Help with bar cords please.

[Lou777]

I have been learning to play about 9 months or so. I have been avoiding bard cords. Can anyone give me some help on how to get my fingers in shape or how to get the finger to hold down all the strings. Just real basic stuff.


Thanks

Lou

[Bern]

First question, do you know the fingering for barred chords ?

[Lou777]

First question, do you know the fingering for barred chords ?

No I don't I just came across a couple in the last song I looked up.

[Fingerstylist]

Well the first thing is to find the fingerings. Google should give you plenty of places for chord diagrams. Realize that it will take time because you have to build up left hand strength for this. First, work on getting your index finger to bar all the strings. After that, start laying your fingers down in the appropriate places. I think Larry Pattis on the forum has some vids that are helpful in regards to barre chords. Good luck.

[mud4feet]

Yeah, it's basically a strength building exercise....doesn't come easily. Nothing good ever does. Just have to play them alot, build strength in the thumb and fingers.....just over and over kind of stuff. Once you get the fingerings down, I might suggest "Lay, lady, lay" by Bob Dylan. A real good barre chord-strength building song. Trust me, after you get them down (it takes a while, of course), you'll wonder why you ever "fretted" about them!!:D

Good luck and just KEEP PLAYING!!!!!

[Snoopy31]

I just learned how to play some barre chords after a couple weeks of unsuccessful attempts. Practice, at first I couldnt even hold down all the strings with my index finger.....now I could get into the barre chord position and hold down all the strings properly....somehting just clicked after a few weeks of practice. Squeeze hard with your thumb and index finger. I don't know the proper terms here, but start with "the sharp minor" barre chords. Since they only have the index, 3rd, and 4th finger I found them easier. Getting the middle finger down gave me some trouble.


I think sharp minor is the correct term lol

[Lou777]

OK Thanks guys.

I thought there might be some "trick" to using your index finger. I will just look some up and try them.

I'm glad I have my short scale GC.

[Fingerstylist]

OK Thanks guys.

I thought there might be some "trick" to using your index finger. I will just look some up and try them.

I'm glad I have my short scale GC.

The only trick I know of with the index finger is to put the pressure on the thumb side of the index finger.

[Bern]

Try playing the E major chord (Astring 2fret, Dstring 2fret, Gstring 1fret) with your middle, ring & pinky fingers. Then slide up one fret and fret with your index finger across just behind the 1st fret, that's the F major chord. Practice that by going back and forth...E major > F major > E major etc., but only apply minimal pressure with your index finger...just enough to have a clear sound from the lower E string, the B string & high E string. Practice that, but not to the point of inflicting pain.;)
Barred chords are not difficult to play, it's just a matter of trying to get comfortable with them. Most beginning players talk themselves out of playing them before even trying.

[Lou777]

Try playing the E major chord (Astring 2fret, Dstring 2fret, Gstring 1fret) with your middle, ring & pinky fingers. Then slide up one fret and fret with your index finger across just behind the 1st fret, that's the F major chord. Practice that by going back and forth...E major > F major > E major etc., but only apply minimal pressure with your index finger...just enough to have a clear sound from the lower E string, the B string & high E string. Practice that, but not to the point of inflicting pain.;)
Barred chords are not difficult to play, it's just a matter of trying to get comfortable with them. Most beginning players talk themselves out of playing them before even trying.

OK I'll give it a try. Thanks

[mud4feet]

While you're at it, try the Am chord fingering.......same thing, just one string over. Once you have those, you have "Lay, Lady, Lay"......barred (of course). Great strength building song!

[Lou777]

While you're at it, try the Am chord fingering.......same thing, just one string over. Once you have those, you have "Lay, Lady, Lay"......barred (of course). Great strength building song!

Got it Thanks

[Nimrod]

Its all about getting the "F" cord.

It'll take abit, but you'll get it in a couple of months

[Bern]

Its all about getting the "F" cord.

It'll take abit, but you'll get it in a couple of months

:lol: Let us be a little bit more positive...how about a couple of weeks ? :guitar:

[Lou777]

:lol: Let us be a little bit more positive...how about a couple of weeks ? :guitar:

Yeah :up::guitar:

[cb56]

The E shape barre chord came pretty easy to me. It's the A shape especially lower on the neck that's the bugger. The one using the index and ring fingers as barres. If I get the first (highest) string to sound the rest of the chord sounds choked. If I get strings 5-2 sounding good the high string is muted.

Also do you guys barre the 6th string on the A shape? I have been just in case I accidently hit the 6th string it's still at least playing a chord tone as opposed to an open E.

I know about ths C shaped barre chord but I ain't manly enough to play it yet.
Appologies in advance to any women guit players who can play the C shape.

[TBman]

Put a capo on about the 3rd or 4th fret also, Lou. Its a bit easier up there.

