Quote:
Originally Posted by Troyboi
Well I tried the capo trick to see if I could do a bar chord with the capo on the first fret and still no luck. So it looks like its just practice for me. I can do one on my electric guitar much easier though.
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And I think it's a safe bet the action at the nut on your electric is lower than it is on the acoustic, also if it has 9s or 10s the tension is lower too. Barring chords should be easier on the electric. Maybe practice getting the bar chords nailed even better on the electric & you might find them easier to play on the acoustic?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scootch
A long time time ago, long, long, long...
Someone pointed out to me that when I barred a chord, my elbow was away from my body and that I ought to consider bringing it in closer to my body. I did and my index finger lined up with the frets. Bar chords became immensely easier for me after that. YMMV
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Absolutely correct! It gets your arm more perpendicular to the fretboard when viewed from front on giving far better control as it positions your thumb behind the central area of where the chord is played eg: if you're playing an E shaped bar (such as an F on fret 1) your thumb should be pretty much directly behind the middle finger on the G string.
I probably wouldn't have got the point myself had it not been for the teacher I had in my mid-late teens. He would basically get off his chair & drag my elbow if need be to where it should be, the same as thumb placement, index finger placement for bar chords, pick technique etc. etc. For as much of a handy convenience as online tutorials are you sometimes need a bit of physical intervention to drive the point home & if you aren't aware there's a technique problem yourself then no one online is going to tell you either.