Jack
Well-known member
When playing an E chord, you have to press every string on the 4 fret except for the A string, the highest string. What's a good technique to train your fingers so you can play a good, clean E chord?
How do you train your fingers for E chords
- Thread starter Jack
- Start date
ShortCut
Well-known member
All I can say is Practice, Practice, Practice. Though when I get somthing like that, I just take my index, middle, and ring finger, and put one on each string. Seems kinda odd, but it works for me.
grappler
Well-known member
how about the "A" string?
I just use my ring finger and hold down the G, C, E. POinter finger is on the "A" string
hoosierhiver
Well-known member
When I first started I avoided any songs with E for months.
dinkadink
Well-known member
I cheat. Bar the 4th fret, and pinky finger on A string of 7th fret. I always try to practice the correct fingerings for chords, but that one gave me fits forever, so I searched for an alternative fingering. Works for me. But everyone else is right- practice will do the trick. I took the easy way out. Good luck!
grappler
Well-known member
HAHAHA i didnt that aswell! LOL
haole
Well-known member
It takes a contortionist's fingers to play it consistently every time. But the second fret note on the A string is redundant, since you're playing the same exact note at the fourth fret on the G string. So you can get away with muting the A string if it's easier than fretting it and getting it to sound.
salukulady
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Still avoiding E. If I have to play E, I wrap my thumb around the top of the fret board and use it to press the GCE strings and catch the A with my index finger. If it's a song with an A chord in it sometimes an E7 will work in place of an E.
haole
Well-known member
If you use the 1-2-0-2 E7 chord, why not try 1-4-0-2 as a regular E chord? 
Rock-A-Hula
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Excellent plinky-er sounding variation! And it's a slam-dunk stretch -- especially on a soprano!
For some applications, I'll bet this voicing is even preferable?!
berylbite
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I'll often do a barred C chord on the forth fret, 4447.
ricdoug
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Yup, just like playing a B on guitar. Ric
HaileISela
Retired Moderator
I do it the same way only with middle finger instead of ring... or i do the earlier mentioned 4447...
ichadwick
Well-known member
I like 4447 myself, but it's sometimes a bit shrill.
Of course another answer is to transpose the entire song down a step (two frets) so that annoying E chord becomes a somewhat friendlier D chord. Or two steps to get it to the warm-and-fuzzy C.
Of course another answer is to transpose the entire song down a step (two frets) so that annoying E chord becomes a somewhat friendlier D chord. Or two steps to get it to the warm-and-fuzzy C.
Kanaka916
Well-known member
My 2 centavos on this, you may as well learn to play it cleanly. One day, somewhere you might end up jamming with someone who likes playing in E. Wha'cha gonna do then?
CulpRJ
Well-known member
I took a different easy way out. I just wrap my thumb around the top of the neck with the index finger on the A string. I play my D's the same way.
sebi
Well-known member
I cheat!
I cheat exactly like Dinkadink and, I keep practicing the 'original' way of playing it, but somehow it just doesn't work (yet) with my fingers.
I cheat exactly like Dinkadink
and, I keep practicing the 'original' way of playing it, but somehow it just doesn't work (yet) with my fingers.
Bassukuguy
Well-known member
what i usually end up doing is actually holding the chord correctly (4442) but basicly i end up always muting the 2 on the A string. this is mostly due to my fingers being fat, and me being lazy but it works out.
Jimmy
Well-known member
My fingers are weird because the tips bend back really easily, and I've been told this is irregular. So I play my Es by playing the 444 with my ring finger and then playing the 2 with my index finger.
I play Ds by doing the same thing with my middle finger.
I play Ds by doing the same thing with my middle finger.