[Lou777]

Try playing the E major chord (Astring 2fret, Dstring 2fret, Gstring 1fret) with your middle, ring & pinky fingers. Then slide up one fret and fret with your index finger across just behind the 1st fret, that's the F major chord. Practice that by going back and forth...E major > F major > E major etc., but only apply minimal pressure with your index finger...just enough to have a clear sound from the lower E string, the B string & high E string. Practice that, but not to the point of inflicting pain.;)
Barred chords are not difficult to play, it's just a matter of trying to get comfortable with them. Most beginning players talk themselves out of playing them before even trying.

I gave it a try last night after I had been practicing for a while. I got a cramp in the palm of my hand after a couple of times. I may have been trying too hard. I am going to try again, this time after my warm up and before I start my routine.

[lpa53]

I agree that the exercises with the Am and E shapes will be good for getting the feel of these chords - how to hold your hand - and for strength building. I stayed away from barre chords for years but finally had to make the effort. Just don't get frustrated. I think a lot of people - certainly me - have trouble most with the A-shape barres, like a B. I still try to avoid them so don't get upset if you don't do those too well. You can certainly do a lot of songs without them.

And if you like a particular song and the barres are holding you back, while you're practicing them you can always transpose the song into easier chords and use a capo. That'll get you experience with transposing.

[Bern]

I gave it a try last night after I had been practicing for a while. I got a cramp in the palm of my hand after a couple of times. I may have been trying too hard. I am going to try again, this time after my warm up and before I start my routine.
Lou, don't play and wait until you feel pain (you only aggravate muscles and ligaments) ...play the chords comfortably only 4 or 5 times and stop. After a minute or so start again. On the next day...increase it to 7 or 8 times...and so on and so on. Remember, try to have a painless practice session. You're basically working on strength and muscle memory...I don't think your muscles would want to remember anything if you inflict pain to them. :)

[Lou777]

Lou, don't play and wait until you feel pain (you only aggravate muscles and ligaments) ...play the chords comfortably only 4 or 5 times and stop. After a minute or so start again. On the next day...increase it to 7 or 8 times...and so on and so on. Remember, try to have a painless practice session. You're basically working on strength and muscle memory...I don't think your muscles would want to remember anything if you inflict pain to them. :)

OK I will keep that in mind. Thanks

[imwjl]

Hi,

One tip I have is to roll your finger into the fretboard as a way to help get ringing instead of dead notes.

The Randy's site has some graphics you should print.

Print these and carry them with you:

http://webspace.webring.com/people/pv/vangar/randys_guitar_clinic/EandAMoveableforms.gif
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/stadium/9564/numbersystem.htm

There is much more good stuff at the Randy's site:

http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/stadium/9564/

Good luck.

[ljguitar]

OK I will keep that in mind. Thanks
Hi Lou...
Three videos which may help, about a minute each. I built these for friends and students to help learn to form the barre correctly...

Basics of Barre chords - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njexU3H3zjA)

Where to put the pressure - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0nlQoT0Mg)

Another view - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2R7M6whKYY)

Hope these help...

[Nantes]

Ha, I made an account just to ask about this (although I'll likely be staying around for quite some time :P).

Anyway, yea, I'm having trouble with barre chords as well. The problem is, I literally can't find a way to successfully barre all 6 strings at once. I have tried...

- rolling my finger back towards the "bony" part
- moving the pad of my thumb towards the center of the neck (although thats where I almost always have it anyways...)
- playing in the classical position
- trying all different levels of strength in my grip
- moving my index finger so that its last pad hang off the neck at varying lengths, or not at all
- placing the pressure at different points along my finger
- watching all types of videos (including ljguitars': thanks!) and reading a bunch of articles
- all of the above techniques in various different ways

Still can't get it. My G string almost never rings, mostly because it generally falls under the pad of the middle part of my index. Rolling my finger doesn't help. I'm guessing having fingers smaller than the average teenage girl doesn't, either XD

I wouldn't be as frustrated if I were making even slight progress, but I can't find a way to do this, no matter how much time i spend playing (generally 2-3 hours/day). When I was struggling with open chords, I could improve by transitioning slowly between them one day, then slightly faster the next, etc., but barre chords are just a whole different beast :(

I know that getting every single string to ring isn't necessary because fingers 2, 3 and 4 are usually helping out on different frets, but I haven't been able to do barre chords similar to F#m. I'm going to give myself a few day's rest on barre chords and hopefully that'll help.

[Lou777]

Hi Lou...
Three videos which may help, about a minute each. I built these for friends and students to help learn to form the barre correctly...

Basics of Barre chords - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njexU3H3zjA)

Where to put the pressure - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q0nlQoT0Mg)

Another view - click (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2R7M6whKYY)

Hope these help...



So That's what you look like .:D Hard to see in that little photo.

