A shape Barre Chord

[Moose408]

I mute the low E with the tip of my barre finger. I mute the high E with the lower part of middle finger. I’m pushing hard on the D, G, and B strings and trying not to press hard on the high E

[petelanger]

Ummmmm, wouldn’t that be the ring finger @Moose408 ?

I personally can’t reach across a whole fret between index and middle.

[Moose408]

Yes, ring finger.

[Ang]

All’s good, typo… ☀️

[Ang]

Great, thanks for this!

[Guitlesson]

I personally try not to mute the high e-string, it is after all a note in the chord. That doesn’t mean it always gets played, but I like to have it available in case it is.

[the-old-coach]

Yeah, I agree…. why would you want to? (except to have some sort-of “lower-sounding” A— (because of no-hi-E). I’ve always thought if I didn’t want the hi-E, I could just not play the hi-E string.

Big fan of “keepin’ it simple”. Easier/faster.

[petelanger]

So lets look at this: playing the chord the way Tony shows us in the challenge:
B, F#, B, D# (the high E string is muted)

if played it would be a G# so the chord would be:

B, F#, B, D#, G#

I have tried to figure it out from what little music theory I have learned; I hope somebody more informed than I can validate what follows or correct it. Based on the ear test, I would say it fits! If I am on the right track the B major scale consists of, using the formula “tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone -semitone”:

B C# D# E F# G# B

For the B chord you need:

Root: B

the 3rd: D#

the 5th: F#

The G# is in the scale so it definitely doesn’t clash, but it isn’t required because you already have the basics of the B chord.

[Guitlesson]

Your theory is spot on. I didn’t explain it very well. By not muting it, I didn’t mean I was playing the G# (4th fret high E string), I am bending (some may call it contorting) my ring finger to let the F# (2nd fret high E string) that is part of the bar ring out if I choose to hit that string. So the notes would be B, F#, B, D#, F#. It is a little more complicated and takes practice, but doable. Sorry for the confusion.

[petelanger]

Now that’s tricky to not only not mute with the ring finger but fret the high E with your index finger on the 2nd fret. I can’t do this cleanly but I can’t get it working with some buzzing. But I see where if you able to bend the first knuckle of your ring back slightly, so that the finger is no longer straight, this would be quite easy to do. Some people naturally have this ability and perhaps it can be “developed” to a small degree.

[Guitlesson]

Tricky, but as you see, doable with practice. This is how I learned the chord. It is like playing the open A chord as a bar instead of three fingers on the second fret (strings 4, 3, and 2). But since you are playing the B chord in this example, the barred fret would take the place of what were the open strings in the A chord. This is why it is called the “A” shaped B chord. You are definitely getting the theory.

[the-old-coach]

Learn to play the open chords A, E (pretty easy), and D, and C (harder)….. with your middle, ring, and pinkie. This leaves your index finger to barre. It’s not that easy, but will pay you BIG benefits once you have the concept down.

The KEY is that the whole works is then……. moveable …….. all up and down the fretboard. Move your index/barre finger to wherever your desired root-note is/ on whatever string (E, A, or D), or shape, you’re looking for……

[Ang]

I like this! Really makes sense to me.thanks