"e" chord

[John_Bennett]

I've been having trouble with "E". Maybe ya'll can help.
I'm not sure how to draw it with this computer, but it's baring the A&D strings on the second fret, while the G&E strings are fretted on the third, with the 2nd and third fingers, respectively.

Been working on this quite a while. A couple months maybe.

I can hardly get clear notes "barring" across the second fret alone, much less when I stretch my short 2nd finger up to the G string.

If I fret the A&D with the TIP of my index finger, I can at least get it out right alot of the time, untill I walk it up the neck a ways. You know, the strings get wider as the get closer to the sound hole so I end up not properly fretting all the A&D strings.

Should I continue working with the tip of my finger, expecting to build the callous wider and wider??

Maybe I should go back to "barring" the whole width of the kneck, and just accept that it may be a long, long time before all that soft flesh gets built up, in order to get a clean, clear sound with it??

My teacher plays it barred, and has encouraged me to play the same, but has also stated at times to do whatever works, and doesn't make a big deal out of my fingertip method...as long as I get all the notes (so far anyway).

Any suggestions??

Playing a Washburn M-ISDL, frets dressed a year ago, and a #new nut within the last week.

[Klaus Wutscher]

You probably mean G & E string FOURTH fret , I guess?

Now chords and chord voicings are a huge topic and their use depends on the style and ensemble (or lack thereof) you are playing in/with, but that particular voicing strikes me as complicated; why not take advantage of the open E string and let it ring? #Besides, putting the third on the #top may not always be the best choice. So you could either play (low to high) 4/2/2/0 (no third)or, to include the 3rd, play 1/2/2/0. If you need a chop chord, I´d recommend trusty ol 9/6/7/x

Your suggestion might work well in certain situations, but I´d hesitate to recommend it as an all purpose chord.

If you try to play the voicings I suggested, you may actually find it easier (depening on your fingers) to fret each string seperately. Works better for me, for some chords.

[swampstomper]

You probably got your idea for that E from the "beginner's" open D. As Klaus says, that voicing doesn't sound so great anyway (with the 3rd on top) but it's often taught to beginners along with the two-finger G (0-0-2-3) and C (0-2-3-0) just so they can start strumming along. If you are going to use more fingers but open strings the 1-2-2-0 sounds much nicer, if you want to be able to chop all 4 (mute the strings) try 4-6-7-7 (5th-3rd-R-5th). The bottom 3 of this make a 3-finger chop.

[AlanN]

I have become partial to this shape lately:

4674, using all 4 fingers.

[swampstomper]

OK, but do you like the sound of that 3rd on top? OK in a chord melody if that's what's called for, but otherwise the 3rd seems to ring.

[AlanN]

I know what you mean, I hardly hit that string anyway.

I just like the way it looks

[swampstomper]

Yes, it's an easy chord to remember, because it's one string down from your nice barre B (4 - 4 - 6 - 7) which b.t.w. I prefer over the Monroe chop B.

[John_Bennett]

Yes, it was a case of brain flatulance that caused me to type fretting the E&G on the third instead of the fourth.

I will experiment with these other voicings.

My biggest concern, with this question, was/is "Am I shooting myself in the foot, by not learnng to barr this chord form now??" Will it haunt me down the road, when I am being taught other forms that may include the same type of situation, or should I be ok with a "work-a-round". I dont see any other chord forms on my "chart" that appears to pose the same problems as this one, but what do I know?? I've only been playin for about a year.

Thanks for all your feedback.

Thanks for all the input.

[swampstomper]

Well, of course with the D 2-0-0-2 moved up the neck to Eb(3-1-1-3), E (4-2-2-4), F, ... you do get a barre form of these chords. But as was pointed out, it doesn't sound so great (to me anyway) since the notes are 5-R-5-3. You have a doubled 5th (B in the key of E) which is fine for a power chord (as Niles shows in his chord book), but these are R-5 only, so then you put the 3rd in (G# in the key of E) on top. If you fret that cleanly and you hear it ring, it's not such a nice voicing. Alan's barre chord, which is the open C (0-2-3-0) moved up to Db, D, Eb, E (4-6-7-4) avoids the double 5th: it is 5-3-R-3 and if you chop from the bottom you'll hardly hear that doubled 3rd.

The Monroe chop on this one is 9-6-7-4 which is R-3-R-3 which is why Jethro calls it an "old, boring, overworked" and I don't remember what other aspersions in his Mel Bay book! Speaking of which -- Jethro was a big advocate of 3-string chords of most colour tones for the mando (since the guitar should be getting the root and 5th anyway); it's worth checking that out since you are learning voicings.

[tree]

Sometimes I kind of like that modal sound of 2-0-0-2 and 4-2-2-4. #But it depends on the music.

[swampstomper]

Tree, how do you get that to be "modal"? As I understand that term it won't include the major 3rd. (uh oh, a can 'o worms...)

[AlanN]

Another 'fuller' E chord is the 1224 shape, favored by Jethro. It has all the chord tones (R,3,5), but can be a bit cumbersome.

I love 'em all, use 'em sparingly.

[mythicfish]

Choice of "chord shape" will determine the "emotional literacy" of your interpretation of the "tune".

Curt

[luckylarue]

I like to two-string it, double-stop style using only the G & D strings, 4th & 2nd frets, repectively.

[mikeomando]

Speaking about the E chord 4224 form, have any of you seen the photo of Jethro Burns making this chord by cradling the neck between his 2 and third fingers, and making half the chord from one side of the neck and the other half of the chord from the other side? The symmetry of the fingers is beautiful, albeit impractical. Once Jethro's photo showed me how, it was pretty easy to duplicate with my fingers.

[Jim Broyles]

Tree, how do you get that to be "modal"? As I understand that term it won't include the major 3rd. (uh oh, a can 'o worms...)

I agree, that shape is not really modal as I understand the term. I play bluegrass, but I use the 4-6-2-0 shape for E a lot. To chop it I use 4-6-7-x or 9-6-7-x, depending on where I've been and where I'm going.

[groveland]

Tree, how do you get that to be "modal"? As I understand that term it won't include the major 3rd. #(uh oh, a can 'o worms...)

I agree, that shape is not really modal as I understand the term. I play bluegrass, but I use the 4-6-2-0 shape for E a lot. #To chop it I use 4-6-7-x or 9-6-7-x, #depending on where I've been and where I'm going.

Ha! The M word! Last time I suggested there were varied, rather informal usages of "modal" out there, I really got piled on!

It should be one of those filtered words, like *****.

Having said that, I would say that neither of the above uses of ***** are technically correct.

[mandroid]

4620 does .. nicely, an inversion with the root as the highest note, open and ringing.

I find 4224 can be modestly altered.. 4223 minor
4254, 7th, 4354, diminished