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Hey everyone,
As a beginning guitarist, I find all KINDS of chords difficult, but I came across a particularly difficult one the other day that make my fingers hurt just thinking about it!
I was playing "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison (good song for any beginners out there btw) and towards the end, there's an Ebdim7 chord. The chord shape on the right went a little something like this:
e - 3rd fret
B - 1st
G - Open
D - 1st
A - 1st
E - Open
I finally got it by getting the A and D strings down with first finger and B and e with my middle and pinky respectively, but it was still pretty difficult and it's not even easy to do it again.
Thankfully I learned that the dim7 chord is a chord shape that is simply at the first fret in this case, but trying to play it the way it was shown was brutal!
Anywho, I just thought I'd ask everyone what the most difficult chord you've encountered is? Did you ever conquer it or did you substitiute another chord or find an alternate fingering? Are there chords out there that are just really hard or is it all relative?
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My least favorite chord is C or G Barre shape (but I don't use them much)
however open chords have become easier with practice
it good to have a good chord dictionary with alternative fingerings - try this site
www.guitarknowledgenet.com/LearningRoot/chords1.html
one point of advice
do beware bad transcriptions in book or on web site. Most are good but some are not
the most common problem is that the chord changes are harder than they should be - because the transcriber has not given the most appropriate shape
for example if you are used to playing barre chords a quick change from a E to F is fairly straightforward but in open chords its not so easy
cheers
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When I started I HATED open C with a passion. I just could not nail it. The hardest one I encounter now is the next one I learn that I haven't come across before.
C is a dawdle now though. 
Craig.
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When I started 6 month ago I was like moddish and thought "How the heck could anyone in this world nail a C?". Then I found a song with a B7 in it and the C suddenly seemed like a walk in the park...
Now I'm struggling with the barre chords, and now anything exept barre seems easy....
What I have described though is probably the standard learning curve. It's like anything in life. When it's new it's hard, then you find something harder and don't even think of the struggles you had yesterday.
/Missen
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The latest one. 
EF
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The most difficult one was the very first chord i ever played. Don't know what it was, but I remember my fingers having to be lifted into proper position. It sounded awfull too !
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The most difficult chords are new chords. Good news is they don't stay new for long if you practice
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moddish wrote:
When I started I HATED open C with a passion. I just could not nail it. The hardest one I encounter now is the next one I learn that I haven't come across before.
C is a dawdle now though.
Craig.
I was that way too. I had a hard time with C at first, but now I can hit C no problem and am working on getting D and A. Once I get those two down, I should be ready for the dreaded barre chords
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i think the chord that i find the hardest is any 6 chord. Im not sure if thats its name. If any can remind me it would be good . for example if i was playing this chord shape in d it would be
e-5
b-5
g-5
A-4
E-5
It took me AGES to get the A string to zound and not be muffled
the way you play it is that you bar the e.b.g strings with your 3rd finger and put your first on the d and your second on the a.
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B. B minor stinks, too. Something about that barre makes it rough. B7 isn't too bad, though.
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For me that has to be A** on Mandolin wind.
It's way down there on the 12th and I can only get it on a cutaway.
Why? Probably it sounds good & like the original!
I know get a mandolin if I like the sound so much. See that Macca had one on Jule's last Friday. What a musician part of the barcode of today's rock.
Pedro
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When I play guitar, together with a friend, we always have a discussion, concerning putting your fingers in a certain position. I know a significant number of chords, but I don't have "Jimi Hendrix" fingers, so some chords are not easy to take. But our discussion is always concerning chords like C D E, he takes these chords using a different setting of his fingers, and he can not understand why I take the same chords with another position, different finger setting.
Maybe he is right, but when you play at least 25 years you take the chords like it is more easy for the player. It is sometimes difficult to take chords, like Adim7 for instance. But for every even very difficult chord you can find a similar chord that is less difficult to take.
