Barre vs. Open

[Matt]

Which do you play: Barre chords or open chords? I play barre chords for rock music but for slower things I use open chords. What about ya'll?

[Elnwood]

Both, depending on the situation. If I'm playing an acoustic, and especially if I'm using a capo, I'll play open chords.

Barre chords have the advantage that you can mute just by releasing the fretting hand.

[j_stashko]

I play both, sometimes I use barre chords if I don't know the chord, but open and barre chords that are the same chord still sound way different, so I use open chords and barre chords for different songs voicings.

[pardo]

I play both - depending on what it is...

I like playin open chords even on an electric with a pant load of gain. In this case though, I normally don't play all 6 strings of the chord. And I stay away from an open C cause I always think it sounds too muddy with the 3rd in there.

But yeah, I definately use a lot of bar chords too. Like someone mentioned, they're handy for doin the left hand muting thing.

[Pinshlo]

All of them always! :D

[Ice age coming]

I use both... depends on what kind of sound i want etc.

[Alkio]

Both ofcourse! :eek:

[jacobhimself]

i find that with higher gain stuff, barre chords work a lot better, they sound less muddy. but with acoustic and clean to crunchier stuff open chords. you get more definition and the high strings are more pronounced.

[El Dangeroso]

my guitar teacher taught me a very valuable lesson: "always use open strings whenever possible."

[hot_rats!]

does anybody else do "open chords" all over the neck
ex:
bar the 5th fret with first finger
e--8--5--8
b--5--6--5
g--5--5--5
d--5--7--5
a--7--8--7
E--8--x--8

[joeinthebox1980]

both! on my acoustic and my electric, and in all sorts of different situations as well.

[darkstar54mm]

yeah barre/ power chords work for distortion and rock stuff but open always sounds best when u got clean tone
both...

[skip tracer]

I love the sound of open, ringing strings.

[motorcycle loop]

I tend to use smaller (three or four strings), moveable chords, but for barre vs. open, it's pretty even. But open strings are so damn toneful...

[The User]

I will almost always substitute X00230 for x577xx. Especially with distortion. Ill do almost anything to get an open string in there somewhere.

[GrungeGod]

well, I kinda like open chords with distortion, they sound sick. I just play them up and down the neck with all sorts of effects and my ears bleed. Its cool