b flat chord alternative
- Thread starter Souper
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igorthebarbarian
Well-known member
Practice!
I think Bb, and B for that matter, are really dependent on the Action of your ukulele. If you have a nicely set-up/ low-action ukulele, it's so much easier. A high-action uke is going to be torturous on the new player.
I personally play it with my pointer finger on the E&A strings-only, rather than barring the entire fret with my pointer finger. But really, it's whatever works for you. It's muscle memory training after awhile too.
Also, I find that turning/tilting/twisting the pointer finger a little bit either toward the headstock or toward the bridge helps get a little more pressure on the fretting.
Alternately, transpose the song up/down to get rid of those Bb or B chords! Eventually though, you'll want to learn them.
It still takes me a half-second longer to get into those chords, even after playing for a few years casually.
I think Bb, and B for that matter, are really dependent on the Action of your ukulele. If you have a nicely set-up/ low-action ukulele, it's so much easier. A high-action uke is going to be torturous on the new player.
I personally play it with my pointer finger on the E&A strings-only, rather than barring the entire fret with my pointer finger. But really, it's whatever works for you. It's muscle memory training after awhile too.
Also, I find that turning/tilting/twisting the pointer finger a little bit either toward the headstock or toward the bridge helps get a little more pressure on the fretting.
Alternately, transpose the song up/down to get rid of those Bb or B chords! Eventually though, you'll want to learn them.
It still takes me a half-second longer to get into those chords, even after playing for a few years casually.
Jim Hanks
Well-known member
If you're halving trouble with the half barre, you can try a full barre. Sometimes that is easier. Depending on the song, you might also be able to get away with 3210 instead of 3211, which would be a Bb major seventh chord. Or even 3010 which is Bb major ninth.
Nickie
Well-known member
Hang in there! It took me a couple of years of steady practice to make a decent Bb chord, it's one of the moveable chords that allows one to play the B, C, C#, D, etc.....it's worth mastering.
I'm sorry I don't understand. Music theory that is.
Pueo
Well-known member
Keep at it!
No matter how frustrating it may seem, do not go down the road of substituting this for that - just knuckle down and learn it.
The advice above about action - the height of the strings above the fretboard - is certainly part of it, but there is another piece that is often overlooked, especially with those new to stringed instruments.
As much as you can, try to keep the fretboard perpendicular to the ground. Often people just starting to play have the top of the fretboard "leaned back" so that they can see their fingers. This makes the left wrist bend much more than it needs to, causing it to be more difficult to fret the notes and will also cause fatigue much faster.
I know, you say you can't see your hand! BUT you are supposed to be looking at your music!
Anyway, try to lean your head over if you need to look and keep that fretboard vertical.
Also, many times you press much harder than you really need to when you are starting out.
Relax.
Yes, it feels weird.
Yes, it gets easier.
Use the tips of your fingers to fret the notes, not the pads.
Get that nice arc in your fingers to go around the non-fretted notes. You will find that is easier when you don't have your wrist bent over because you are holding your fretboard vertical now.
Hope that helps, and keep at it! You can do it!
No matter how frustrating it may seem, do not go down the road of substituting this for that - just knuckle down and learn it.
The advice above about action - the height of the strings above the fretboard - is certainly part of it, but there is another piece that is often overlooked, especially with those new to stringed instruments.
As much as you can, try to keep the fretboard perpendicular to the ground. Often people just starting to play have the top of the fretboard "leaned back" so that they can see their fingers. This makes the left wrist bend much more than it needs to, causing it to be more difficult to fret the notes and will also cause fatigue much faster.
I know, you say you can't see your hand! BUT you are supposed to be looking at your music!
Anyway, try to lean your head over if you need to look and keep that fretboard vertical.
Also, many times you press much harder than you really need to when you are starting out.
Relax.
Yes, it feels weird.
Yes, it gets easier.
Use the tips of your fingers to fret the notes, not the pads.
Get that nice arc in your fingers to go around the non-fretted notes. You will find that is easier when you don't have your wrist bent over because you are holding your fretboard vertical now.
Hope that helps, and keep at it! You can do it!
Keep at it!
