How would you finger this chord?

[Blue Calx]

E|-3-
B|-6-
G|-5-
D|-3-
A|-x-
E|-5-

I've tried barring the 3rd fret, and it works out fine until I add the low bass note. Then my bar weakens and you can't hear the top string. I'm trying to play this on 12-string acoustic - any tips?

[Ninja Monkey]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

Have you tried using an open A instead of the A on the 5th fret of the 6th string?
That's my best advice. xP

[Blue Calx]

Re: How would you finger this chord?



I guess I just assumed that since there's a lot of moving around in the bass part that playing the note on the E string would eventually prove to be convenient... NOPE! No chord before or after this one in the tune jumps off from that low A.

Thanks!

[Ninja Monkey]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

Ahh, I see. Wacky bass lines make the life of a guitarist hard.
Glad to provide assistance.

[Blue Calx]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

Before, I was using (high to low): index, pinky, ring, index, index (mute), middle.
Fingering it this way, I would have to shift my whole wrist to reach the low note. While playing with the open string instead, I noticed that I was having the same problem reaching over to mute the low E. I then tried rearranging my fingers in order to mute with my ring finger, but discovered that I could just slap that finger right onto the 5th fret without losing the bar.

index, pinky, middle, index, (mute with both index and ring), ring... which is gonna take some practice!

[GuitarStv]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

E|-3-
B|-6-
G|-5-
D|-3-
A|-x-
E|-5-

I've tried barring the 3rd fret, and it works out fine until I add the low bass note. Then my bar weakens and you can't hear the top string. I'm trying to play this on 12-string acoustic - any tips?

Thumb on the low E, use the edge of your thumb to mute the A string. I do that with Maj7ths and other funny jazz chords all the time:

E|-4-
B|-5-
G|-6-
D|-7-
A|-x-
E|-5-

[Blue Calx]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

Thumb on the low E, use the edge of your thumb to mute the A string. I do that with Maj7ths and other funny jazz chords all the time:

I did try that, and I felt like it was also weakening my bar. I'll play around with both and see which feels more natural in context.

[Aceman]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

It's your basic 2nd form F chord (root on 2nd string). The obvious/easy to me is play the full bar and drop finger #2 on A - it will mute the 5th string.

But the just use open A answer is a lot better.

This is F/A. What song?

[Blue Calx]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

It's your basic 2nd form F chord (root on 2nd string). The obvious/easy to me is play the full bar and drop finger #2 on A - it will mute the 5th string.

But the just use open A answer is a lot better.

This is F/A. What song?

The way you describe is what I was originally doing, but the stretch to A with finger 2 was making me lift my bar. I would go the open A route, but the right hand needs to be able to flail wildly (so muting open E would be a problem). I'm trying to learn Pat Metheny's "Over on 4th Street." I admit that I don't know the first thing about what goes into stringing these chords together, but I want to get the tune under my fingers because then I might be able to make sense of the way the notes move around. ... that and I've always loved the tune!

[Jeff_H]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

What I do on that one is just stick my middle finger straight in and then wiggle it around a bit.



Sorry, couldn't resist. As you were.

[CTN]

Re: How would you finger this chord?

try this:

index finger bars 3rd fret, DGBE, fingertip touching/muting A string.
middle finger, low E, 5th fret
ring finger, G string 5th fret
pinky, B string, 6th fret.

Donezo. It's quite comfy actually. That said, the low A in that chord sounds completely wrong for the mood that the rest of the notes create.