'll see that I figured it out by myself. LOL I stayed true to myself and quit my band so that I could focus on my love... ARGH.. I am SO happy now.. Its like a weight off my shoulders. David.. I just didnt wanna over step bounds.
SO.. What I learned is that in this song I have NO idea why that chord is even used. When I sing along with the song.. there is no need to move to that chord. I think the person that tabbed it was trying to accomplish a bass run that really wasnt needed.
But I really appreciate the comments and I appreciate all you trying to help me.. I cant see where playing that chord helps the song AT ALL.. if you know the song and can explain how it DOES help then I would appreciate that information.
Thanks guys. You are THE best.. It is to me what makes GuitarNoise so freaking wonderful. My friends
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
I just played through the change, and have a suggestion...
Fret the A as a barre with your index finger. Position the tip of your finger so it's between the fourth and fifth strings - you'll want to be closer to the fifth string than you normally would be with a barre.
Now shift your index finger forward, fretting the B and E notes of the E major - and deadening the G string at the same time. You'll be putting the G# note in the bass with the third finger, completing the E/G# chord.
As a bonus, you're in nearly the right position to drop onto the F#m7.
If you really need to get the third string G# into the E chord, it gets trickier. Barre the A with the middle finger, and roll it so you fret both the fourth and fifth strings for the E. You'll then be fingering the E as 4221. It calls for more precision, and it'll be easier if you have 'fat' fingers.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
I just tried what Noteboat suggested, and discovered that by moving the barre across to the A and D strings, it was relatively easy to put my pinkie on the G string at the 4th fret - saves muting it - and found my ring finger in almost the right place for the bottom E string, 4th fret....
E A D G
4 2 2 4
r i i p
notes from left to right ....G#, B, E, B...
I'd be tempted to play an ordinary E chord unless you were actually picking the chords with a descending bass-line...
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
From the Paul Baloche school of "Open Chord Concept" I would play How Great is Our God like this:
A: X02220
E2/G#: 4X4400
F#m: 2X2200 (slide the shape up from the E/G#)
Not exactly what you are looking for I know, but learning to play in E using these chord shapes helped me to learn a bunch of the songs we perfrom on our worship team quickly. As a beginner (almost 2 years) being able to play at home what I sing on Sundays really kept/keeps me motivated to practice guitar...and I think the chord voicings sound cool :-) I still work on learning the traditional chords, but I find myself substituting a few of these voicings from time to time just to be able to play the complete song.
Here's a link on the Open Chord Concept in case anyone is interested: http://www.integritymusic.com/worship/musicianship/0904-2.html
Steed
Steeder.. you make me a fool my friend. Actually, now that mention it I watched his Baloches Acoustic guitar video this past weekend and I now remember him doing that song with.... the open chord concept.
I still say that after playing the song.. that chord is absolutely not needed. I cant even see where it would be fit in... but I see that chord so often in CCM music that I figured I better ask.
Thanks for all the suggestions guys.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
that looks like a simple walkdown.
since i play an A with a barred index, playing the g# is just a little reach with my ring finger 4x222x. or you could play it all as barre chords: A g#m7 f#m7. i think e/g# is a typo there, and should be a/g#. but in any case, an e/g# can be easily played like this 4x2100.
Geoo,
Any chance that progression is from Born to Run? If it is, I play it A, E/G#, F#m, not F#7. Anyhow, here's how I play the E/G#:
E_____|____|____|____|
B_____|____|____|____|
G_____|____|____|__3_|
D_____|_1__|____|____|
A_____|____|____|__x_|
E_____|____|____|__4_|
Play the A with a first finger mini-barre or play it with i,m,r (1,2,3). Either way, leave your index finger right there on the D string and just move 3 and 4. Mute the A string with your pinkie (the B is played on the G string). For the transition to F#7 simply move your index finger up a bit and lay it across the second fret while moving your ring into position. With a little practice it goes pretty smoothly.
Hope this helps,
Steve
The easiest way to make the E/G# chord is to realize the idea of movable chords: if you take an open D chord and move it up 2 frets and just bring your thumb around to comfortably press down the 6th string, 4th fret (G#), you will have created an E/G#
