C#/E#

[sairfingers]

Hi All
I’m learning ‘Tears in Heaven’ from Justin’s Acoustic Songbook but having huge problems with the C#/E# chord that follows F#m7 in the chorus. I’m not doing it fingerstyle so am trying to do a 4 string inversion xx3121 with a mini barre on the first fret. Any tips, ideas, advice?
Thanks

[stitch101]

what's giving you the problem?
Are you  playing the F#m7 as a barre chord?

if so You already have you fingers in a barre chord playing the F#m7 side your index finger down
to the first fret and place you middle and ring on the 2nd and 3rd fret of the B and D strings.
only strum the D G B e strings.
Like any barre chord you can start practicing it further up the neck. It's a C shaped Barre chord
out of the CAGED system minus the Root note. Start Practicing it on the 5th fret and work your
way down.

Why aren't you learning it finger style? It is much easier finger style and sounds so much better.

[sairfingers]

Hi stitch. Yes I’m playing F#m7 as a barre chord. When I slide down to the first fret with the barre I can’t seem to stop my 3rd finger muting the G string at the 3rd fret. I’ll try your suggestion of practising the shape further up the neck and keeping the full barre but only playing D GBe. I think it might be trying to only barre GBe that’s causing the problem as when playing the mini barre I can’t get my 3rd finger to curl enough. Thanks for that.

I thought I would start off learning the song by strumming and picking out root notes notes as my fingerstyle isn’t up to the task yet. That’s my next challenge!

[sairfingers]

Hi stitch. Wow, you’re the man! Playing a full barre but only strumming strings 1234 has done the trick already! It was trying to play the mini barre that was the problem. Can’t believe the solution was so easy. I just couldn’t see it. You got me playing barre chords last year and now you’ve sorted this one out for me. Thanks again.

[stitch101]

Happy to help. Some times the easiest solution is the hardest to see.
Because you already have your index in the full barre it easier just to slide
it down and move 2 fingers instead forming a whole new chord.

Keep practicing the mini barre they do come in handy and mix well with
triads.
The C shaped barre chord isn't the most common but the mini chord version
is very hand to have under your fingers.

One way to practice is play an open A with your index finger covering the D G B e
Only play the D G B.
Then hammer on the ring and middle finger playing all 4 strings
This gives you a D/F#. D is the 5th in the key of A.
Keith Richard uses this in a lot of Stones songs.
You can move this up the neck just like and chord with no open strings.

Try this on you electric and you'll hearing the Stones right from the first hammer on.

[sairfingers]

Thanks for all that stitch. I’ll keep practising the mini barre as I can see it will be useful later. Play like Keef! ........how come you taste so good. If only! I’d need to spend my time raiding a hotel ‘mini bar’. 😃