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by Shane Theriot
Many guitarists know how to play barre chords, yet few tap into all of the magic a 1st-finger barre can offer. Great players often use the 1st finger like a mobile capo, holding down two or more strings while the other three fingers create riffs and chords.
Guitar Lesson
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Ex. 1 is a chordal shift in the style of Keith Richards, who has forged his own sound with 1st-finger barres. (Richards often uses an open- G tuning, but we’ve re-fingered the move for standard tuning.) This is a good way to give a I-IV progression new teeth, and it sounds great with a dirty tone. Once you’ve got the lick nailed, try shifting it down the neck in whole-steps.
Eric Johnson and Steve Vai like to revoice power chords by fretting the low root with the 3rd finger, as in Ex. 2. Sonically, these grips just seem to cut better, and they allow you to call in your second finger to fret low 7s, as in D5/C and C5/B.
Tagged: allan holdsworth, barre chords, capo, eric johnson, guitar lesson, guitarists, how to play barre chords, Keith Richards, magic, power tab, riffs, shane theriot, star barre, steve vai, tab notation, tap, three fingers
