Bar Chords and Strap Lengths

[Bojan]

Well, one thing is knowing how to play barre chords and another thing is choosing when or when not to use them. I agree with the assessment about Bruce using higher registers to fill his own niche and not interfere with the bass, which covers the lower registers. That makes perfect sense, but Bruce does use the barre chord sometimes, as seen on the above Apache video on YouTube that Jim provided (G major following the D minor).

However, getting back to barre chords, I have no problem whatsoever playing barre on two of the three Major chord formations, but I do have a problem with the third one, the one that we all know as D major. You can play that one all over the neck using the first four strings, but using all six strings to play this chord formation is a problem for me, I guess because I never practiced it. I am simply amazed at how Ecca uses this chord skillfully and to great advantage in his Savage "tuition" video, when he plays it on the 10th and 9th frets, where the fret are very narrow and where Bb and A are very uncomfortable to play as barre chords. I mean I can play it, but not as fast and automatically as I play the other chords.

[roger bayliss]

Some tunes simply demand a different approach... I know it's not Shads tune but for instance playing 'Little Wing' by Jimi Hendrix is one such tune where the thumb technique is employed and it's often a lost thing with some guitarists and I suppose you have to feel comfortable ablout what you play and how you play it. Small hands don't help either and fat fretboards and I am sure that's why many prefer the slimer neck profiles.

Bojan I watch Ecca play the Savage bit that way all the time at Hankies and he's got it down to a fine art. Me I actually finger the notes and I actually wonder if that's the way it was originally done by Hank if you listen to the 'run' carefully on record.. I always struggle with the full C shape on a barre just never mastered it completely but Ecca just drops it in without thinking

[chas]

Recording certainly can focus clashes of frequencies - I wonder how much of The Shads early recordings perhaps had an influence, if any (perhaps particularly rhythm) on their technique? As has been said, lower notes of chords can clash with the bass, but also lower drums sounds can also clash with bass - maybe not so much the bass drum, but toms.
Chas.

[Mike Honey]

I think its worth stating that if you play,say an A barre chord. your bass (root) note is an A, just the same as if you play a first position A. The difference is the resonance. A barred note, whether barred by finger or by capo, will never resonate as much as an open string. Many rhythm guitarists will use first position chords because of the beautiful resonance that the open strings will add to the chord. On the other hand play 'walk dont run' without a barre chord intro and it just doesnt sound the same with first pos chord. Its horses for courses!

Mike

[Martin Page]

Er, isnt that how everybody should play it?

Mike

They might prefer to play the F7 at either the first, fifth or eighth fret. Frankly I doubt (unless they've studied Bruce) whether they would necessarily play those middle four strings only.

Martin.

[Mike Honey]

I think you're missing my point Martin. If you are going to play an F7 ( starting on 6th fret) you have no alternative but to only play the middle 4 strings. The two outer E's have no place in the chord.

Mike

[Martin Page]

I think you're missing my point Martin. If you are going to play an F7 ( starting on 6th fret) you have no alternative but to only play the middle 4 strings. The two outer E's have no place in the chord.

Mike

Mike, I think we're talking at cross-purposes - hence my use of the word 'clashing' in my original post. I think a lot of 'strummers' either hit the whole six strings or, say, just the top four or five strings. Of course the F7 in question must be the middle four strings only. As you know, jazz guitarists tend to play some chords by damping selected notes within the chord with their fretting hand.

Regards, Martin.

[Mike Honey]

sorry Martin. i was reading it as though Bruce was doing something different to the norm. a little bit of theoretical discussion is no bad thing though! LOL

mike

[Martin Page]

sorry Martin. i was reading it as though Bruce was doing something different to the norm. a little bit of theoretical discussion is no bad thing though! LOL

mike

Yup

Martin.

[Bojan]

Some tunes simply demand a different approach... I know it's not Shads tune but for instance playing 'Little Wing' by Jimi Hendrix is one such tune where the thumb technique is employed and it's often a lost thing with some guitarists and I suppose you have to feel comfortable ablout what you play and how you play it. Small hands don't help either and fat fretboards and I am sure that's why many prefer the slimmer neck profiles.

Bojan I watch Ecca play the Savage bit that way all the time at Hankies and he's got it down to a fine art. Me I actually finger the notes and I actually wonder if that's the way it was originally done by Hank if you listen to the 'run' carefully on record.. I always struggle with the full C shape on a barre just never mastered it completely but Ecca just drops it in without thinking

Ecca really does it perfectly, but I would say that Hank originally played that part note by note, the way Phil Kelly plays it on his YouTube video and the way Zoe McCullough plays it on the video with Tommy Emanuel (who, by the way, is absolutely brilliant on rhythm!!!). The reason I think that is because after that shufle, the open B string can still be heard resonating even as Hank begins playing the Bb chord sequence, which means that he is playing the notes individually starting with the lowest note, because if he positioned the entire chord in advance that open B note would be silenced earlier. Do you know what I am talking about Roger?