#$@&* Bb,

Down Up Dick

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I am gonna learn to play a clean, clear Bb chord today even if I have to play it over and over ‘til my fingers bleed and the neighbors beg me to stop. I have tried before and failed, and quit playing in F. Now I’ve decided to conquer it. I just hope my fingers hold up.

I want to play the C chord on my baritones and tenor guitars. C-F-G7 bar is F-Bb-C7 norm.

I hope I don’t break my uke. :eek:ld:
 
Good luck! I hope your efforts don't leave you flat. :D

I played guitar for many years, and the Bb chord shape is identical to F on guitar. I notice that when I play Bb on uke, my thumb is up past the nut on the back of the headstock, clamping in the middle. Once you get it, it's great to to able to slide up 2 frets to a different sounding C chord.
 
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I was going to suggest you play A# instead of Bb (since it's easier.....) but that would be cruel.
 
I am gonna learn to play a clean, clear Bb chord today even if I have to play it over and over ‘til my fingers bleed and the neighbors beg me to stop. I have tried before and failed, and quit playing in F. Now I’ve decided to conquer it. I just hope my fingers hold up.

I want to play the C chord on my baritones and tenor guitars. C-F-G7 bar is F-Bb-C7 norm.

I hope I don’t break my uke. :eek:ld:

The one thing I learned that revolutionized that shape for me was this: pull down. Instead of mashing into the fret board harder and harder in an attempt to get all the strings fretted, just pull towards the floor ever so slightly (not enough to bend the notes). Once I did this, my Bb was instantaneously fixed. Maybe I should add that I also barre all the strings with my index instead of just the E and A strings. That was easier for me.
 
I had to learn Bb because so many of the songs I was transposing for my singing range ended up in F for me to sing comfortably. I barre the first two strings and I can chord it cleanly but it always sounds a bit more muted and duller than open chords with fewer fretted strings which ring out more. Now the E chord is another story. I can't always avoid it but I try to transpose around it.
 
The one thing I learned that revolutionized that shape for me was this: pull down. Instead of mashing into the fret board harder and harder in an attempt to get all the strings fretted, just pull towards the floor ever so slightly (not enough to bend the notes). Once I did this, my Bb was instantaneously fixed. Maybe I should add that I also barre all the strings with my index instead of just the E and A strings. That was easier for me.

I tried the full barre and the three finger barre before and didn’t like ‘em, however, I can play the A-E barre but not consistently. It sounds sometimes like I’ve dropped the uke or had some kinda spasm. I generally try to stay away from barre chords.

I’ll try your suggestion and see if I can cure my Bb-itis. I got nowhere ta go but up! :eek:ld:
 
I am gonna learn to play a clean...

I played guitar for many years, and the Bb chord shape is identical to F on guitar.

I played guitar for almost 50 years and first learned barre chords in 1965 to play 12 barre blues. It took a little while but was not all that difficult because I'm lucky, my teacher told me that my hand has the perfect physiology to play guitar. My fingers bend back slightly and my thumb is L shaped. He required I keep my thumb on the back of the neck exactly opposite the fingers, classical guitar style, and relax. I find that makes it easier to play chords, it forces my wrist to be at an angle that benefits making barre chords.

My thumb is right behind the first fret section when I make a Bb. My index finger has a slight back bend, conducive to cover more than one string, and my L shaped thumb makes it easier to keep pressure opposite the fingers. If your fingers don't back bend, then as ripock does, barre all the strings with the index finger.

Bb barre chord hand position.JPG



This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly Grove near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 6 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 41)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
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I had to learn Bb because so many of the songs I was transposing for my singing range ended up in F for me to sing comfortably. I barre the first two strings and I can chord it cleanly but it always sounds a bit more muted and duller than open chords with fewer fretted strings which ring out more. Now the E chord is another story. I can't always avoid it but I try to transpose around it.

I don’t do E chords. :eek:ld:
 
The G and A strings are both playing a Bb note. So you could omit one string and still get the three notes of the Bb, playing either x211 or 321x.
 
I don’t do E chords. :eek:ld:

I avoided E for a while, but about a year ago I started playing with an acoustic group in a park on Sundays and being mostly guitars, they used a lot of E, so I just buckled down and in a week or so, I got it. Again, with my fingers having a slight back bend, I'm able to use my middle and ring fingers to hold down the G, C, E strings and my index on the A string.
 
The G and A strings are both playing a Bb note. So you could omit one string and still get the three notes of the Bb, playing either x211 or 321x.

Yeah, I know. Also, some tunes use only the F and C7 chords. I play the heck out of those. If a Bb chord has a melody note on the A or E string, one only hasta play the G and C or mebbe E strings. I get down on those Babies too.

But today, all that is past. Today is git Bb day! :eek:ld:
 
My Bb practice song was "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits. I found the chords on "Ultimate Guitar" and transposed it (using the handy buttons on the bottom of the screen) so you constantly go back and forth between F and Bb throughout the song.
 
I have the “American Roots Music For Ukulele”, and it’s just full of tunes in F. So, of course, I only used for a few tunes and the clawhammer ones. Actually, I haven’t used it much at all. In addition to F having the dreaded Bb, I usually sing (which I’ve been doing lately) in C or D.

But now C for baritone uses the . . . you know what. So, I’m gonna give it another whack. :eek:ld:
 
Thanks, Grandma, I watched the video, and I’ll try all that stuff in my Bb attack. Do you play Bb?

I’ve been playin’ stringed instruments for quite a while now, but four finger chords are still anathema to me. I usually just try to avoid ‘em but not this time.
:eek:ld:
 
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With the Bb chord I also struggled for what seemed to be ages :D So I started by learning the Gm7 using a 1/2 barre (1120) and once I was completely comfortable with holding that shape I started to add the ring finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string to form a Bb chord :D

Ha! Good idea! I’ll try that too. Thanks again. :eek:ld:
 
Get mean with it Dick. Don't be the nice guy. You can whup it.
 
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I play the Bb with a full finger barre on fret 1 (all 4 strings). Once i could get a barre it was easy (easier than trying to barre 2 strings).

Also much more efficient switching between minor chords and major chords and learning the whole fret board

Watch this video, he really helps with barre chords, also with your LEFT elbow pull the body of the uke toward you and push out a bit with your torso. I think what he talks about below works better with uke than guitar, or at least is easier to apply.

 
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