Barre Chords And The Use Of Metronome
- Date: 2008-11-25 - Word Count: 567
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For any beginner guitar student, the ability to play barre chords could be challenging. However, the effort to master the skills is well worth it. Any baree chord requires some technical ability but makes chord playning much simpler and easier.
The beauty of the barre chord on the guitar is that it is part of a set of 'moveable shape' chords. What that means is that you have a specific shape for a specific chord and you can move that same shape around based on where the root of the chord is.
For example, if you play a major barre chord shape for G on the third fret, the same shape will become C major if started on the 8th fret of the 6th string. This opens up a lot of possibilities because you can cover a huge number of different chords without having to memorize a lot of chord shapes. The only catch is that you must know the location of the root you are seeking, so if you don't have a good knowledge of the note names on the fretboard, this will be difficult. I suggest for players who are new to the barre chord to focus on the 5th and 6th string roots using the major, minor and dominant seventh shape.
There is also a technical problem in playing barre chords because you need a certain amount of strength in the left hand, so don't tackle those shapes until you are comfortable with simpler chords first.
One other way to help remember the three standard barre chord shapes with fifth and sixth string roots is to look at their equivalents in the open position (or 'campfire chords') If you need a major barre chord with a sixth string root, you just have to look at the open position equivalent, in this case E major, and then move the barre up as you move the chord up. Think of using the barre like a capo, effectively closing off the open strings to play in a different place on the neck. The E major, minor and dominant seventh shapes move up on the sixth string and the A major, minor and dominant shapes move up on the fifth string. There are many more chords than this, but you can cover a lot of ground early on if you can master these six.
The use of Metronome in Guitar Study
If you are playing at an intermediate/advanced level, having a metronome is crucial. You can't really rely on your own natural sense of time, and unless you are playing with other people who have incredible sense of time then you will need a metronome for private practice in order to progress. For those who aren't familiar, a metronome is a machine (most are digital now) that clicks a "tempo" or consistent pulse. You can buy fancy metronomes that will subdivide and do other things like odd meters as well. But most importantly, the metronome should act as your marker for progress on anything you are working on, and by writing down the tempo that you are practicing a certain thing will show you whether you are improving or not. It is also important to practice at a slow tempo as well a fast one, if you can't do this, you haven't really learned it. I really recommend a metronome for advancing players, and even beginners, making sure you use it constantly for practice.
The beauty of the barre chord on the guitar is that it is part of a set of 'moveable shape' chords. What that means is that you have a specific shape for a specific chord and you can move that same shape around based on where the root of the chord is.
For example, if you play a major barre chord shape for G on the third fret, the same shape will become C major if started on the 8th fret of the 6th string. This opens up a lot of possibilities because you can cover a huge number of different chords without having to memorize a lot of chord shapes. The only catch is that you must know the location of the root you are seeking, so if you don't have a good knowledge of the note names on the fretboard, this will be difficult. I suggest for players who are new to the barre chord to focus on the 5th and 6th string roots using the major, minor and dominant seventh shape.
There is also a technical problem in playing barre chords because you need a certain amount of strength in the left hand, so don't tackle those shapes until you are comfortable with simpler chords first.
One other way to help remember the three standard barre chord shapes with fifth and sixth string roots is to look at their equivalents in the open position (or 'campfire chords') If you need a major barre chord with a sixth string root, you just have to look at the open position equivalent, in this case E major, and then move the barre up as you move the chord up. Think of using the barre like a capo, effectively closing off the open strings to play in a different place on the neck. The E major, minor and dominant seventh shapes move up on the sixth string and the A major, minor and dominant shapes move up on the fifth string. There are many more chords than this, but you can cover a lot of ground early on if you can master these six.
The use of Metronome in Guitar Study
If you are playing at an intermediate/advanced level, having a metronome is crucial. You can't really rely on your own natural sense of time, and unless you are playing with other people who have incredible sense of time then you will need a metronome for private practice in order to progress. For those who aren't familiar, a metronome is a machine (most are digital now) that clicks a "tempo" or consistent pulse. You can buy fancy metronomes that will subdivide and do other things like odd meters as well. But most importantly, the metronome should act as your marker for progress on anything you are working on, and by writing down the tempo that you are practicing a certain thing will show you whether you are improving or not. It is also important to practice at a slow tempo as well a fast one, if you can't do this, you haven't really learned it. I really recommend a metronome for advancing players, and even beginners, making sure you use it constantly for practice.
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