Struggling with the Bm chord

checkerboard

checkerboard

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
I'm learning my first song on the ukulele and it features a Bm chord. I am placing my 1st finger over the bottom 3 strings of the 2nd fret and my 3rd finger on the top string of the 4th fret as I seen on a chord chart. However, I find once I put my 3rd finger on the top string, it touches the string below muting it.

I guess it's all just down to practicing your shapes until you can confortably not mute the strings, I also find I am putting a lot of pressure on it to hold my finger over 3 strings (perhaps remembering my guitar learning days).

Just wondering if anyone has some handy hints or tips that might help with mastering this chords.
Thanks in advance.
 
I struggle with this chord too, and also others barre chords (and partial barre - Bb is a biatch!), having the same problem of other fingers muting strings, and struggling to get pressure.

Someone posted a Ukulele Mike video which had the great tip of dropping your wrist, it really does help. I can't find the video I saw before, but this one is all about barre chords:




The only problems is, I find it really hard to change chords without my ukulele sliding about when having my wrist dropped.
 
Thanks lukens. I'll check those videos out and see how I get on.
 
You can try practicing the Bm shape higher up the neck, like at the 5th fret (which is a Dm) or 7th fret (Em). Being further from the neck, it will be easier to press down the three strings with your barring finger. As you get better at your technique, you can work your way back down to the Bm position.
 
I play Bm (and all other chords having that shape) shape simply by Barring all the strings with my index finger at the 2nd fret and then using my ring finger for the top string. This allows the fingers to be positioned closer to the top string and the ring finger comes down on the string directly from above. This allows the top string to be fretted cleanly. A lot easier in my opinion.
 
There was a thread about this last year. I'll just post what I posted then:

Yeah, I used to have a real hard time making a Bm. Sometimes it seemed like that Bm was never going to come out right. I'd grunt, swear, try different positions, you name it. But still no Bm--or at least not a good, clean one.

But, like anything else, it just takes experience. Now my Bm's are easy for me and not nearly as sloppy as they used to be. I don't even think about them half the time--they just happen.

You'll get there too. It's just a matter of sitting down and doing Bm after Bm.
Click to expand...

JJ
 
Another trick is to use those parts of your index finger where the bones meet (forgot what they're called in English) instead of your finger's flesh to press the strings. Move your index finger up a little bit so that the G string is pressed at the bottom of the top bone instead of the fleshy middle of it, that will make the string be pressed clearer and cause the other finger be positioned more perpendicularly to the fretboard, so it won't touch other strings.
 
MGM said:
A lot of times you can cheat and do a BM7 and forget the extra finger and just bar the second fret
Click to expand...

And in high g, I prefer this if I can get away with it. It sounds fuller.

You can also use your second finger over your index finger to help mash down on the sucker. Or the action could be too high maybe?
 
checkerboard said:
I'm learning my first song on the ukulele and it features a Bm chord. I am placing my 1st finger over the bottom 3 strings of the 2nd fret and my 3rd finger on the top string of the 4th fret as I seen on a chord chart. However, I find once I put my 3rd finger on the top string, it touches the string below muting it.

I guess it's all just down to practicing your shapes until you can confortably not mute the strings, I also find I am putting a lot of pressure on it to hold my finger over 3 strings (perhaps remembering my guitar learning days).

Just wondering if anyone has some handy hints or tips that might help with mastering this chords.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I can't be sure without a picture or something, but it sounds like you need to re-position your index finger a bit. Whenever I do any kind of barre chord the tip (if not a bit more) of my index finger extends beyond the edge of the fretboard. You also have to learn to barre with the side of your index finger rather than just laying the finger down flat on the fretboard. If you're doing it right, your ring finger shouldn't have too far to stretch to reach that top string. And of course, practice practice practice... There's a certain amount of hand strength required to play barre chords cleanly, and that really only comes with practice.
 
Also, check where your thumb is. I struggled with barres until I realized my thumb was wrapping around the back of the neck instead of being useful.

It's difficult for me to explain, but watch youtube videos and pay attention to where they put their thumb. There are some really good videos out there about how to barre guitar chords. It's the same principle, just fewer strings.
 
Sadly, there isn't a magic pill for this. All the suggestions about hand position, barring, etc etc etc are dead on and very good but none of those are the answer alone.

What is the answer? Oh, practice. Practice and more practice. Then practice some more. Oh, what's that you say? You're having a hard time moving from Bm to a different chord, like Em, or F or (gak) E? Yep. Practice.

Once you're finished practicing comes the fun part. That's when you get to practice.

You see where I'm going with this, right?

Lastly, don't stress it. Everyone has had problems with some chords at some point. Even virtuosos and uke gods had to start from zero, and at one point or another they were making so many mistakes it sounded like they were torturing kittens. But they worked through it.

Practice.
 
mr roper said:
CB, you're pretty ambitious to pick a song with a chord like Bm for your first song.
Click to expand...

My first song had a B in it. My second had a Bbm. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't realize it's supposed to be difficult. :)
 
:agree:

What he said.

You will have to start somewhere; it may as well be a song you like as anything else! Just keep doing it. Eventually you get callouses and your hands get used to the shapes, then you won't have to think about it.

Honest!
 
lukens said:
Someone posted a Ukulele Mike video which had the great tip of dropping your wrist, it really does help.
Click to expand...

This might be the video you're thinking of. Starting around 2:15, he demonstrates the dropped wrist position several times while discussing various chords.

lukens said:
The only problems is, I find it really hard to change chords without my ukulele sliding about when having my wrist dropped.
Click to expand...
Have you thought about trying a Uke Leash or a strap? Check out this thread.
 
Bm (or any minor chord with the root note on the A string): thumb behind neck, barre all strings with index finger, press the 4th (G) string two frets below the barred fret with ring finger, place middle finger on top of index finger to deliver more pressure on the barred fret.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

U
Struggling with truss rod adjustment on Flight GUT-350 Guitarlele
Replies
4
Views
681
ukeanixi
U
Timbuck
Struggling with a tenor
2
Replies
39
Views
4K
Timbuck
Timbuck
K
Struggling with strumming!
Replies
12
Views
2K
JackLuis
JackLuis
T
Struggling with Harmonics
Replies
13
Views
2K
prooftheory
prooftheory
C
Struggling to achieve Bmin cleary ?
Replies
6
Views
587
cantcook1
C
Top Bottom