Fingering E/G#

[sws626]

Any tips on playing this chord?

I've seen Clapton play it with his thumb over the sixth string:


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But I can't twist my hand like that without muting the high E as well. I can just about manage this, but it takes me forever to get into position:

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I'm currently playing it like this, which sounds okay:

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Any finger exercises anyone can recommend? Is it just a matter of practice? Or is the form I'm using close enough?

It's preceded an A and followed by an F#m.

-Stuart

[willem]

can you write it like,, 032010(this a C chord)first 0=6string,,the numbers are the frets..

[Music Junkie]

Stuart:

I asked this same question a little while back. Here are the responses I got. Some good ones....

http://www.totallyguitars.com/forum/75- ... ou-play-eg

Jason

[sws626]

willem wrote:

can you write it like,, 032010(this a C chord)first 0=6string,,the numbers are the frets..

Hi Willem,

The first two are alternate fingerings of 4x2450. The way I'm playing right now is 422100.

Thanks, Jason. I'll check out that thread.

-Stuart

[AndyT]

Try 322100

[sws626]

AndyT wrote:

Try 322100

Thanks Andy, but I need the G#. The only thing that isn't quite satisfying about 422100 is that you don't get the chiming of the two high E notes that you hear with 4x2450. This is in Clapton's Bell Bottom Blues, the second chord of the chorus (lyrics there are: "crawl across the floor to you")

[sws626]

Music Junkie wrote:

Stuart:

I asked this same question a little while back. Here are the responses I got. Some good ones....

http://www.totallyguitars.com/forum/75- ... ou-play-eg

Jason

Hi Jason,

I remember that thread now that I've re-read it. My brain is obviously leaking badly. Dennis had a good suggestion there with a barre at the 4th fret to give 476454. I've just tried that and can play it much more easily than the open chord (4x2450). But it just doesn't have that same jangly feel.

-Stuart

[Music Junkie]

I know what you mean. Having those open strings just gives it a killer sound. I play mine 4x2400 and it sounds nice.....

J

[sws626]

I've taken a closer look at how Clapton plays this chord:



He's not playing an E on the 4th string (4x2450), as I'd previously thought, but rather 4x6450 -- so something closer to Dennis' barre suggestion, but with his thumb covering the sixth string and muting the 5th so it gets the jangle by leaving the first string open.

This voicing is eminently playable without resorting to the thumb over as (to revert to my standard notation):

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It's an unfamiliar fingering to me, so will take some practice. But the sound is right. Maybe it could work in "Green Eyes" and "Doolin' Dalton" as well, Jason.

-Stuart

[Music Junkie]

sws626 wrote:

It's an unfamiliar fingering to me, so will take some practice. But the sound is right. Maybe it could work in "Green Eyes" and "Doolin' Dalton" as well, Jason.

-Stuart

Stuart:

I play both of those songs with a capo at the second fret. When I originally transcribed them, my instructor made me do it in standard tuning with no capo. Made for some difficult fingerings and changes, but it was good for ear training. Then after I got through all of that work, he laughed and told me that they are played with a capo at the second fret. Sure enough, I found some YT clips of the Eagles and Coldplay and both were playing with a capo at the 2nd......

As a side note, if you tune down your high e string to D, on "Green Eyes" you get a better sound out of the song when you play with a capo at the second. When I play it open, I play it with A - E/G# - Bmadd11 (basically a Bm chord without the barre, but rather just the 5th string fretted at the second, leaving the e string to ring open). Then you can use a G6 chord as your passing borrowed chord in the chorus. With a capo at the second, I use G fingered with the 1st string open and the 2nd string fretted at the 3rd fret. But this gives you an F6 as the passing borrowed chord in the chorus.

Hopefully I have thoroughly confused you by now....lol I certainly do not have Neil's way with words.....lol If you are interested, I can pass on my transcriptions to you to check out. Just PM me and I will give you my e-mail address.

J