The E- Chord - Is there an alternative?

when i searched the web, i found this way:
E.png

...

and it's not that hard to play!

I was going to post that, because its the way I learned the chord, and for me the easiest way
 
Learn to make D chord on the second fret. That's 2220 using your middle finger and index finger together. Then slid to forth fret and practice 4442.
OR
If you are really stuck play the E and A strings only but stopping the A at second fret... Shortened E if you get stuck in a song. Practice, we all had to come through this!
 
Wow, and I thought I was the only 'newbie' who hates the E Chord! YIPEE, I'm not alone...Ok, I hate B flat, too! LOL!
 
Wow, and I thought I was the only 'newbie' who hates the E Chord! YIPEE, I'm not alone...Ok, I hate B flat, too! LOL!

You will grow to love the Bb form. Once you get it you can slide it around to produce second position C and D. This opens up neat possibilities when playing in certain keys.

I am always frustrated with Em to B transitions… it seems like it should be an easy shift, but I mess it up more often that not.

When it comes to the E chord, there will come a day when you can just play it without thinking. Sometime after that you will realize you are no longer struggling with it. On that day there will be great rejoicing.
 
I also thought I was the only one struggling with it! Glad it's not just me!
I could not do it at all on my soprano, but I recently got a concert and that teeny bit of extra room seems to have made the difference for me. Not to say that I can change easily to it, but at least I can jam my fingers in there when I'm practicing it on its own.
Maybe with some practice on the concert I can get it on the soprano.
 
I am always frustrated with Em to B transitions… it seems like it should be an easy shift, but I mess it up more often that not.

Try playing Em7 (0202) instead of Em - most of the time it sounds fine, and it's easier to play when making quick moves.
 
Try playing Em7 (0202) instead of Em - most of the time it sounds fine, and it's easier to play when making quick moves.

::making a note:: I need to see if this will work in a song I'm trying to work out.

I've only been playing a little over 2 weeks, and it's still hard to plunk down all three fingers at once for the Em.

CountryMouse
 
::making a note:: I need to see if this will work in a song I'm trying to work out.

I've only been playing a little over 2 weeks, and it's still hard to plunk down all three fingers at once for the Em.

CountryMouse

Nope, it's not gonna work. The Em7 just doesn't sound right. I'm trying to work out "Angel" by Grey Eye Glances. A LOT of chord changes in it, but I really love the song.

CountryMouse
 
Yeah, I just listened to Angel, and it does sound better with a regular E minor.

News flash: I just realized there is a two-finger version of E minor: 0402

I don't know why it took me so long to discover that - for some reason that option is not shown in my Hal Leonard chord book. :eek:
 
Yeah, I just listened to Angel, and it does sound better with a regular E minor.

News flash: I just realized there is a two-finger version of E minor: 0402

I don't know why it took me so long to discover that - for some reason that option is not shown in my Hal Leonard chord book. :eek:

Wow, thanks for that alternative fingering for E minor! Now if I could just find an easy G to go to right after that Em. Heh. It's just that I STILL am having trouble remembering the fingering of G vs. G7. Something in my brain keeps crossing them up.

In the chorus it probably sounds better F G F G F G C. I could use G7 in there instead (easy pivot), but it's not what I know the record sounds like.

I'm doing a couple weird things that I don't know what they are in the bridge: they're some forms of G. One is 0200 then 0220 (3X) then G (0232). I like the way it sounds. In fact, I was fooling around and found them and realized it was the perfect thing for the bridge in "Angel", so that's how I started working on the song!

Aargh, my wrist is hurting: I've been trying to work on the Evil E chord. Don't need it in this song, but I ran across it in some other one.

Thanks for your help!

CountryMouse
 
How about a double-neck uke with the upper neck tuned to an open E chord? Play the rest of your stuff on the lower neck, then strum the upper whenever you need an E.... :D

Hey, I like this way of thinking! How about a 5 necked version ala Rick Nielsen!

(opening Google search for sources of cigar boxes and glue)
 
Sort a pinky

These post really helped me thanks to all. I had taken up the guitar about eight months ago and then lost my left pinky to a trailer hitch. Being right handed that left me a finger short for many guitar cords so I am switching to the ukulele and having a ball with it. I will start with the one finger E and mute the A for starters but think I will be able to do the alt three finger E with some pratice pratice pratice.
 
Welcome to UU, akbound! Geez, if you can be that confident missing a finger, I guess I'd better get practicing! I now officially have no excuses....
 
right now I'm hating E, but I'm trying to learn a song with E,B,F# which are pretty common in that progression.
 
I ran into an interesting thing yesterday. I too have had issues with the E chord, I've been playing for a year and have been avoiding it until maybe 1-2 months ago.

I just changed my strings on my Flea from Hilos to Worth Clear Lites and I can now play the E chord much easier!!! Something about the tension of the strings doesn't require me to have to have such a perfect fingering.

Leslie
 
Em - B7

The 0402 is probably the easiest fingering for Em, at least for me.

The 0432 is also fairly easy. (Easier for me in that I find it difficult to not to get a muted string with 4432.)

You can play the B7 as 4320

So if your song has a Em B7 sequence, the fingering shape is the same, just shift one string to the bottom or top string as needed.
 
aha i looked through that link, and i do my E way differently. I only use 3 fingers on it, and i think its pretty easy. I use my index middle and ring finger on GCE and the base of my index finger naturally presses down on the A string on the 2nd fret. Idk if other people do that
 
have I got the wrong stick here?

Hi guys,

I'm really new to all this, and cant even get a decent barre on the F# chord :eek: :eek: stupid fingers lifting up at the ends... but I saw musicteacher2009 I'm Yours tutorial, and the E seemed (to me) really easy, probably the easiest I've played....

He says to barre 4th fret index finger, and hold down A string 7th fret with pinkie. I've got this chart from somewhere, perhaps on UU, and it shows this position as an alternative.

Hope this helps, and doesnt go over anyone elses posts..I'll get my flame-proof suit on anyhow....:p
 
Ohh, this thread makes me feel so much better. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has issues with E. I'm motivated to test out a few of these alternatives and maybe even go back to trying to bend my ring finger in unnatural positions. You guys are awesome. :)
 
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