The Spina Minor Bar

[Doug Beaumier]

Doug could you post some rough dimensions?

3 5/8" long
5/16" wide
the side section extends 1 5/8" from the main bar

I started to record an audio clip using the bar... and I quickly realized that I would need a lot of practice with this before I can play minor chords in tune! The technique involved in using the bar smoothly would take some time to master. I can move between the majors and minors, but its rough and the pitch is kind of iffy. So don't expect any audio clips anytime soon.

[HowardR]

minor details......

[Doug Beaumier]

minor details......

You're right, Howard. The minor details can be a major problem!

[Stephan Miller]

If you're playing a tuning like A6 or high C6, where the top 4 strings are the intervals (lo-hi) 6-1-3-5, then "flatting" the 2nd string could also give you a dominant 9th chord...3-5-b7-9...on those same strings. Given the shape of the Spina bar, can this be done?

[Doug Beaumier]

It works best on strings 2, 3, and 4, because the mini-bar is toward the front of the main bar. It doesn't work on string 1 at all, and not well on the lower strings. Again, it takes a lot of practice to get it to sound right, and I don't have it yet. The more I try, the worse I sound! I think it's actually easier and smoother to do a slant for a minor chord, either a two note or three note slant. Maybe that's why this never caught on. I notice it's "Pat. Pend." Maybe only a few were made?

[Mark Bracewell]

Thanks for the dimensions Doug! I sound terrible already, and play mostly in open E major (where getting at the minor would be very cool). I was thinking of making one that worked so that sliding the mini-bar all the way to the right was just right for say the 7th fret, and all the way to the left worked for the 3rd fret or something, need to figure that out so it would be less of a steep learning curve - it would need to be tied to a particular scale length....