playing a b chord

a_gherkin
a_gherkin Posts: 77
edited December 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
i have been playin guitar for over 8 months now and am getting quite competent, at the basics at least. i find barre chrods no problem and am switching fluently between all the major chords. well, all except one, the b chord.
how the hell do you play one of these suckers, i have never, to my recollection, successfully played a b chord, i just opt for a barre chord intead usually, any help would be great


Cheers
Gherk
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    assuming standard tuning, there is no open B chord. they're all barres.

    x
    2
    4
    4
    4
    2

    or

    7
    9
    9
    8
    7
    7

    etc
    etc
  • djyman15
    djyman15 Posts: 181
    I play it like an A chord, except you have a bar across the 2nd fret. Kinda have to stretch your fingers, but i hate double barring
    "Even if your heart would listen, I doubt I could explain"-Jimmy Eat World
  • low_light
    low_light Posts: 251
    this is a nice B i think....


    standard tuning...

    x2x033

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by low_light
    this is a nice B i think....


    standard tuning...

    x2x033

    -d

    Sorry, actually it's an even nicer G with B in the bass
    : )

    You can finger a B like this x2444x or xx4442 or any triad that gets you a B D# F#.

    It's not always necessary to play all 6 strings to strum a chord. It can be cleaner sounding to play fewer strings sometimes.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    my favourite is

    x
    9
    9
    8
    0
    0

    whatever that is.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    That's a left handed thing I hope!

    B with an added 4th officially.

    Old Frank Zappa style chord,
    Coldplay for you younger folk!

    799800
    244300
    022100
    799800
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    i tend to play a lot of chords with the open high e and b.
  • frankzappa
    frankzappa Posts: 143
    the rush chord (or alice in chains chords for you youngsters):

    E 0
    B 0
    G 8
    D 9
    A 9
    E 7

    Here is some stripped down theory. If it gets confusing, stop and start reading over again. eventually you'll get it. (it sounds weird but it works). have your guitar handy for reference.:

    like all major and minor chords, a B Chord is only 3 notes B (root), D# (major 3rd), and F#. to make it minor, make your major 3rd a minor 3rd by moving it back one fret (B, D natural, and F#) The numbers (3rd, 5th) refer to what note number it is in the B Scale. A Bmajor scale goes: 1B 2C# 3D# 4E 5F# 6G# 7A# 8(octave)B. if you continue higher playing the same notes, you get 9C# 10D# 11E 12F# 13G# 14A# 15(second octave)B. note that a 9 is the same as a 2, just an octave higher, and so on for all notes. So any place on the guitar that you can hit all of those notes will make a chord. thats why your seeing so many variances between peoples relpys.

    A chord is any 2 or more notes played simoultaniously. A power chord is just the root (B) the fifth (F#) and the Octave (next higher B). Using what I've just written, if you wanted to play a B9 chord, you need at least the root, 5th and 9th. So a B9 Chord is B F# B C#. You could fill it out more by putting in the 3rd, which would make it B D# F# B C#. If you understand this, know where all the notes are on the guitar, and know how to make a major scale, then you should be able to figure out any chord. So if you want to get nuts, a BM7b13 (B Major7, Flat 13) would be a whole B major chord, with a Major7 note and a flat 13 note. Flat means drop that note back one fret from where it would normally be in the scale. SO, B, D#, F#, A# and Gnatural.


    a B major scale:

    E
    B
    G
    1
    3
    4
    D
    1
    2
    4
    A----2---4
    E
    B C# D# E F# G# A# B


    a B minor scale is only different in that the 3rd and seventh are lowered by one note (D#->D and A#->A)

    E
    B
    G
    2
    4
    D
    2
    4
    5
    A----2----4----5
    E
    B C# D E F# G A B

    remember, a major chord is Root, Maj3, Maj5, Octave (B,D#,F#, B)
    a minor chord is Root, min3, maj5, octave. (B, D, F#, B)
    and a power chord is root, maj5, octave. (B, F#, B)


    note: think of your F chord. when you play your F chord at the 3rd fret its a G chord. The scales work the same way. Whatever the starting note is for the scale is the key its in.
    so if you move the Bmajor scale up one fret, you have a Cmajor scale:

    E
    B
    G
    2
    4
    5
    D
    2
    3
    5
    A----3---5
    E
    C D E F G A B C


    move it up again one fret and its a C# major scale, ect, etc. That should keep you for a while. write me when you want more.
    "If god really made us in his image, that means god is dumb all over and a little ugly on the side" -FZ
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Nice one Frank Zappa
    I was just sitting here for a half hour writing up a bit of a lesson, and you got this up while I was writing.

    Yours is better than mine!

    You get to collect the fee for that one!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Props to Zappa! I'm copy-pasting this one before it get's cold! Gives me the whole triad lesson at the smae time, doesn't it, who'spj?
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Then tomorrow, after you master that:

    You will have to learn C#m7 6/flat 9th in the open g# tuning.

    But for now, you owe Frank Zappa 10 bucks american

    And me 10 bucks american for the open tuning website chord generator. ( Or a small quantity of some of the beers the monks make over there!)

    Good luck man!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Woow, one step at a time :D

    Meanwhile, you and Zappa come to my place, we'll crack a few Leffe's.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    I'm there! I'll pick up Zappa on the way.
    We go right at New York, make a left at France, Cross the border, your house is on the left?
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Yep! Just follow the music, you can't miss it.
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    Yep! Just follow the music, you can't miss it.

