Ok, barre chords. Not a problem, well....... not basics anyway.
"E" shape majors, "A" shape majors, minors, 7th, etc. Yeah. Convenient, simple and boring! :o
Do you agree?
I'm working on opens, and moveable "C E A and D" for two reasons;
1/ It sounds better
2/ It's a more versatile way, where you can add and subtract various elements of the chord.
What do others think???
Yes barres are convenient, but not always boring, esp. some jazzy diminished chords which can still be barred.
I like mixing and matching opens with barres - sometimes it's just easier to play the barred version. The pesky B chord comes to mind.
But I understand what you are saying - with the 12-string in particular I liked playing open "versions" of chords, or partial barres. The 12-string sounds great with those ringing open strings! Barres can really deaden the 12-string effect.
But other times the voicing just wouldn't be right if you played the chord somewhere else on the neck, which makes barres more-or-less indispensable IMHO.
Here's an example of a barre chord progression that wouldn't work with open chords:
F#m7 (2nd fret barre) - G#m7 (same form 4th fret) - A (standard E-shape 5th fret) - Eb7 (A7 shape 6th fret) - Emaj7 (Amaj7 shape 7th fret) - Amaj7 (open! resoundingly!)
The beauty of the progression is that with the Emaj7 you end up in perfect position to move all the way back down the neck for that open Amaj7. Neat trick!
(Yes, it's from a real song.)
Hmmm, I'll try that out tomorrow.................... :/
I don't use barre chords as often as I used to, unless I'm rippin into those power chords on a grunge piece.
Don't mind them so much on electric, but they really suck the tone out of a chord on acoustic and I really prefer the ring of an open string.
When I play B chords I usually use this shape: (004420) and the same shape for a C#m (006640) to get that nice openness on the E and B strings. And I mute the low E as well.
For an F#m, you can avoid the barre in some situations by playing an A2 with an F# bass (002202), which I press with my thumb. Mute the open A though.
LOL; it took me a moment to figure out that you write your chords backwards. Must be because you are in Australia.
Anyway, yes you are absolutely correct about those ringing open strings (though technically the chords become something else, no?)
That's how I play Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing", Allman Bros.' "Melissa" and a few others.
Ooh.. err sorry, heh heh...
Just flip your guitar round and play left handed like Hendrix...