Quick chord lesson 3
Freshen up your rhythm playing in seconds. This week: F#m
This standard barre chord shape is derived from the open Em, but the lack of open string notes in the basic chord means that a lot of the Em alternatives are no longer available. There's still room for a bit of creativity, though...
Adding the 9th, Andy Summers style, is almost always an option with major or minor chords. Using the 2nd fret barre shape is a bit painful, so here's the shape with the root on the A string at the 9th fret.
In Foxey Lady, Jimi Hendrix used a sparse F#m7 shape involving just a pair of root notes (an octave apart) and a couple of high notes, barred with the little finger.
This one has a wonderfully lush sound, and is effectively an E major chord stacked on an F#5. Oh, and it hurts... you have to barré the bottom three strings with your 2nd finger. Go on, suffer for your art!
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