Ahhhhhhhhhh Progress

[Hooligan]

Not patting myself on the back or anything but it's nice to see some improvement. Worked in "Indescribable" tonight and I started hitting the F chord. I hate that chord.......I am still light years from knowing the song, however.

I went to the guitar store today and purchased a few chord charts. A small 8 1/2" X 11" laminated one for my music binder and a large poster chart for the wall. I love being able to look up and find a diagram.

I have also been using working with a slash chord chart Sean sent to me. Thanks Sean. It's neat seeing patterns like E, slide to A/E the to B/E. It's all starting to make sence to me.

[SeanB]

Anytime bro. They definately get easier. There are cheat chords that you can play for that F that are so much easier, but to be honest, you are better off being frustrated a little now and learning to use the F than to be lacking later. Just look at your chord charts and find alternates for the same chord.

One of the toughest things for many guitar players to learn is to play in the keys of F and Eb. The truth is that the F chord is not a comfortable chord to play and it almost never sounds right unless you have put hours and hours into practicing songs that use this chord. Eb just plain scares most guitar players and bass players as well.

You can play the F chord without the 5th and 6th strings and it is much easier. Almost exaclty like playing an open C. But it just loses all the bottom and really doesn't sound right in most songs when used instead of the bar.

I'll have to admit that sometimes even now I shy away from a song for the setlist now and again just because I doubt the bass player will remember that F is there. :yikes: :D Or maybe even I forget until the last minute sometimes and just barely squeeze by at the very last millisecond.

You are doing fine though I am sure. I had a problem with F at first myself. You'll get passed it but only if you apply yourself and really work on it and don't get frustrated too much.

[Hooligan]

Thats what I figured. My other passion is professional duck and goose calling.........Yeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! I know it's sounds a tad on the redneck side but it's great fun and produces a paycheck now and then. But I spent years practicing for the stage and I always concentrated on the stuff I can't do.

www.matthougan.com

Kinda like church, concentrate on the folks not there!

[OrovilleTim]

Anytime bro. They definately get easier. There are cheat chords that you can play for that F that are so much easier, but to be honest, you are better off being frustrated a little now and learning to use the F than to be lacking later.

I really agree with that. Early on (well, it was late in life, as a couple years ago) when I decided to become a guitar player, instead of just a guitar owner, I was really intimidated by the full F chord. My teacher offered me some "alternatives", as he did them himself (he was a self taught guitarists, actually an ex-fiddle champ.)

I told myself I was going to learn the harder way, as it would get easier. But, I found myself shying away from anything with an F or other barre chords in it. But, I was working on some blues stuff (12 bar in key of A) about a year ago and got into some barre chords lower on the neck where it seems to be easier. I started thinking "hey, this isn't so bad" and started picking up songs with the F in them also.

When I got to where I could easily get in and out of F, it was a real confidence booster and I started branching out into things that also included other barre chords, and also using all the "E" form barre chords down the neck by figuring out the pattern down the fretboard (F, G, A, B, C, D, and the associated flats/sharps.)

It seems that everytime I actually move from my comfort zone, I get a couple bonus break-thrus with it. Kind of like life. :D

[jono007]

amen! Welcome to the wonderful world of barre chords...

[OrovilleTim]

My other passion is professional duck and goose calling.........Yeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw! I know it's sounds a tad on the redneck side but it's great fun and produces a paycheck now and then.

Now that sounds fun! I used to live on a 200+ acre club here in the Pacific Flyway. Depending on the time of year it was dove, pheasant, or waterfowl. Never got too good at calling, but that didn't stop me from having a blast (um... literally ;) )

[Hooligan]

Now that sounds fun! I used to live on a 200+ acre club here in the Pacific Flyway. Depending on the time of year it was dove, pheasant, or waterfowl. Never got too good at calling, but that didn't stop me from having a blast (um... literally ;) )

No doubt!


Glad to see I'm not the only one not a fan of Barre chords.

[stephen]

Glad to see I'm not the only one not a fan of Barre chords.

Give yourself some time: Once they stop being foreign too you, you'll fall in love with them, trust me!

There are so many things you can accomplish with barre chords that are so rewarding, like the intro to Trust in You (Jeremy Camp), my hand never leaves the 7th fret, cause all i'm doing is shuffling a couple of fingers around, and its all based off of the E barre chord! Too cool!

But I also love my open string power chords too: What a beautiful sound when you here some open string power chords just ringing out! :D

[Ravindave_3600]

I remember the struggle with F when I was a beginning guitarists way back in prehistoric times (when we had to cut our guitar bodies from petrified wood, use mammoth ivory for bridge, nut, and tuning pegs, and make catgut strings from sabertooth cats!).

The F form is easier when you
* play it on a skinny-neck electric
* play it as G or something else farther up the neck
* keep working on it till it's right.

You'll get it, bro!