You are not logged in.
Hiya fellow chordians,
Anyone got any ideas my problem is "big fat clumsy hands and fingers" trying to play the B7 chord (1st fret)
I am practicing it but just cant seem to get my fingers together for this one! i`l keep on practicing but need a short term fix as songs am attempting to play at this time have this chord in
thanks The mooch
Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin' !! Offline
If you can do Barre chords, there is always
7
7
8
7
9
7
I would say stick with it though, its a nice sounding chord.
Offline
Hey Micky,
For the longest time I would advoid songs with this chord in them. It's all about building and developing muscle memory, and of course lots of practice. The way I concord this chord was to play it as an arpeggio placing my fingers on each note as I played it. after a day or two or three my fingers just started falling into place. Then I would Pick out an Em and switch to the B7 pick it out and switch to the Em until I could change back and forth between the chords without any problems. This worked for me. Give it a try I hope this helps.
Bob
Offline
Think of it this way. B7 is easier than B. Practice is the only way to get your fingers to willingly go into that configuration. Do it slowly at first by going to it from no chord with your fingers relaxed. Do that 100 times or so a night until you can get to it pretty easily. After that find a song with the B7 in it, and practice going to B7 from whatever chord or chords you have to for that song. And of course practice going from B7 to the next chord or chords. Just those changes, not the whole song. Do each change from and to 100 times or so a night until you're comfortable. By then, you've got it and can go to it reliably.
It takes time. It will sound muddy and soft for a while. Even after doing what I've suggested, you'll miss it from time to time but it will get better over time. That was my first real problem chord. Before I tried F or B. Now B is still a trouble chord two years later.
- Zurf
Offline
Sometimes that B7 chord is a little too much when playing a real simple song. Use B7 until you get your B.
Offline
You could also play B7 as xx4445 which is easier than the x21202 if you have large fingers and narrow spaced strings.
Roger
Offline
I play a song that I worked on for several years that has a B7 in it and tried several alternatives and the only ones that sounded right was the normal first postion or the barred version I was determined enuff and wanted that song so bad I kept at and it is a piece of cake now,it can be a tough one.
Later, Wayne P
Offline
Mooch
Every one here is probably twice the guitar player I'll ever be..and you yourself are probably better than me. But this worked for me. I just kept changing from E to B7 over and over seems to be a natural change or something. Think Folsom Prison Blues sound. Sooner than I thought I could find B7 easily. Hope this helps. It did me.
R
oh by the way I too have big fat clumsy hands and fingers
Last edited by bigrinwv (2009-01-24 00:22:10)
Offline
Thanks Lads
I will certainly take up the advice to keep on practicing it, but i can now also try other fingerings too (thanks roger)
Thanks again
The Mooch
Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin' !! Offline
hey mooch i had same trub like bigrinwv i worked on folsum prison now it is easy ,ive only been learning 12 mnths so keep at it yull get there .cheers os
Offline
micky you could also play B7 as 22120x as the F# is covered on the 6th string and since your fingers are large you should be able to cover both the E and A strings with your 2nd finger 
Offline
ya know years ago that was a tuff chord when i started i still remember it.. But...practice use E, A7, B7 on Folsum Prison, Ray Charles Whatd I say, Jerry Lee in Whole lotta shaking Going on and Kansas City..you will soon get it...trust me Practice 1 hr and quit..then after a 6-8 rest one more hour...
Offline
My best advice would be, to learn every damned mainstream chord between the nut and the third fret, and that includes barres!
There are not that many really good numbers that you can't play, if you master them, that you can't find there.
I was a kid in the fifties, (UK) brought up on the Everlys, Buddy Holly etc, but, little more than the three chord trick wet through?
Write them down, and just practice going from one to the other until your fingers do it automatically? I practised on 'Peggy Sue', but, it taught me agility?
Offline
On most all chords my left hands' (I'm RH'd) palm faces the sky. However, on the B7 it faces me. I have a tough time with the B7 when using a capo.
Offline
frankfef,when i play B7 with a capo on i reach over the top of the capo,so my hand is the head stock side of the capo it gives you more room to get your pinky on the first string. I hope that helps
Offline
I had the same problem and would also avoid songs with a B-anything chord because i couldnt play any of them, However after i learned B all other barres came naturaly to me. The 2 things I would do until i learned, is just play x02120 so i would mute that last string or not play it at all because my fingers where already tangled up... also the other thing i would do, seeing how i have big clumsy fingers aswell, is i would just play a B chord In some songs it sounded nice when you sang to it and sort of drowned it out, others where terrible..
thats why i stopped and actually learned 
Just practice practice practice
Offline
the B7 becomes ez in time...even with fatty fingers... use it with E and A7 and A learn to rock to it by going A 2 A 1 then open E then the chord...gluck
Offline
I'll echo Roger Guppy's alternate (004445) way of playing it. My hands are quite large, so I can typically only do B or B7 properly on the classical (wider neck).
7th's seem to add the element of an "unresolved statement" to a piece of music ... a 7th typically needs to have a major or minor follow it so that the melody sounds finished. I know very little about music structurally, but that's just how it sounds. An old Pink Floyd tune (San Tropez) is played almost entirely in 7th's except for the last chord in each verse (C).
Offline
