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by celestasia on September 16th, 2005

celestasia

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How can I make my bar chords clearer and easier to hold on to?

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  • by Southpaw Pete on September 22nd, 2005

    Southpaw Pete

    Barre chords: the bain of every guitar student! There are two elements to the barre: the barre itself (usually executed with the index finger of the fretting hand) and the chord (typically executed with two or more of the remaining fingers. The weak spots are most often at the base of the index finger, and wherever the pinky rests (this being your weakest finger). For example, in a barre'd Fmajor, the index finger will be extended across all six strings at the first fret. Whilst it is relatively easy to apply pressure with the finger tip on the low E string, the high E and B strings often fall under the "arch" of the finger. Therefore the first thing you should do is practice applying just the index finger, and getting an even pressure across all the strings. The second weak point comes when you apply the chord with the remaining fingers. In the above example you'll be using all three fingers, starting with the pinky on the G string, second fret. When you apply pressure with these fingers, it tends to cause you to lift your index finger slightly, muting the strings. Therefore, your second exercise should be to start by apply very gentle pressure with the fingers (not enough to actually sound the chord) so that your index finger becomes accustomed to "counterbalancing" against the tension of your hand). Once your hand becomes comfortable in the barre position, begin applying constant pressure across all strings and all fingers until you can sound each string individually.

    Comments

    • Great advice thanx

      lilly42

      by lilly42 on September 22nd, 2005

    • Good advice! Barre chords require a lot of practice, no way around it. But they are worth the trouble.

      jmacbops

      by jmacbops on October 6th, 2005

    • Yep, just gotta practice until your grip improves. Great answer.

      chudsosoft

      by chudsosoft on May 11th, 2006

    • Here's a couple other ideas:

      Make sure your thumb is directly on the back of the neck to get maximum pressure. Also, when you buy your next guitar, consider jumbo frets.

      weatherman taking week or so off

      by weatherman taking week or so off on April 10th, 2007

    • Yeah that's about it. You can do some of the exercises at http://www.guitartricks.com to help you acquire some strength a little quicker but for the most part you just need to keep at it.

      magicninja

      by magicninja on April 11th, 2007

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