B Barre Chord...What's the Secret?

Try pinky and ring on the D & G and lift the index barre for the open high e

Question, are you strumming the chord or picking notes out of it?

If picking notes just hold the D & G with the pinky and ring then switch the index between the A & B that way the high e is open all the time

I am picking the notes so that's what's making it difficult...it HAS to be clean...

Thanks
OK then use my 2nd recommendation

I gave up on a song I was working on because of a hard barre I just couldn't do (same as you it is a fingerstyle song so substitutions are out of the question)
If you can master barre chords while playing fingerstyle after 4 months, you are well ahead of me after just over a year, and I average 4 hours a day!!!
I am in a rut myself right now, same as you mentioned, stuff I could play in my sleep before, I am now struggling with. (maybe it is something in the air?)
If you still can't get that B the way you want it try Bm and see how much effect the one note has (might work out ok?)
I tried Nil's suggestion on the add9 and it seemed easy as long as you don't have to play the A and B strings at the same time.
Good Luck

If you still can't get that B the way you want it try Bm and see how much effect the one note has (might work out ok?)
I tried Nil's suggestion on the add9 and it seemed easy as long as you don't have to play the A and B strings at the same time.
Good Luck
On the Badd9 I have to play the open high E and the B string at the same time....

As for "mastering" barre chords...NASA is closer to traveling to Mars than I am to mastering them. However I practice them everyday and always practice changing from a barre & open chord that are in the songs I want to play. It's part of my warmup routine now. That way I the repetitions are there.

Call me silly, but at four months and you can't barre a B?! Why push yourself so hard? Sounds like a meltdown waiting to happen. Slow down, playing guitar is supposed to be fun. If you do it right it'll probably take a lifetime to MASTER. Stick with it don't stress and it will come. Being relaxed is key to playing well. 8) 8) 8) Besides all your clips I've heard have been real good. 8) 8) 8)

Call me silly, but at four months and you can't barre a B?! Why push yourself so hard? Sounds like a meltdown waiting to happen. Slow down, playing guitar is supposed to be fun. If you do it right it'll probably take a lifetime to MASTER. Stick with it don't stress and it will come. Being relaxed is key to playing well. 8) 8) 8) Besides all your clips I've heard have been real good. 8) 8) 8)

I know you're trying to help art&lutherie but what part of my posts shows that I am stressed? I am FAR from stressed on the B chord. I expected problems with barres and I am totaly fine with where I am with them. As a matter of fact I actually feel AHEAD of the game when it comes to barres...

Thanks for your concern though 8)

Aye! I'm a very caring individual. Like I said you can't learn it all in a day 8) 8)

I know you're trying to help art&lutherie but what part of my posts shows that I am stressed?

*My biggest challenge is to NOT be so hard on myself. I tend to expect perfection in myself with everything I do...not just guitar. This puts so much pressure on yourself you end up stressing yourself out. Understand it takes time to learn something new...ALLOW progress to take it's course!

It doesn't matter anyway...I just realized a few minutes ago that I suck at guitar...I sound worse now than I did after one month. It's like I can't even play any of the songs I used to play without screwing them up...just one more dream that won't come true

Mike, I'm not pickin' on you, but you show it more than you know.

I know you're trying to help art&lutherie but what part of my posts shows that I am stressed?

*My biggest challenge is to NOT be so hard on myself. I tend to expect perfection in myself with everything I do...not just guitar. This puts so much pressure on yourself you end up stressing yourself out. Understand it takes time to learn something new...ALLOW progress to take it's course!

It doesn't matter anyway...I just realized a few minutes ago that I suck at guitar...I sound worse now than I did after one month. It's like I can't even play any of the songs I used to play without screwing them up...just one more dream that won't come true

Mike, I'm not pickin' on you, but you show it more than you know.

Oh how words can be misconstrued... :? ...All those statements have ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with barre chords. If you look at several of my other posts on barres I specifically stated that I expect the WORST from barres...meaning I know that they will be difficult to learn and master. I didn't expect much in a short period of time.
It doesn't matter anyway...I just realized a few minutes ago that I suck at guitar...I sound worse now than I did after one month. It's like I can't even play any of the songs I used to play without screwing them up...just one more dream that won't come true

This statement DEFINITELY has nothing to do with barres...I just couldn't play ANYTHING that day...2 days later I had great practices and then yesterday was miserable (it was an overall bad day for me!)....

You know the old saying "Never Assume because you make an "ass" out of "U" and "ME" :wink:

And tracker I know you're not pickin' on me...

mike,
one way to help with barre chords is to only half do them. The two main shapes are the E and A (along with their derivatives - min, 7th, etc.). Put your index finger behind the nut and practice getting the open chord shapes with your remaining fingers - E with ring finger on 5/3, little finger on 4/3 and middle finger on 3/2 - with the index finger resting gently on the "wrong side" of the nut.
Often trying to get a complete barre chord is doing too many things at once.

Let's also not forget the original date of my post...the only barre I am having problems with now is the B chord and that's starting to taker shape...

All the other barres are doing great considering the amount of time I have been doing them...That B was the real bear...

Thanks for the help..

Well on my electric the B chord is like butter! I can even fret the high E string with no problems. The acoustic is going to take several weeks to get it right. It's not consistant...

I can easily transition to the E shaped barre chords and even switch between the F barre and open C chord or D chord. I guess including them into my warmup routine everyday has paid off!

Thanks for the help everyone!