Practising is the name, and not because you have a guitar since yesterday, everyone wants to play the same day, so chord 1 then chord 2 ...
The hardest chords you will find in jazz, sometimes in blues, and to be honest, a lot of times in a song, you can try that difficult chord, but like I wanted to tell, you can skip them often. But for me the most difficult songs to play are 50 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER (PAUL SIMON) and QUEEN with BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, very difficult chords.
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umm i find the Db that you don't bar killer at first, but I'm getting over it. most chords that you barre using any finger but the index finger I just CANNOT do, unless i'm using an eletric.
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You kno its actually quite easy 2 get around difficult chords nd make em sound even betr. for example..i find i rarely play barre chords. Bm i always play Bm7 and as x20230. Also i try 2 find shapes where in a certain key ur fingers hardly move. For example in G, play G as G5 - 3x0033, keep the 33 with 2 fingers for C - C2 - x32033, D - Dsus4 - xx0233, and Em - Em7 - 022033. They sound hard but if u try them theyr easy 2 slip 2 1 another and they sound much betr 2. by experimentin u can find dif ways of playin ny chord. iv found about4 dif ways of doin Bm7 as an open chord.
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that depends on how much beer i've drank !!!!
sometimes the most basic of chords screw me up , depending on what chord im coming from to get there !
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Close, but no guitar...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4WoKM9yjvw
Last edited by krhoades (2007-07-08 03:11:32)
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I hated the D chord when I first started... Then I discovered the F chord...
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krhoades wrote:
Close, but no guitar...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4WoKM9yjvw
Hi Kent,
That is the funniest thing I have seen for a long time. What is next I wonder a full air band?
Still it does make barre chords easy.
Roger
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Jikklop wrote:
I hated the D chord when I first started... Then I discovered the F chord...
LOL - that's my next territory. I think you have to have a song that you WANT to play bad enough that you're willing to do some pretty crazy finger yoga to be able to hit that note.
I just learned a song that involves a lot of switching between G, D, & C. Switching between G & D had me cursing so much that I told my husband, "G, D, G, D...I'm having trouble switching between these GD chords!!!"
Barre chords make me cringe...though my husband claims they are the easiest thing in the world. Until I learn to play them with ease, I'm still going to call him a jerk under my breath. Thanks to everyone for assuring me my fear of barre chords is normal.
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Right now im trying to learn the barre chords and they are a real challenge.I thought the open chords were hard when i first started learning but now they seem a doddle in comparison!!
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Hi all,
I think they are all hard as you deal with them! But i still have an awful problem with F#m. I have this song ive loved for so long, Can play it all perfectly
But for This chord? And its so important to the piece. Im now thinking of taking up the Auto Harp? Are you available for lessons James? Give me a ring! My Mobile number is { F#m @ g mail .com! lol.
Slán
Old Doll.
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Roger Guppy wrote:
krhoades wrote:
Close, but no guitar...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4WoKM9yjvwHi Kent,
That is the funniest thing I have seen for a long time. What is next I wonder a full air band?
Still it does make barre chords easy.
Roger
Y
Roger,
He, he
You gotta love his passion. A true art form
It makes you wonder what he would do with a Flying V.
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Hi,
Good question! Try F add 9: Low E:1
A: 3
D: 5
I find it easy now, but I used to find it a very difficult stretch. Use fingers 1, 3 and 4.
Good luck!
Will
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i saw a really freeking ugly chord (in my opinion) a few days ago, was something like a... donno... D#m7/Bb
not only does it sound terrible to play, it IS 
e 3
B 0
G 3
D 3
A -
E 3
think it was something like this,... how am i supposed to play that when i gotta keep the A-sting out? plz, hints, tips, alwayts welcome.. been playing for half a year now, can hardly do anny barré cords 2, so tips about that are also very useful
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When I started I thought B7 and Em7 were impossible. Now I'm ok with these.
The one I hate is Add9 in th Beatles "I need you". You've got to have bendy fingers for that.
Keep practising.
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