Help! I cant get Bm

[Jordan]

I have been working on hinders "lips of an angel" and I can play/sing through the whole song but the Bm in almost every stanza is really hard for me. Anybody have any tips on how to better position my fingers to play this chord. My fingers can barely strech.

Cheers

[RADAR_Brian]

It's the same old advice, I'm afraid.. That was the chord I had THE most trouble with. I used a simple Bm at first.. but that only put off learning the bar version... it just took many many hours of practice to be able to jump down in that position.... just keep at it!

[steve23]

Hi Jordan,

Sorry, im not familiar with the song you are learning - so im not 100% sure what your issues could be.

First off, as Radar said, practice and patience are great solutions to many guitar problems.

But you said at the end of your email that your fingers dont stretch very well, but a strecth is not something i would think of with regard to Bm - so maybe the song is calling for it to be played differently etc.

Could you illustrat further maybe?

All the best

Steve

[ez-one]

play it as a barr cord, its easier to reach that way for me, play an Am with your first finger barr on the second fret. Mute the low E string with the tip of your first finger while barring...

[RADAR_Brian]

That's how I play it as well..

[Jordan]

Heres the music, and you can see down at the bottom the Bm they are calling for. But im playing like this:

[snip]

http://img26.picoodle.com/img/img26/8/7/6/t_illistratiom_bf0779f.png (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?srv=img26&img=/8/7/6/f_illistratiom_bf0779f.png)

I apologize for the crapy illustration. Quickly made it in paint.:p

[RADAR_Brian]

Try this one instead.. it's the bar version...

http://www.igdb.co.uk/pages/chords/images/b_minor.gif

[Jordan]

YIKERS! that looks easier and harder at the same time. Thanks! I will post a video of me playing this song once i figure out how to play this note!

[RADAR_Brian]

It is hard to get used to, but like ez-one said, it's an Am form with your index finger barring the second fret...

[ez-one]

just grab an Am chord using your second, third and forth fingers, then slide it up 2 frets and take your first finger and barr the second fret.

[Jordan]

AWESOME, I works like magic:eek: :p Thanks guys.

[ez-one]

AWESOME, I works like magic:eek: :p Thanks guys.
Jorden, just so you know, I consider myself pretty good at being able to at least finger chords, and the one you showed was almost impossiable for me to do, and I would really have to practice to be able to change to or from it, so don't feel bad about it, that was just one tough chord. Also go here and download this free chord program ttp://www.subjectmusic.com/easychord/ it list about 1300 chords, is searchable, has diagrams and you can keep it on your desktop, I have been using it for a couple of years now and have not ever had a problem with it, its a very small app. that works great.

[Jordan]

Hey, thanks mate!

[newyorkiscold]

Heres the music, and you can see down at the bottom the Bm they are calling for. But im playing like this:

[snip]

http://img26.picoodle.com/img/img26/8/7/6/t_illistratiom_bf0779f.png (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?srv=img26&img=/8/7/6/f_illistratiom_bf0779f.png)

I apologize for the crapy illustration. Quickly made it in paint.:p

is this even a B minor chord? there's no B in it??

[steve23]

Hi,

yes, I couldnt work out that cord either!

Hey NYisC - are you a leonard cohen fan?

Your user name instantly had me singing 'new youk is cold - but i like when im living.....etc'

Sorry - im wandering!

All the best

Steve

[ez-one]

is this even a B minor chord? there's no B in it??
it did't look like any Bm that I had ever played, but I did not take the time to figure out what notes it was made up of, when I did play it, something just sounded all wrong, and I let it go at that ;)

[adamcobra]

Heres the music, and you can see down at the bottom the Bm they are calling for. But im playing like this:

[snip]

http://img26.picoodle.com/img/img26/8/7/6/t_illistratiom_bf0779f.png (http://www.picoodle.com/view.php?srv=img26&img=/8/7/6/f_illistratiom_bf0779f.png)

I apologize for the crapy illustration. Quickly made it in paint.:p

Holy hand cramper!

The bar method is much easier after time. I painfully remember getting to where I could hit Bm regularly (and I still miss it sometimes), and the song that did it for me was Danny's Song by Kenny Loggins. There is a bunch of switching from D to Bm and C to Bm in that song and just practice and repetition did it for me. Now, I can hit Bm and that Bm shape just about everytime I come across it now!

It's one of those moments in guitar playing, when you make the switch to a chord like that for the first time. Like the first time you hit that full F in a song.

[custom24]

I use the barre chord.. much easier.. never tried that version but looking at it.. I would think it would take some practice.

[WilkinsG]

The bar chord is probably the easiest to train yourself to do as it involves far less finger movement than if you were to try and play that version that you posted.