How do you play your A shape barre chords?

BRISTOL86

Do you use your ring finger to barre strings 2-4 or do you use fingers 2, 3 and 4?

I currently use my ring finger as I have particularly flexible joints and can get my ring finger out of the way of the high E string (I also play an open A chord with just ring finger) but I feel like using fingers 2, 3 and 4 would make certain changes much easier (i.e. going from a major to minor A shape)

It feels very alien though! Perhaps playing some open chords like E and A but using middle/ring/pinky rather than index/middle/ring would help? 

octatonic

It depends- work on making both equally achievable.

Veganic

I usually barre the strings 2,3,4 with my little finger and strings 1 and 5 (6) with my first finger. 
I might use my ring finger depending in where I am coming from or going to.  I can't get the 1st string to ring with that one usually.
Then I might use middle,ring,pinkie or even ring, middle, pinkie (think maj7 shape).

So all of them but badly.

guitarfishbay

Depends on the chord shapes either side 

Maynehead

I use both, if I want a strong power chord type sound I use index finger on 5 and ring finger to barre 4,3,2. If I want a chimey clean chord I will put index finger on 1 and the rest of the fingers on 2,3,4.

For open A I usually barre with index finger, although if I need to let all 5 strings ring out I use fingers 1,2,3 (but almost never 2,3,4)

Cirrus

Aye, totally depends on where the chord falls in context to what's either side of it and where I might need my fingers to go next. But if I can, I'll always bar those three strings with my ring finger. If I want to go to a sus2 or 7th chord, I pivot my ring finger so the tip stays on the D string but clears the G and B strings and leaves my pinky and middle finger free to fret whatever is necessary.

BRISTOL86

Thanks chaps. All makes sense!

fields5069

Open A - 2, 3, 4

Barre chord - 3 which I can get to stay out of the way of the high E.

EricTheWeary

Leave out the root and use one finger. 

bluechargeboy

I generally use little finger rather than ring finger (even on acoustic guitar), because I dislocated my ring finger years ago and it is not comfortable for me. This has the advantage that ring finger can be employed for mischief such as sliding up to the major third on the A string.

bbill335

EricTheWeary said:

Leave out the root and use one finger. 

...and do the Keef sus4 thing (I think that's what it is, my theory is weak but my chops are large and powerful)

EricTheWeary

Yes. Although I think you can also look at that second shape as a second major chord, so A to D for example( I think). In a band context I'm often quite happy with the one finger approach. I used to play the Tequila riff, just to give a well known example, like that. Once the bassist comes in the root is a redundant note.

bbill335 said:

EricTheWeary said:

Leave out the root and use one finger. 

...and do the Keef sus4 thing (I think that's what it is, my theory is weak but my chops are large and powerful)

ElectroDan

I bar with either the ring (or pinky) finger and don't sound the high E string.
I could probably squeeze 2, 3 and 4 in there if it was essential, but I haven't needed to yet.

pintspiller

Open A with index finger. Barre with ring finger. I occasionally thumb-over if I want a fifth-below the root.

paul_c2

Not much to add to the above, but an alternate voicing you can do is the barre form of: 002225, ie playing the top root note on the top E string rather than the 5th of the chord. Its fine for the upper end of the fretboard, and the open position, obviously depending on how big your hands are you might find it impossible in certain positions. I can do it from about the 3rd fret upwards but that's probably from years of bass playing and being used to making large spans with my left hand.

Roland

Cirrus said:

..., totally depends on where the chord falls in context to what's either side of it and where I might need my fingers to go next.

This.

Each fingering has its purpose. I tend to use fingers 2, 3 & 4 rather than 1, 2 & 3 in the open position, partly because my fingers fit better, and party because I can then barre the shape further up the neck without thinking. 

Often when playing the A shape in other positions as a passing chord I'll just use one finger to barre the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings, and mute the others. If I want the sound to ring out I'll use finger tips and add vibrato.

paul_c2 said:

... an alternate voicing you can do is the barre form of: 002225, 

I prefer 002255 because then top A sounds less shrill and out on its own.

paul_c2

Roland said:

Cirrus said:

..., totally depends on where the chord falls in context to what's either side of it and where I might need my fingers to go next.

This.

Each fingering has its purpose. I tend to use fingers 2, 3 & 4 rather than 1, 2 & 3 in the open position, partly because my fingers fit better, and party because I can then barre the shape further up the neck without thinking. 

Often when playing the A shape in other positions as a passing chord I'll just use one finger to barre the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings, and mute the others. If I want the sound to ring out I'll use finger tips and add vibrato.

paul_c2 said:

... an alternate voicing you can do is the barre form of: 002225, 

I prefer 002255 because then top A sounds less shrill and out on its own.

Interestingly, 002255 doesn't have a 3rd in it, so its not strictly (a voicing of a) triad, but a "power chord" or A5 or whatever you want to name the notes E and A played together.

Grunfeld

Index finger and small finger.
Never got it to sound right with my ring finger.

andyoz

I used to use Index and Ring but swapped to Index and Pinky.

It took a few months to make the change but I find there's less tension in fretting hand and it frees the Ring finger to move faster into fretting little single note runs/bends.

viz

I often use 1st inversion, so for C that would be x7555x, barring with my index, and using my middle on the A-string. Basically a G-shape chord.  

TheBlueWolf

I use my ring finger as a "mini barre" for regular major chords. Minor and dominant on major 7th get me using a combination of middle, ring and pinky fingers.