Bar chord blues

[mixinstrings]

After listening to a recording of myself it's become painfully obvious that I need a great deal of improvement playing bar chords. Does anyone have a tip or drill that helped them improve? I seem to do ok with the maj bar chords (relatively speaking) but when I lift my pinky or middle finger for the 7th or the min. it sounds like crap. Will my muscles develop enough to press down hard enough to get a clean sound or should I be trying to roll my index finger on its side more? It seems like the strings are in the crease of my finger joints a muting the strings........

[missedmyexit]

 

should I be trying to roll my index finger on its side more?

 

 

Yes and/or your wrist whatever you need to do to get leverage comfortably.

[mattp]

when you lift up that finger to play the minor chord (assuming E based barre chords) just double it up on your index if you need more pressure to keep the strings from buzzing. sometimes I do that if I don't need that finger for anything else. I think we all sounded bad with barre chords when we first tried them. just keep doing them and just like any other part of your body you develop strength and dexterity in those actions. good luck!

[smatel]

Here's a tip from an accomplished teacher: 5th Stting Bar

 

[edit] This one's more appropriate!

[Michael Martin]

I don't like barre chords even when they're played/fingered perfectly. I tend to avoid them in favor of other kinds of chord voicings (open chords, power chords, oddball chords that have unfretted strings droning along). But that wouldn't work for all kinds of music I suppose.

[Rickkkk]

 

... I think we all sounded bad with barre chords when we first tried them. ...

 

 

+1 ... Keep at it. You'll improve and find your own technique.

 

Cheers !

[mixinstrings]

 

This one's more appropriate!

 

 

 

Great stuff!!!!! TY very much. I Love this place! I really want to be a solid all around guitar player. I know its going to take time and practise. Man I wish I was one of those rich kids that had parents who sent me to berklee full time LOL

[Hudman]

Barre chords can be difficult on a properly set up guitar. Your hand / finger stength will improve over time.

 

Barre chords can be almost impossible on guitars with poor set ups. A good set up makes playing the guitar a lot easier.

[smatel]

 

I don't like barre chords even when they're played/fingered perfectly. I tend to avoid them in favor of other kinds of chord voicings (open chords, power chords, oddball chords that have unfretted strings droning along). But that wouldn't work for all kinds of music I suppose.

 

 

How do you play open F chord in first pos? [sorry]Standard tuning.

[raggety]

You may be trying too hard and using too much force to shape them ?

 

this is one of the most sensible articles you may ever read on the subject of barres...

 

http://www.douglasniedt.citymax.com/BarChordTechnique.html

[Fred Fartboski]

It took me years and years to get barre chords right. Then one day, about 8 years ago, as I was practicing ago something just clicked and I could play them.

 

On the other hand, a lifelong friend of mine is slightly double jointed and has been able to effortlessly play barre chords ever since he first picked up a guitar.

[Hudman]

 

Standard tuning.

 

 

Don't fret the F on the low E (you skip that string). Works great when doing quick chord changes between C and F.

[smatel]

 

Don't fret the F on the low E (you skip that string). Works great when doing quick chord changes between C and F.

 

 

...still barreing the first two strings though, right?

[Freeman Keller]

 

...still barreing the first two strings though, right?

 

 

yes, but is that really a "barre" (one finger, two strings)? Also wrap your thumb over the top for the F on the 6th string (a classical player would shudder) and don't play the 5th string. Another partial barre that I use a lot is the so called "long A" - barre the top four strings at 2 and reach up to 5 with your pinky (A) or 3 with your second finger (A7). Move it up two for a B/B7.

 

One of the things that helped me with barre chords is to throw a capo on at the first or second fret - it pulls the strings down a little and makes it a little easier - but I still do a lot of those partial bluesy style barres instead of the full ones.

[BigRed51]

 

yes, but is that really a "barre" (one finger, two strings)? Also wrap your thumb over the top for the F on the 6th string (a classical player would shudder) and don't play the 5th string.

 

 

I am stunned ... I play the classics ... Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Old Home Place ... I mean ALL of the classics ... even Bach in the Saddle Again!

 

I spent a long time learning to play bar chords because someone told me I needed to. Haven't used on in years. If I were going to play jazz, I would probably start up again, but I have not plans to to that. I play a 5 finger F, using my fourth finger on the 5th string, and pinky on the fourth. Then I will use my thumb to fret the 6th, which gives me the ability to play a bass run on an F chord ... which is impossible playing a bar chord. If I want to carry melody on the high strings, I remove use my pinky, and alternate my ring finger between 4 and 5 to keep the bass going. You can't do that with a bar chord either. Those are just a couple of example where for my style of play, bar chords are much more restricting, causing more problems than they solve.

[babablowfish]

Like so many other things in life, playing barre chords is much more difficult at first because it takes so much conscious effort that a lot of unnecessary tension is generated which is in itself exhausting. Once you get the technique down, you will be amazed at how little pressure is required to depress the strings.

 

Also, when learning any technique it is not unusal to try to do it the way you have seen it done whereas the way you will eventually wind up doing it most efficiently will be a slight variation based on your own body and other factors specific to you. Try to find the way that works for you and do repetition drills so that your fingers become accustomed to automatically forming the correct chord. I used to practice the alphabet A-B-C-D-E-F-G then do minors and the sevenths, etc. Practice at a steady tempo but start at a tempo that is slow enough to leave you enough time to hit each chord.

 

Finally, I come back to Freeman's maxim that you should be pressing the strings slightly towards the nut, rather than towards the fret. Sounds weird, but it works.

 

If you already knew all of this, or find it unnecessarily long-winded - then never mind.

[Cripes]

Hate 'em, but can't avoid them either. I always play full barres because I need the base line. Practice is the only way to not only develop strength but also experiment with techniques. Just have to keep at it. Right now the relationship between bitching about it and doing it successfully is upside down. That will change.

[guitarist21]

 

Don't fret the F on the low E (you skip that string). Works great when doing quick chord changes between C and F.

 

 

If you can by any chance reach the E string with your thumb, you could try to play that F. Otherwise, this method works. Sometimes I do this:

 

----x---- (Don't play the high E string)

----1----

----2----

----4----

----3----

----T---- (Use your thumb if you can)

 

Gets a little fuller tone if you can get your thumb around.

 

Ellen

[polynices]

 

After listening to a recording of myself it's become painfully obvious that I need a great deal of improvement playing bar chords. Does anyone have a tip or drill that helped them improve? I seem to do ok with the maj bar chords (relatively speaking) but when I lift my pinky or middle finger for the 7th or the min. it sounds like crap. Will my muscles develop enough to press down hard enough to get a clean sound or should I be trying to roll my index finger on its side more? It seems like the strings are in the crease of my finger joints a muting the strings........

 

 

Make sure your guitar is set-up with action as low as you desire. Bar chords are easier with low action.

[knockwood]

 

Hate 'em, but can't avoid them either.

 

 

Yep.

[Queequeg]

If you can by any chance reach the E string with your thumb, you could try to play that F. Otherwise, this method works. Sometimes I do this: ----x---- (Don't play the high E string) ----1---- ----2---- ----4---- ----3---- ----T---- (Use your thumb if you can) Gets a little fuller tone if you can get your thumb around. Ellen

That --4-- on the fourth string reperesents an F# if I'm not mistaken. I believe I would play that fourth string on the 3rd fret (F natural).

But your point is well-taken, Ellen. Using the thumb for the sixth string still gives you a nice bass root foundation and frees other fingers for noodling while holding the F chord.