B major chord - you cannot be serious!

Hi! I'm Icicle. I'm new here!

I was doing OK going through the beginner section, learning my chords and stuff. I thought F major was a bit difficult, but I got there after an hour of trying.

Then I meet B Major. Whats up with that?? No human fingers could possibly make that shape. The guy on the video must be some alien guy, with long alien fingers!

Casting my mind back to guitarists I met way back, I remember an old hippy guy who did some kind of bar chord using the index finger and then another finger to press down three strings at once two frets over. I'm thinking that might have been his approach to B Major.

Would it be better for me to attempt it that way? If I try it the official way, my osteopath might as well plan his retirement, he'll be making enough.

You mean you can't do this? :)




You might have better luck using a barre chord.
Although they're kinda tough for beginners too.

Put your first finger over all the strings on the 2nd fret.
Then barre your third finger over the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings on the 4th fret.

Here's an example (the pic shows an E Major barre chord but just move the whole thing down by 5 frets and you have a B.

http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=9043

It definitely takes some getting used to, but you'll get there. Just keep at it. :)

Put your first finger over all the strings on the 2nd fret.
Then barre your third finger over the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings on the 4th fret.

Heheh. Love the pic!

Thats what the hippy guy was doing. He was also able to bend his finger so the highest string sounded properly.

Wanna know a funny thing? After all my complaining last night, I seem to be able to do it the official way this afternoon. More or less. Very slowly.

I'll practice both ways. Thanks!

I had a hard time with that one at first as well. I found it easier for me to do the A chord shape with the three fingers first and then apply the index bar. Also, I have to make sure the entire barre finger is against the fret. I used to have kind of a "c" curve to it, which is bad.