"E" chord

hwynboy

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Wisconsin now, but raised in Kaneohe
So I just ran into a song with the E chord, and man I realized how difficult it is to play. Anyone have any tricks to playing the E chord? Or maybe something further down the frets that would be easier to hold?
Mahalos.
 
E Chord.....
Hate it, can't play it, won't play it.....
I had hand/finger surgery that won't let me...:(

I use the normal E7 or Em in place of it depending on the song but mostly the E7.
 
ah much mahalos cpatch...I like the 4th picture over...so basically just barre the 4th fret and pinky on 7th fret a string...WOOT! I can't wait to get home to try it. I knew playing C& K was much easier on guitar. lol:shaka::shaka:
 
There are a number of ways you can do it.

You can barre the G, C, and E string with your ring finger and fret the A string with your index finger.

Photo191.jpg


You can use the middle finger for the G string, the ring finger for the C string, and the pinky finger for the E string, while fretting the A string with your index finger.

Photo190.jpg


If you're playing a normal re-entrant uke (not like the one pictured), the note that's being played on the G and A strings are the same note, so you can get away without playing the A string. Just use whatever finger you want to fret the G, C, and E strings, taking care to mute the A string. Pressing down with only the pad of your finger helps.

Photo192.jpg


A user here takes his thumb and wraps it over the top of the fret board to play his E chord. Whatever works.

Photo193.jpg
 
thanks Seeso...I have been doing it the way you show in your first picture, and it works ok...but it's a bear to switch into and out of. I think I'm gonna try the 4th fret barre and 7th fret "A" string. Mahalos for your kokua with the pictures though.
 
Thanks for acknowledgment seeso.
I met a girl several days ago that uses her thumb also :D
 
Thanks Seeso, probably never would have considered barre with the thumb. Have been substituting 4447 and 9877 E chord form. Need to face up to the dreaded E chord form 4442.

Lack ring finger first digit flex to barre GCE, the pinkyringmiddle on the GCE when I play this "1st position" E always sounds poor. Thumb barre does require a bit of contortions at this point. Hopefully things will smooth out and become "natural".
 
Maybe I play mine weird but I hold the top 3 string solely with my ring, while playing the A string with only my index on the 2nd fret, meaning I don;t bar the 2nd fret, it messes me up.:D
 
I play it like Seeso's 2nd picture-- the way I taught my fingers to do it, was by learning the D chord first with just fingertips:

2 2 2 0
M R P

(m for middle, r for ring, p for pinky)

Then once they could jump to that position without difficulty, it's just a matter of sliding it down to the 4th fret to play an E and that free first finger can fret the 2nd fret on the A string pretty easily.

Songs that have a D to E chord change really helped me practice it.
 
Thanks Seeso, probably never would have considered barre with the thumb. Have been substituting 4447 and 9877 E chord form. Need to face up to the dreaded E chord form 4442.

9877 is brutal.
And maybe Seeso wouldn't have thought of it either ;)
 
9877 is brutal.
And maybe Seeso wouldn't have thought of it either ;)

9877, just an extension of 2100 (A major chord form). 3211 (barre 1st fret, Bb), 4322 (B major)....just keep sliding down towards the bridge with index finger barre, m finger on the C string and r finger on the G. For whatever reason the 3331, 4442.... chord form when I play it sounds worse than brutal. Just a difficult chord shape for me. So I avoid this form as much as possible. Don't need to add anymore clunker to my playing. :)
 
...For whatever reason the 3331, 4442.... chord form when I play it sounds worse than brutal. Just a difficult chord shape for me. So I avoid this form as much as possible. Don't need to add anymore clunker to my playing. :)


I'm guessing you haven't used your thumb yet ;) But again, I'm guessing


I stay away from 9877 cuz it's so far off from the normal chords
 
I stay away from 9877 cuz it's so far off from the normal chords

Errm... no, it isn't. It's just far away from first position chords.

(Plus, define normal.)

When you start learning the chords up the neck a ways you can take otherwise pedestrian progressions* and shake 'em up a bit. Lo! Suddenly you've got an arrangement. And you didn't even have to work hard for it.

Sometimes it's just as simple as using first position chords for the verses and say... second position chords for the bridge. Changes up the whole sound.

Sometimes the cheap tricks are the best tricks. Just ask Rick Neilsen.

*Ha! Say that three times fast.
 
Errm... no, it isn't. It's just far away from first position chords.

(Plus, define normal.)

When you start learning the chords up the neck a ways you can take otherwise pedestrian progressions* and shake 'em up a bit. Lo! Suddenly you've got an arrangement. And you didn't even have to work hard for it.

Sometimes it's just as simple as using first position chords for the verses and say... second position chords for the bridge. Changes up the whole sound.

Sometimes the cheap tricks are the best tricks. Just ask Rick Neilsen.

*Ha! Say that three times fast.

*sigh*
what a hassle, trying to explain your opinions
 
forgive me for being naive/curious but why doesn't anyone here use 1402 IPOM - is it incorrect in some way? it took me a while to get used to playing it like this and i'm just wondering if i've wasted my time when i could've been using easier shapes.
 
forgive me for being naive/curious but why doesn't anyone here use 1402 IPOM - is it incorrect in some way? it took me a while to get used to playing it like this and i'm just wondering if i've wasted my time when i could've been using easier shapes.

wow, I like that one, sounds so warm because of the doubled E, thanks man.

Usually I do it almost as Seeso shows in his first pic, just with the middle finger instead of ring...
 
i flit back and forth between seeso's first one and the 1402 - haven't ventured much past that yet
 
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