B7 troubles

I seem to recall, and correct me if I’m wrong, (I’m sure you will!!) but didn’t you say use songs to practice chord changes?

Not sure if that was me but generally yes but after you can confidently change between chords with one minute changes. For power chords (and any chord for that matter) there is no point into trying use them in a song until you have learnt how to play them, even if they are not 100%
Otherwise Justin’s first lesson would be “Play 3 Little Birds - Here’s 3 Chords”. Hope that makes sense. But I don’t think that was my quote you mentioned but hey I’ve said a lot of things over the years !
:sunglasses:

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7200 plus posts but all good stuff :smiley:

Absolutely, you got to get the chords under your fingers and changes going reasonably smoothly then build up from there… like Toby says lay the foundations and then build… and like Gordon says you only need to make the changes as fast as the song dictates… no need to treat one minute changes as a challenge to get as many as possible

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I knew that you would correct me and fair enough but using them in songs, even when not quite 100%, is a good way of learning the chord/change and song.

As an example I’m learning something that has a G-B7-C-A sequence. Most of this is fine but the G-B7 is a pig! I’m getting B7 about 50% of the time at the moment but it’s getting there.

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Keep at it Stuart the B7 was quite a challenge for me at the beginning, it will come ! :+1:

Not given up on it yet!! I know that I will get there (as with C and F) but it will probably take a while and a good bit of practice.

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Stuart @Stuartw
I have done a few songs that have had B and Bm where I have substituted B7 because I didn’t think I could change to the barre chord quick enough. Not sure I made the right decision as B7 is quite difficult to get. I think it is not just using four fingers it is that it is like some other chord shape but not quite and that seem to be the issue for me, and like you I don’t get it right every time.
Michael

Think of the B7 as a D7 shaped chord and move it to strings 3 4 & 5. Try switching from D7 moving the shape up 2 strings up but don’t worry about the pinkie to start with. When you can consistently land the “D7” shape where the B7 lives, add the pinkie to the e string. :sunglasses:

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Clutch advice coming out here!

Thanks for the tip. Knowing that it’s a D7 shape (which hadn’t clicked previously) moved up a couple of strings helps a lot.

That triangle shape is used extensively when you get into move advanced chords, frequently played with fingers 234 and the index playing strings above the “shape”. For example play the D7 with that fingering but move it up two frets and put the index on the 2nd fret of the D string voila E7, move all 4 fingers 1 more fret F7 etc up the neck.

And don’t forget once you have that B7 down, you have 12 new chords. :wink:
In the future you will spot these common shapes all over the neck !

:sunglasses:

Toby Stuart @TheMadman_tobyjenner @Stuartw
We have definitely moved off topic and one of the mods should perhaps move it. @Richard_close2u
The issue I had when changing fast to B7 was my fingers wanted to make an E Chord so ended up with a mixture of the two. Rather bizarrely I realised at the time that changing to an E chord was not very good, I know it is one of the first chords you learn but I don’t have many songs with it in, so I have been doing some work on that. Dm is another chord that doesn’t come up very often for me but it did in a recent song, it was almost like starting again, do you use your third or fourth finger etc etc
Michael

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That’s not uncommon Michael, you just have to work the changes. When learning a new song you may come across an unfamiliar change - like that Blondie song at the last Vintage Club I’ve not done a straight A D E song in yonks - so you take those changes and focus on them until the flow and then add the chords around them. Its an ongoing process, it might me open chords now but it will 7, 9s and others in the future and the same process applies ! The learning and practice never stops !! :rofl:

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A bit late to the discussion, but this might be helpful (later) :thinking:
Are you able to play barre chords? If you are, and you need to go from G to B7, it’s probably easiest to play the G barre and then slide up four frets to the B barre, just lifting off your pinky :smiley:
I try to avoid playing the open B7 if at all possible, but then again am as lazy as sin :wink:

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A good progression to practice is E7 A7 B7 your fingers don’t move far and will get you used to the B7 shape before using it with other chords.

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Toby @TheMadman_tobyjenner

I did eventually get B7 but have started to look at all of the chords I know but are little used to make sure they are still there.

Brian @brianlarsen

I think I am at the stage now that I am reasonably happy to play E and A shaped barre chords and not have to make too many substitutions

They are not perfect but if you don’t use them you will never make the transition.

Michael

David @BurnsRhythm
Another thing to add to my ever expanding practice routine.
I must programme a slot to have my evening meal (actually that glass of wine) :wine_glass:

Michael

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Time boxing Michael, time boxing! :smiley:

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Not more chords!! Still having trouble with the ones I know. :slight_smile:

I certainly hope so.

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I can play barre chords although not totally fluently. I have tried this in the song that I practising at the moment and this works fine. So the chords go G-B7-C-A so usi8ng barres I am playing E shape at the 3rd fret, then 7th, 8th and then 5th for the A. Is that right? Not understanding you comment about lifting off the pinky!