Common Chords You Just Can

Mogate

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Common Chords You Just Can't Get

What are the common chords that are driving you nuts as you learn? For me right now Bm, Bb and B are killing me. Finding fingerings that come out clean and I can transfer to and from are proving to be exceptionally difficult. I know they will come across eventually, much like E and even G were troublesome. But these are the ones right this second that are oh, so frustrating...

This is a thread for venting, bringing up your own difficult chords, tips/advice and experiences in learning. Have at it!
 
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I can't recall any challenging shapes. The ones you want to play I usually play with the index finger as full barre and then with an A or Am shape played with middle and ring fingers. If you don't use the barre methods just practice barring all strings at fret 3 (that's a cm7) before you add any other fingers or move to fret 1.
 
I don't find the B, Bm, Bb difficult; however, what you find easy, the E chord, I find very difficult. I can never get the E to ring cleanly in a hurry.

BTW, those B, Bm, Bb chords can be difficult if your nut is too high, making it difficult to barre the 1st and 2nd fret.
 
I think I might be too experienced (AKA old) to participate in this properly, but I'm having trouble with the transition from the 9 8 7 11 E chord to the 9 8 7 7 E chord to the 9 9 8 12 Am chord.

OK, I'll show myself out now...
 
I think I might be too experienced (AKA old) to participate in this properly, but I'm having trouble with the transition from the 9 8 7 11 E chord to the 9 8 7 7 E chord to the 9 9 8 12 Am chord.

OK, I'll show myself out now...

Never too experienced! That’s what this thread is about. Looking forward to the day I’m that comfortable playing so high on the fretboard.
 
I'm having huge issues finding a comfortable grip on the uke to shift to and from barre chords, the uke wobbles, I can't find a way to make it stable.

So I either just go for all barre chords or stick to normal ones.
 
The 1402 E-chord is a bear. I keep trying to play it but my fingers just don't want to cooperate. (I can do a 1304 Emaj7 slowly.)

Practice, practice, practice.

I play an alternate 4442 E instead. Because I can.
 
There are probably lots of chords that I dont fret clean enough, but one I dread is Fmaj7.
I dont know if that is considered a common chord, but it is common in the songs and keys I like to play.
The 5557 shape is not that tricky, but 2413 is a finger twister.
 
There are probably lots of chords that I dont fret clean enough, but one I dread is Fmaj7.
I dont know if that is considered a common chord, but it is common in the songs and keys I like to play.
The 5557 shape is not that tricky, but 2413 is a finger twister.

On re-entrant uke I usually use a 2410 shape and on low G the 5500 works well for Fmaj7.
 
The 1402 E-chord is a bear. I keep trying to play it but my fingers just don't want to cooperate. (I can do a 1304 Emaj7 slowly.)

Practice, practice, practice.

I play an alternate 4442 E instead. Because I can.

I primarily play in E. For E major, which I seldom play because I think in minor, I use 1X02--a nice two finger E major chord. For E maj7, I tend to use 4446. However, to be honest, I almost always substitute Em6 4434 for Emaj7
 
On re-entrant uke I usually use a 2410 shape and on low G the 5500 works well for Fmaj7.

It is only cheatin a bit to play 2410, omitting the 5th. I must consider that. I forgot about 5500, that is not too tricky - but might be a big jump from the chords before and after as to where each string is fretted. That can sound off to my ears sometimes. Also just the combination of open strings and strings fretted semi far up the neck.

I end up playing a lot of songs in keys where Fmaj7 shows up, when transposing for my vocal range. And often with other F chord variants before or after. I should probably get used to play more up the neck, the transition between the different chords wil be easier if they are all made with the D shapes moved up the neck.
 
It is not that I can't play the standard C#m chord , 6444. C#m is not used that often, except in the keys of E and A and their relative minors. B also, but that is a rather rare key.
I just don't like it.

Whereas 110X gives me that root in the bottom where it belongs the best.
 
Early on, E Major before I realized it
 
Progress report: getting better with Bb in particular but have to extend my index finger pretty far over the fretboard when barring to get it sounding anywhere near clear. Bmin I’m still struggling with though
 
Progress report: getting better with Bb in particular but have to extend my index finger pretty far over the fretboard when barring to get it sounding anywhere near clear. Bmin I’m still struggling with though

All your major and minor chords, you can play with just 3 strings and muting the 4rth.
I'm not suggesting anyone try get easy and play Bb without a barre, those high root chords need them more in both down and upstrums, starting from Am.

But you CAN play Bb without barre muting the A string, 321x
Or you can play Bm with x222, muting the G string with thumb.
That is how we re-entrant players usually also play our weakest chord, Cm, 0333. Just we don't need to mute a string.
5333 barre chord sounds in general a little better, but depends also of the strumming device, nails or thumbpick etc.

Just learn your barre needed chords with major and minor 7ths and also in general for above chords.
 
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I guess it’s actually barre chords giving me difficulty...
 
I don't claim to be an expert, but sometimes you have to do what works for you.

I, too, traditionally have problems with various B and E chords. Some of the barre shapes bug me, too. And anything that requires me to span more than 3 frets. I've recently started doing finger stretches to try to get some more flexibility. One of my biggest problems with some of the chords that "should" be "easy" is that the last joint on my ring finger just doesn't bend on its own. Reaching over and fretting a low string with that finger and not fouling the strings below it just doesn't happen! And if I'm also trying to barre with my index finger, IT wants to curl and open the G string because I'm trying to get my ring finger to bend. The perils of not picking up a stringed instrument until after the age of 40, I suppose.

So, Bb. I used to HATE that one, and would just fret something close and fake it, or some some other chord that sounded "okay".

Now, I can do a Bb pretty readily, but I do it in a non-standard way. Instead of barring on the first fret, I'm cramming the fingertips of my first two fingers on the A and E strings. It's weird, but it works! With that, I can easily fret the rest of the chord, and it's easy.

I do a similar thing sometimes when playing a Gmaj7 chord, 0222, which can EASILY be barred. But, there's a song I like that alternates between G and Gmaj7, and it's MUCH quicker to just move that one finger to get from 0232 to 0222. Three fingers all crammed in there... but, getting the job done! I'm sure some players with bigger fingers (or playing soprano) wouldn't be able to do it. Gotta go with what works for you.

Another thing I sometimes do is fret the G string with my thumb. I used to think that was really weird, too... until I saw some old-timers on YouTube doing the same thing on both uke and guitar, and sometimes commenting "it's easier for me to do it this way".

So, definitely continue drilling yourself on different shapes and doing finger exercises and whatever... but, ALSO explore "odd" ways of fingering a chord. The "right" way is not always the "only" way. Think outside the box.
 
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