#16
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Barre chords are incredibly easy; they just require CORRECT hand/wrist/finger placement and a bunch of repetition...
But, I'm confused... do you actually WANT help, or is this just a thread to get others to commiserate with your issue with barre chords? I only ask because I'm not gonna write out a bunch of "try this"-stuff if you don't really want anything to change...
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"He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith. Spread your arms and hold your breath, always trust your cape..." "The Cape" (Guy Clark/Jim Janowsky/Susanna Clark) |
#17
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#18
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Well Wad you have 50 years as a player and you've made out ok without them. You've got all the obvious advice and platitudes you need. I would rather learn all your tricks for avoiding them.
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A couple of Halcyons and a Canadian made Larrivee "Wish I had more time to hear your reasons, but I have to go get a beer." 00-28 |
#19
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Lots of good advice here. Thanks so much guys, really appreciate it.
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HD-28 Hog GS Mini |
#20
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I'm quite comfortable with the occasional barre chord, but have recently begun playing in an open tuning that allows rhythm playing in many keys without ever a barre.
The tuning is what I call DUDGAD, where the A string is tuned Up to Bb. It is good for playing in the keys of D, G, C, F and Bb major along with at least 2 minor keys. For many of the chords the top A & D strings ring out unstopped, so you're getting quite rich voicings. It really works well for strong rhythmic accompaniment playing, and works well alongside a conventionally tuned guitar. Maybe one day I'll do a video, but I'm still developing patterns in DUDGAD. |
#21
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This will tell you everything you need to know: http://www.guitarprinciples.com/abou...asy-bar-chords
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#22
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Barre chords are brutal.
However, I figured out a way that worked well for me. I have large hands - long fingers. I found that its not really pressure - I was squeezing so hard and they were not working, so I started working on angles. Basically I rotated my fingers up toward the low E string at the top of the neck. When I barre now my index finger is generally hanging over the neck (past the low E) almost to the first knuckle. I use the space on my index finger between my first knuckle and the base of the index finger to barre the chord - the tip of my finger is generally hanging over the top of the neck. Then, and most importantly, I moved my thumb so it was pointing toward the headstock and I moved the thumb lower on the back of the neck - almost at a 90 degree angle from the barre finger (hope this visual is working for you.) I get good pressure from the thumb more from leverage than pressing hard. This worked for me and now I can play barre chords for extended periods of time with no real fatigue or discomfort. The problem I have is getting my fretting hand into barre chord position quickly during chord changes. I just have to drill it - constant chord change practice - to try to get it down. Still slow for me and my songs stumble as I change into barres. Hope this helps.
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Justin ________________ Gibson J-15 Alvarez MD60BG Yamaha LL16RD Epiphone Les Paul Standard Fender Player Stratocaster |
#23
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So what you can do? Classical guitar players play the most demanding songs and you might imagine how they can play so relaxed and effortless? Answer is that hundreds of years of learning about hand positions and how the force of hands own weight moves to the fretboard and strings has been one of the main teaching material in academies in Europe and I guess in other places also. What you do is that you use earths gravity making that chord easy for you. More pressure you use by using muscles, more gravity and hands weight you lose. We used to do hands own weight exercises alot and once you get it, playing is easy. In practical environment when you build a chord, always start with bass strings. I see people putting their fingers to the fretboard starting from higher strings which is not optimal at all. You will hit the bass strings first when you play so build the chords starting from bass notes. E shape is not difficult if you start using hands own weight first to the index finger on the 6th string. Then build it as a power chord = fifth interval. You can get to the 3rd string without barre. Only the 1st and 2nd strings need the index finger barre. And that is the tricky part and needs more observation individual basis. Many other things can interfere getting results fast. Are you sitting optimal way. What is the angle of your hands, fingers... But the conclusion is that everyone can play the barre chord with right workflow which has brought results hundreds of years. I can do a short video lesson about this for you and post it here if you want? |
#24
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finger position
I think experimentation is the key. You don't keep trying the same thing over and over, you try different things.
For barre chords positioning the finger doing the barre seems to be the key. There are places where the knuckles help to press the string on the fret, but then the fleshy part of that finger doesn't press one of the other strings. Sometimes you angle it a bit differently, or reach the finger further over the edge of the neck and that does it. I use medium strings and do a lot of barre chords all over the neck. It just gets easier with practice, but keep trying slightly different positions until you find what works. I object to the idea that something is hard. That only makes it worse. Don't think that way, be curious, inventive, keep searching for what you can do that does work. As you've probably discovered by now, little teeny, tiny tweaks to the way you fret a string can make a big difference. Another thing on barre chords - sometimes you don't have to play all the strings at once, and you can shift pressure as you move across the strings to get them to sound cleanly.
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Martin OM-18 Authentic 1933 VTS (2016) |
#25
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I recently started playing a guitar with a larger fret board radius than my regular beater and that Barre chords are quite a bit easier to play on the bigger radius. Not that I'm any good or would even consider myself a guitarist so YMMV. All I can say is it's nice not to buzz-thunk on them.
~Bob |
#26
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Barre chords, were for me at least, a three month long process. It's all about muscle memory and you must stick with it to get to that point where you don't have to think about it anymore. It does take a while, everyone is different, for you to build up the muscles. I'm talking full power, with no buzz at all when playing them. The best way is to incorporate them in with other easier chords in a particular song.
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Dump The Bucket On It! |
#27
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Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
Made to one with pride and love To be that we hold so dear A voice from heavens above |
#28
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one more thing
Sometimes it helps to pull the finger pressing the barré in toward the other fingers slightly so the flesh on the underside of that finger is sort of tweaked sideways.
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Martin OM-18 Authentic 1933 VTS (2016) |
#29
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Here are a couple of things that helped me with barres, hope something is useful to you.
1. Don't think of it as squeezing the neck. Rather, think of it as pulling your fretting hand back towards you (with your thumb providing resistance). 2. Experiment with the position of your barring finger. Try rotating it, and moving it vertically. Since your finger is not a flat, smooth surface, some positions work better than others. Beyond that, just practice practice practice. You CAN do it. Good luck. |
#30
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My link in my previous reply above tells you how to emulate this feeling so you know what to do. |