Dane
Well-known member
D was the one I had probs with, Bb/A# wasn't really an issue for some reason
Anybody use the B chord shape a lot???
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brickerenator
Well-known member
I love it.
The other day I played a song using only barre chords. Sounded pretty sweet. Would be awesome for a duet, someone playing normal (open) chords, and someone playing barre.
The other day I played a song using only barre chords. Sounded pretty sweet. Would be awesome for a duet, someone playing normal (open) chords, and someone playing barre.
Funny, how we all vary. I have problems w/some chords (E, for example), but no trouble w/the B-chord shape. Practice! Hey, if you alternate between Em and B, you've pretty much got "Sway Me", that old Dean Martin standard. (C, D and G round out the song's chords)
Practice!
Practice!
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Pondoro
Well-known member
I had trouble with the Bb chord at first but I am better at it now. If I get a new uke and Bb is hard it means the nut is too high. I measure the string height directly over fret 1 with a feeler gauge. If it is above 20/1000 of an inch I have trouble with Bb, I like it to be more like 15/1000". This sounds like a trivial difference but it is not. I figured this out when I got a uke that was super easy to barre. I measured the string height at fret 1 and it was lower than my other ukes. Be careful, I have heard they will buzz if you get the strings too low. It never happened to me.
uke5417
Well-known member
I think the Bb is my favorite uke key. It seems to be as low on the neck as you can go and pull off an easy set of I, IV, V barre chords with the Bb being the I. Guitary much? Yeah, maybe. But I like it a lot. I must have five songs on YT in that key. I love that the key has the open F and then the D-shape barre F in such close proximity. And that open Gm as the VI just sounds great on the uke.
molokinirum
Well-known member
Yes it really comes down to practice. I have used the Freboard Roadmap book and that has really helped with playing the B shape chords, plus others. I don't shy away from songs that have the B, Bb, E, Eb etc. I still am not real fast, but I can play many more songs now.
Here's another reason to learn to use the B-chord shape: it's a great substitute for B7. On my sopranos, I can hear essentially no diff between B and B7. B7 is more difficult to play, as the C-string tends to get a bit sharp from the double-fretting - at least when I play it. (same goes for Bb instead of Bb7)
musiccityuker
Well-known member
If the Uke Gods could replace "B" and "E" with anything else I would be a much better ukeist!
Pueo
Well-known member
A common Rock guitar trick is the standard barre chord E shape and A shape. You can literally play anything with those two shapes, if you want to get fancy maybe lift a finger here and there to get a minor or a 7, but it is true.
In the ukulele universe, I have found the same is true with the A shape and the F shape. B is just the A-shape barred and moved up. Lift one finger, get the 7, lift the other, get the minor, leave just the barre, get minor 7th! It's a bit more complicated with the F shape going to minor and 7th, but with those two shapes moving around the neck you can play almost anything. It's also a great way to sound out a song, and then you can go back and use the open chords once you figure out what the roots are.
I never had trouble with B/Bb or D on ukulele, but the E chord is still tough for me to sound clean every time, especially when I have to change quickly. I cannot place three fingers on the top three strings like I do for a D and then add my first finger, so I have to do a partial bar. It's just practice though!
In the ukulele universe, I have found the same is true with the A shape and the F shape. B is just the A-shape barred and moved up. Lift one finger, get the 7, lift the other, get the minor, leave just the barre, get minor 7th! It's a bit more complicated with the F shape going to minor and 7th, but with those two shapes moving around the neck you can play almost anything. It's also a great way to sound out a song, and then you can go back and use the open chords once you figure out what the roots are.
I never had trouble with B/Bb or D on ukulele, but the E chord is still tough for me to sound clean every time, especially when I have to change quickly. I cannot place three fingers on the top three strings like I do for a D and then add my first finger, so I have to do a partial bar. It's just practice though!
