Forum: music.stackexchange.com
Tags: <acoustic-guitar><transposition><capos>
Title: How to simplify difficult barred chords in a song
Question: I really like a song and when I saw the chords they are : F#, C#, Dm#, B.And I'm  beginner so is there a easier version  for these chords or like change the chords and use a capo?

Answers:
sents: text: If you're happy playing open chords as opposed to the barres involved here, take the song up by a semitone - most likely not going to strain any tonsils - and substitute as follows.
text: G for F&sharp;, D for C&sharp;, Em for D&sharp;m and C for B. Pretty simple and straightforward.
text: The only drawback really being you won't be able to strum along with the track - but that wasn't mentioned...
text: Indebted to trolley813 - by tuning the guitar a semitone down, it will render averything back to the 'original' key.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/2808/Tim
score: 11
sents: text: Assuming the trouble for you is playing all barre chord, you can try playing the chord on 3 strings... F# xx432xC# xx312xd#m
text: xx434xB
text: xx444x
text: You can't strum them in the way of open chords, but a broken chord pattern with pick or fingerpicking will work nicely.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/23919/Michael Curtis
score: 4
sents: text: If you put a capo on fret 4 you can play three of the four chords using open chord shapes.
text: F# at the 4th fret can be played with a 'D' shape: %x.x.4.6/1.7/3.6/2[Fmaj]
text: C# at the 4th fret can be played with the 'A' shape: %x.4.6/2.6/3.6/4.4[C#maj] B at the 4th fret can be played with the 'G' shape: %7/3.6/2.4.4.7/3.7/4[Gmaj]
text: The only slightly more awkward one in this situation is the D#m, which could be played as a barre chord: %x.6/1.8/3.8/4.7/2.6/1[D#m]
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/65839/dandgore
score: 3
sents: text: Here's my take on this.
text: Chords where you only play the three highest strings, and you do not play the bass strings marked with X.
text: The chords are not in root position, except B, but I don't think that matters, because the notes are so high anyway.
text: It's a bit like ukulele.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/51766/piiperi Reinstate Monica
score: 1
sents: text: You ask about using a capo.
text: By putting one on the second fret, you can use open chords as if it's in key E. The F&sharp; now gets an E shape, the B gets an A shape and the C&sharp; can be played as B7.
text: Yes, there's an extra note, but that's acceptable in a V chord.
text: The slightly odd one's going to be vi - the D&sharp;m, which is pretty close to F&sharp;6.
text: By playing an E6 shape (022120) it will sound o.k.
text: So, you'll be using 'open' chords, four fingers maximum, all changes straightforward.
text: Give it a try - and you're still sounding in the same original key - F&sharp;.
answer_details: author: music.stackexchange.com/users/2808/Tim
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
If you put a capo on fret 4 you can play three of the four chords using open chord shapes.  F# can be played with a 'D' shape. C# can be played with the 'A' shape. The only slightly more awkward one in this situation is the D#m, which could be played as a barre chord.
By putting a capo on fret 4 you can play three of the four chords using open chord shapes.