    We'll be listening for a "B" scale on the street. We'll know it's you.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • frankzappa
    frankzappa Posts: 143
    Originally posted by who's_pearljam?
    Then tomorrow, after you master that:

    You will have to learn C#m7 6/flat 9th in the open g# tuning.


    easy, break it down.
    first, tune your guitar:

    Standard Tuning -> Open G# tuning
    E down->D#
    B up to->B#
    G up to->G#
    D up to->D#
    A down->G#
    E down->D#

    you could also go to G tuning (DGDGBD), and capo at the first fret.
    now what is your chord? C#m7 6/b9. Break it up. You need a C#m7 chord, a 6th note, and a flat 9 note. so you need to know what the notes are in the C# scale are (1C#2D#3E#4F#5G#6A#7B#). Now for the C#m7, you'll need the root, minor 3rd, fifth, and seventh. Thats C#, E, G# and B since its a MINOR 7. (if it was major 7, then you would use B#).
    ok, now you only need 2 more notes, the 6th (A#) and the flat 9, which as I said yesterday is the same as the flat 2, so D.

    So your chord goes, low to high, C#, E, G#, A#, B, D. before you even play it I can tell it will sound dissident because the 6 and b7 are only one note apart (like holding down fret 4 on the b string and playing both the b and high e).

    Now that you know how to make the chord, all you need to do is figure out where to play it on the fret board in the open tuning.

    D#--11----
    B#--11----
    G#--0----
    D#--6----
    G#--8----
    D#-10

    this is your chord, but I dont think its possible to play. you could arpegio it, or play it with someone, but thats your best bet.

    What I suggest it to chang your tuning to an open G and cap everything at the first fret EXCEPT your 2 highest strings. this is possible with the clip on cappos.

    looks like this:
    open G cappo at one with 2 high strings open:
    D->D
    B->B
    G->G#
    D->D#
    G->G#
    D->D#

    now your tuning is this, with your chord (actual fret #s)
    D --0----
    B --0----
    G#--3----
    D#--2----
    G#--7----
    D#--6----

    its still a pretty hard chord to play, but its not impossible now.
    "If god really made us in his image, that means god is dumb all over and a little ugly on the side" -FZ
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    :eek:

    Jeez... but I think I'm getting the idea by now. This is much more fun way of learning then reading books. I like interaction :D

    All I need now is more friggin' time... I work to hard, but I've given myself a break from december 18 till 29th. I know what to do!
  • frankzappa
    frankzappa Posts: 143
    i'm re-ochestrating hail hail for classical guitar finger picking. If your still following all this, then I'll post it when I finish.

    will my amp work in england? i though it was a different electric current. We should bring the acoustics just in case. and if we're going all the way to england, we're swinging northwest and hitting the guiness factory...
    "If god really made us in his image, that means god is dumb all over and a little ugly on the side" -FZ
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by frankzappa
    easy, break it down.
    first, tune your guitar:

    Standard Tuning -> Open G# tuning
    E down->D#
    B up to->B#
    G up to->G#
    D up to->D#
    A down->G#
    E down->D#



    its still a pretty hard chord to play, but its not impossible now.



    Actually, that was a joke. : )
    But that is a good way to play it if the situation arises!
    That situation would only arise if we were drinking a lot of beer over at Pearlwax's house, teaching him jazz!
    Poor pearlwax.
    poor Gherkin,,, just wanted a B chord!

    1. You'all would do well by learning the notes on the neck of the guitar. It's no fun, but like 10 minutes before you practice, start at the low E and work your way up the neck on all strings. It's painfully slow at first, but if you do that ,,,, ok 5 minutes a day, you will be surprised when you start to know where the notes are.
    That will put you at a bit of an advantage when you start to figure out chords.

    Here is a fretboard chart for guitar in standard tuning:

    http://acheron.servehttp.com:8080/garrett/Documents/Neck%20Diagram.pdf


    2. The other thing is to learn the triads first:

    Ok a triad is the basic major chord.

    A Db E
    Bb D F
    B Eb Gb
    C E G
    Db F A
    D Gb A
    Eb G B
    E Ab B
    F A C
    Gb Bb Db
    G B D
    Ab C Eb

    Those are the Major triads for you. That's worth a case of Leffe's there! In print.

    If you know the notes on the neck, and the major triads, you will find all different types of ways that a chord can be played.

    3. Learn the "Cmajor" scale : C D E F G A B C , No sharps or flats. The easiest one to start with.

    C E G is a C chord ( 1, 3, 5 ) is a formula, like Zappa so well put it. ( note there is 1 through 7 in the c scale

    C Eb G is a Cm (c minor) ( 1, 3b, 5 ) Formula for a minor chord

    When you know that stuff, then you can apply that to any chord,,,,then you can start to do 7ths and minor 7ths and on and on

    So between this, and Frank Zappa's theory above, you'all should be busy for a while. It seems boring to learn. But if you do it in increments, and play fun things too, you WILL assimilate this and it will be like riding a bike. You'll always know it.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by frankzappa
    will my amp work in england? i though it was a different electric current. We should bring the acoustics just in case. and if we're going all the way to england, we're swinging northwest and hitting the guiness factory...

    Belgium, my Zappanian friend, Belgium... where the beer flows much mildlier than on the other side of the Canal.

    :D

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