Newsgroups: alt.music.filk
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 09:25:52 -0500 
From: Eli Brian Goldberg <eg1n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Bar Chords, 201

> Send replys to: Chris.Croughton@f208.n103.z1.fidonet.org

> Organization: Keristor Systems
> From: chris@keris.demon.co.uk (Chris Croughton)
> Message-ID: <724024827snz@keris.demon.co.uk>
> Newsgroups: alt.music.filk


> In article <If9G1ui00WA7BMp1Yk@andrew.cmu.edu> eg1n+@andrew.cmu.edu writes:

> >Unfortunately, during the 2 hours I set aside for studying for my Stats
> >exam today, my guitar decided that it was going to teach me how to do
> >bar chords whether I wanted to learn or not...[I think my guitar just
> >learned how to do the bar chords when Jane borrowed it, so then it was
> >able to teach it all back to me...?  Gee...now...what would happen if I
> >lent Leslie my guitar? (grin)]

> Well, Mike has borrowed my guitar, and it doesn't seem to have learned
> how to do them :-(

Hmm...Maybe it needs to be more acquainted with Leslie's theories of psychic
instruments.  Mine got them day and night... ;-)  [Funny...this sounds
like a real-life
version of a parody of _Need_ that one filksinger was writing; a guitar that 
automatically makes you a great performer whenever you pick it up, pulls
you to 
nearby filksings and makes you perform, etc... ;-]


> >
> >Now that I can actually do the A & E based bar chords in about a quarter o
> >of a second or so, could I get some idea of what these things are USED for?
> >[This means you, Mike... :-}
> >
> >They seem useful for obscure chords that I don't want to remember how
> >to play, but I've seen people (i.e. Jane) play chords (i.e. Drivel;
> >A & G chords for the entire thing) that obviously could just as easily
> >been done with non-bar chords).  Is there any pattern, or is it just a matter
> >of hearing what sounds good?

> They sound good.  Next...

> Actually, they're good for a lot of chords that you *can't* play
> non-barred (like Eb).  And one point is that you can easily slide from
> one into another (e.g. A to G is just moving down 2 frets).  Another
> point is that the chords still sound the same - the 'voicing' is the
> same whatever the chord.  If you do A and G in 'open' position (i.e. as
> few strings fretted as possible), you get

>      A                       G                   E
> +-+-+-+-+-+             +-+-+-+-+-+         +-+-+-+-+-+
> | | | | | |             | | | | | |         | | | X | |
> +-+-+-+-+-+             +-+-+-+-+-+         +-+-+-+-+-+
> | | X X X |             | X | | | |         | X X | | |
> +-+-+-+-+-+             +-+-+-+-+-+         +-+-+-+-+-+
> | | | | | |             X | | | | X         | | | | | |
> E A E A C E             G B D G B G         E B E G B E
>         #                                         #

> I think you can see that the notes are in a totally different order.
> For starters, the bass note of the G chord is the root, G, whereas in
> the A chord the bass is the 5th, E.

> With the E chord the bass is the root of the chord again (E), so this
> makes a more satisfying sound, and is relatively easy to do as a barre
> chord.

> Disclaimer - I know the *theory*, but I actually *play* the things at
> any reasonable speed...

Many, many, many thanks for your help, Chris!