Thanks Larry, that is a big help. I save them to my youtube favorites.

[Lou777]

Ha, I made an account just to ask about this (although I'll likely be staying around for quite some time :P).

Anyway, yea, I'm having trouble with barre chords as well. The problem is, I literally can't find a way to successfully barre all 6 strings at once. I have tried...

- rolling my finger back towards the "bony" part
- moving the pad of my thumb towards the center of the neck (although thats where I almost always have it anyways...)
- playing in the classical position
- trying all different levels of strength in my grip
- moving my index finger so that its last pad hang off the neck at varying lengths, or not at all
- placing the pressure at different points along my finger
- watching all types of videos (including ljguitars': thanks!) and reading a bunch of articles
- all of the above techniques in various different ways

Still can't get it. My G string almost never rings, mostly because it generally falls under the pad of the middle part of my index. Rolling my finger doesn't help. I'm guessing having fingers smaller than the average teenage girl doesn't, either XD

I wouldn't be as frustrated if I were making even slight progress, but I can't find a way to do this, no matter how much time i spend playing (generally 2-3 hours/day). When I was struggling with open chords, I could improve by transitioning slowly between them one day, then slightly faster the next, etc., but barre chords are just a whole different beast :(

I know that getting every single string to ring isn't necessary because fingers 2, 3 and 4 are usually helping out on different frets, but I haven't been able to do barre chords similar to F#m. I'm going to give myself a few day's rest on barre chords and hopefully that'll help.

Hey welcome to AGF. Good luck with your playing.

[ljguitar]

Hi Nantes...
First off, hi and welcome to the forum and I hope you will be sticking around.

A few questions...

What kind of guitar (model and make)?
What weight strings?
Has it been setup properly?
How is the action (for playing)? High, low, medium...
Have you tried barre chords on anyone else's instruments and if so were you more/less successful?

Let's master these barre chords! Hope I can help...my answers may lag as we are on vacation and I'm fitting in forum time when we break and have wifi...

[Lou777]

Hi,

One tip I have is to roll your finger into the fretboard as a way to help get ringing instead of dead notes.

The Randy's site has some graphics you should print.

Print these and carry them with you:

http://webspace.webring.com/people/pv/vangar/randys_guitar_clinic/EandAMoveableforms.gif
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/stadium/9564/numbersystem.htm

There is much more good stuff at the Randy's site:

http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/stadium/9564/

Good luck.

OK Thanks.

[Nantes]

Hi Nantes...
First off, hi and welcome to the forum and I hope you will be sticking around.

A few questions...

What kind of guitar (model and make)?
What weight strings?
Has it been setup properly?
How is the action (for playing)? High, low, medium...
Have you tried barre chords on anyone else's instruments and if so were you more/less successful?

Let's master these barre chords! Hope I can help...my answers may lag as we are on vacation and I'm fitting in forum time when we break and have wifi...




The guitar is a Seagull s6 Entourage. The nut width is a little smaller to accommodate my smallish fingers (more comfortable than the s6 origntal). The strings are light, .12-.53 I believe. The guitar wasn't setup after I bought it because I thought it felt and sounded great (though being a new player I probably shouldn't have relied on my own judgement). I don't really have the tools to measure the action, although I reckon it's low. There's not much space between the frets and the string, especially up near the nut.

I don't know anyone who has an acoustic guitar, although I was able to barre pretty easily a friend's electric. Then again, almost everything felt easier on it.

Thanks for taking an interest! Don't worry about a swift response, but rather enjoy your vacation!

Also, thanks Lou for the encouraging words.

Also, as an aside, I'm a drum convert, finding this instrument much more engaging and fun. Hopefully I can get over this hurdle before my fingers bleed.

[Lou777]

The guitar is a Seagull s6 Entourage. The nut width is a little smaller to accommodate my smallish fingers (more comfortable than the s6 origntal). The strings are light, .12-.53 I believe. The guitar wasn't setup after I bought it because I thought it felt and sounded great (though being a new player I probably shouldn't have relied on my own judgement). I don't really have the tools to measure the action, although I reckon it's low. There's not much space between the frets and the string, especially up near the nut.

I don't know anyone who has an acoustic guitar, although I was able to barre pretty easily a friend's electric. Then again, almost everything felt easier on it.

Thanks for taking an interest! Don't worry about a swift response, but rather enjoy your vacation!

Also, thanks Lou for the encouraging words.

Also, as an aside, I'm a drum convert, finding this instrument much more engaging and fun. Hopefully I can get over this hurdle before my fingers bleed.

Hi Nantes

Part of a "good" set up is getting the cuts in the nut where they should be. Many times they are not deep or low enough. That would make it a lot harder to fret. It would be worth getting that checked out. I hear that DR Rare strings have a little less tension, That might help as well.