No matter how frustrating it may seem, do not go down the road of substituting this for that - just knuckle down and learn it.
The advice above about action - the height of the strings above the fretboard - is certainly part of it, but there is another piece that is often overlooked, especially with those new to stringed instruments.
As much as you can, try to keep the fretboard perpendicular to the ground. Often people just starting to play have the top of the fretboard "leaned back" so that they can see their fingers. This makes the left wrist bend much more than it needs to, causing it to be more difficult to fret the notes and will also cause fatigue much faster.
I know, you say you can't see your hand! BUT you are supposed to be looking at your music!
Anyway, try to lean your head over if you need to look and keep that fretboard vertical.
Also, many times you press much harder than you really need to when you are starting out.
Relax.
Yes, it feels weird.
Yes, it gets easier.
Use the tips of your fingers to fret the notes, not the pads.
Get that nice arc in your fingers to go around the non-fretted notes. You will find that is easier when you don't have your wrist bent over because you are holding your fretboard vertical now.
Hope that helps, and keep at it! You can do it!
Thanks I will try that.
Jim Hanks
Well-known member
Then don't worry about the theory. Just play the chords and if it sounds good, play it again.
.Then don't worry about the theory. Just play the chords and if it sounds good, play it again.
Ok I will thanks
A# is a good alternative to the Bb chord.
JJFN
Well-known member
Having problems with the Bb chord? Try the same fretting at the 5th fret. That would be an alternate C chord. It is easier to half barre and full barre at the 5th fret rather then the 1st fret, the Bb. In other words, move down to the 5th fret, with the same fingering as you are trying at the 1st fret. Practice, this is an important chord shape to master. Personally I would recommend the full barre, it is used in countless chords. Practice and enjoy the journey. Oh, did I say practice?
JJFN
Well-known member
I came to the uke after playing guitar for almost 50 years, I was very proficient at barre chords so B, Bb, etc. was no problem for me. It took me a few weeks to get comfortable doing barre's on the guitar, it just takes perseverance and keeping at it, believe me, it will happen.
igorthebarbarian
Well-known member
Really good advice about positioning. I have developed this bad habit myself and it's hard to break it once you get set in your ways.
JackLuis
Well-known member
The numbers are a way to phrase chords easily 3211= G string third fret,-C string second fret,- E and A strings first fret. This is Bb on a Club tuned Uke, (GCEA) on a baritone (DGBE) it is a F chord. I use both tunings and I get confused sometimes.
It is difficult to learn this chord form, but practice for a few weeks everyday and it will come like Em and Bm. Practice F-Bb-C7, 3 or 4 strums each and switch. Then try to get a song in F-Bb-C7 and practice it. The first six weeks is the most difficult, after that you get in the swing of things and in a year you'll be playing lots of songs. Keep plugging away. It is worth it.
It is difficult to learn this chord form, but practice for a few weeks everyday and it will come like Em and Bm. Practice F-Bb-C7, 3 or 4 strums each and switch. Then try to get a song in F-Bb-C7 and practice it. The first six weeks is the most difficult, after that you get in the swing of things and in a year you'll be playing lots of songs. Keep plugging away. It is worth it.
I advise you to learn the traditional Bb shape (3211, using the notation in the previous post) instead of looking for alternatives. The Bb shape is known as a movable chord because it's a chord that covers each string and you can use the shape to play a chord anywhere on the fretboard. For example, if you move the entire shape two frets closer to the body (i.e., up the neck) so that it's now 5433 instead of 3211, you're playing a C chord. Move the shape up one more fret (6544) and you're playing C#, another fret up (7655) and you're playing a D, etc. Learning to play different forms of the same chord is invaluable, and becoming proficient with this shape will eventually improve your chord vocabulary. Good luck!
Croaky Keith
Well-known member
I'm not really a strummer, but I managed to make the shape OK after a bit of practice, so it will come - just remember to enjoy what you are doing.
Rllink
Well-known member
Souper, I hope that I don't sound mean, but if you are looking for alternate chords for the Bb at this stage, you are going to be in for trouble later on in your journey, because there are a lot of chords that are harder to play than a Bb. You are just going to have to learn how to play them.
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