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  #1  
Old 02-16-2018, 04:58 PM
shadow714 shadow714 is offline
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Default When did barre chords no longer scare you?

My son is on leave from the army and we were sitting playing together. He is still just learning, barely getting chords correct. He asked me "how long did it take to make barre chords sound clear?" I could not give him an honest time wise answer. Made me think there must have been a time when they no longer where a consideration in playing. My question is how long does it take for the avg. player. I am just glad they do not scare me anymore!
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:03 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Day one really. Don't be intimidated. It's moving around between chords cleanly and quickly
that takes more practice time. However you need an easy playing guitar (well set up
(short scale may help as would light gauge strings) guitar).
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:12 PM
CASD57 CASD57 is offline
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I learned some basic open chords and then spent the next 10 years playing barr chords in the two bands I played with..
I liked the barr chords as a rhythm player because I could just play the same notes up the neck so to not muddy up everything, with me using 13-56's on my electric's I and the bass player would fight for space of course he would win.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:27 PM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
Day one really.
Maybe a little longer. Need to live with them a while.

I stopped worrying about barre chords when I realized (1) they don't require a death grip to play, and (2) depending on the particular shape of your index finger, not all of the notes will be clear all of the time, and that you have to accept that, and optimize as best you can.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:38 PM
vindibona1 vindibona1 is offline
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Bar chords sounding clear? I dunno, one or two weeks. Scary? Never.

The thing is that by playing the hands will strengthen. Things that are uncomfortable today will be more comfortable tomorrow if you just keep after it. The hands will become more flexible with practice and determination... a LOT more flexible. There are two things that I had to work on quite a bit in the last year or so. One was a stretch over 6 frets, barring with the first finger. The other was getting my hand to let me wrap my thumb down by the lower part of my hand. Over time my hands just gave up and let me do it, even with arthritis.

It's a lot like learning to ride a two wheeled bike. One day you're falling all over the place and the next you're just riding.
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:46 PM
StevenL StevenL is offline
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Some people: 2 months Others of us: 2 years. After the muscle conditioning, the rest is in the brain. Every brain is different. Mine is shot, so I can't remember how long it took me. But I don't remember every being afraid of a barre. I do remember being slightly fearful of the F though. And maybe the B.

And what zmf said: BEGIN with mentally fighting the 'death-grip'. It'll save some unlearning later on. That's a tough one though, when you're just starting out.

Last edited by StevenL; 02-16-2018 at 05:50 PM. Reason: more words
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Old 02-16-2018, 05:54 PM
imwjl imwjl is offline
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Never.

They were the easiest ever to get something that made tones I liked. Variations on them were easy.

To actually do them - make them work - I figured out rolling my fingers or flesh into them helped.

I suggest the readily available graphics that show the A and E shapes moving on the neck. Then the min7, min and simple variations. That's always been fun stuff.

Really good advice I got early on was you don't have to play all 6 strings. Very often I play 3-5 of the 6.

Full disclosure: This doesn't mean I'm an expert.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:00 PM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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The "B" barre still gives me a bit of trouble every now and then, nothing else is difficult. I feel most of the AGF members who post here a lot are finger style guys or hybrid pickers and don't do what I do as a performer. I could be mistaken.
My teacher has given me some excellent finger exercises which I always use as warmups for a few minutes before I play...helps a lot.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:14 PM
ADG ADG is offline
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For me it was sometime within the first 300 hours (9 months) of playing them. That is only up to the 10th fret on an acoustic, however. Even if I had a cut away on my acoustic, the string height after that point still makes it a challenge for me.
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Last edited by ADG; 02-16-2018 at 06:22 PM.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:23 PM
superbitterdave superbitterdave is offline
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The first time I wanted to quit guitar was the week my teacher assigned me barre chords. I remember crying to my parents (who had no idea what I was upset about). Almost 40 years later I still don’t like playing them unless I’m going for a funky sound with lots of hammering and percussive strumming. I guess the challenge I still have is that I cannot get as clean a sound with a barre as I do with open chords. Guess I need to keep practicing . . .
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shadow714 View Post
My question is how long does it take for the avg. player. I am just glad they do not scare me anymore!
Up until one adjusts the action to a reasonable height I suppose (speaking of my own case) and finding which necks works best (soft V for me). Other than that I think it's mainly about gaining hand strength and practice. No two people will get there at the same time. I can, even to this day, have sloppy moments and flub a barre chord. Especially when I'm out trying new guitars with bad action or necks I don't like.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:40 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Assuming a decently set-up guitar, I tell newbies about six months, and show them a couple of tricks (roll the barring finger so you press on the side, not the fleshy flat). You just have to keep grabbing them, and one day they will "click".

Don't be afraid. If you avoid barre chords for years, they turn into the boogie man -- way scarier than they really are. Don't give barre chords that power......
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:41 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vindibona1 View Post
...There are two things that I had to work on quite a bit in the last year or so. One was a stretch over 6 frets, barring with the first finger...
You're cheating, Vin - I can do that in first position...
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:46 PM
jstroop jstroop is offline
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Barre chords have never not scared me.
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Old 02-16-2018, 06:52 PM
Shadowfox Shadowfox is offline
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The b chord still scares me.
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