Learning Barre Chords

atech4him

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Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to the uke world. I've had my uke for a few months but 2 weeks ago I got serious. I bought the Kindle ukulele for dummies. I have been working through that to learn chords.

Tonight, I was going strong and then it said to chane your finger pattern prepping to play barre chords. For example, the F chord in all the charts is 1st finger and second finger. To prep u to play f#, it suggests you use finger 2 and 3 so you free up your first one for the barre. I understand why, because it opens up the whole moveable chords thing and makes it easier.

My thing is I just spent 2 solid weeks drilling this into mt finger memory.

Now, you'uns that have been playing a while, do I keep my original fingerings for chords or do I switch them to the new for moveable chords. I'm hoping this is written clearly enough.

Thanks in advance! S
 
Get familiar with both ways. Depending on what chord you're playing before and after you will find it more comfortable to use one fingering or the other. Or maybe even others you haven't tried yet.

If, for example, you're playing F, and then a barred G, you probably will find it easier to use the second and third fingers for the F, but if you don't need to, just go with what feels better for you.
 
It's useful to be flexible with your fingering approach, and finger the chord according to what the following chord is.
That way you'll make the transitions smoother and therefore allow the music to flow.
There isn't a right or wrong way to fret a chord btw, it's all about making that transition from one chord to the other as smooth
as possible. The instruction books and chord charts are there to show you where the chord is on the instrument.
How you finger it however will be dependent on what I said earlier.
Hope this is of some help:)
Cheers
Gary
 
A little of both, actually. It's best to know several different ways of fingering chords because doing so gives you a better "kit" of moves to get through chord changes.
 
Just want to say thanks to all of you! I will work on both then. I never realized that this thing would become so addicting!
 
I too am working out how to deal with barre chords and finally tried that "stay close to the fret" thing and it seems to be working much better.

So, is it just me, or is it, when you try to barre, you're not actually trying to hold all the strings down with one finger, but more you're trying to bend them over the fret? Before, I would always get a dud because a string would fall into the space of my finger joint. It seems if I concentrate on trying to bend them over the fret, it works.

I also find putting a second finger down first also helps. Does that make sense?

Still having trouble barring only a few strings like with a barred G (I think that's just a need for coordination practice), but barring all four has greatly improved.

Thoughts? Am I perhaps starting to come at this from the right direction?
 
I too am working out how to deal with barre chords and finally tried that "stay close to the fret" thing and it seems to be working much better.

So, is it just me, or is it, when you try to barre, you're not actually trying to hold all the strings down with one finger, but more you're trying to bend them over the fret? Before, I would always get a dud because a string would fall into the space of my finger joint. It seems if I concentrate on trying to bend them over the fret, it works.

I also find putting a second finger down first also helps. Does that make sense?

Still having trouble barring only a few strings like with a barred G (I think that's just a need for coordination practice), but barring all four has greatly improved.

Thoughts? Am I perhaps starting to come at this from the right direction?

Yes, the goal is to have all the strings touching the fret just firmly enough to not buzz or be muffled - how you get there is less important than that you get there. Most ukes have flat freboards while most guitars have radiused fretboards. Radiused fretboards are a little easier to barre, IMHO. (Of course, nylon strings are under much less tension than steel strings so maybe its a wash when all is said and done.)

Keep practicing that barred G - that is one of the "key" chords needed for playing all in "closed positions" where you can transpose a whole song to other keys just by moving up or down a fret or two.

John
 
Thanks - and thanks for the tip on the barred G. I just needed it for a song I like, but hadn't been putting a lot of effort into that specifically (I'm working on the song more to improve my finger independence). Now that it's got 2 big lessons, I'll probably be working on it more :)
 
Just keep at it and eventually barre chords will flow and you will open up a whole new world. Finger placement for chords........... Sometimes I play a C with my second, third or fourth finger. It depends upon where I'm going next. It's a case of going over and over changing chords to see which placement works best in that instance. I would never use my first finger for a C as it limits the movement of chord change.

There is truly only one rule for finger positioning.......... Does it work for you. I've seen blind blues guitarists form the most weird chord shapes but it doesn't matter as longs as it works.
 
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