Barre Chord help?

The best tip i can give you is Practice . You can also try hand stretches.

Thank you kindly

Thank you kindly

the best hand stretch is to put your fist between your fretting fingers. Put your fist between your index and middle finger, then between your index and ring finger, then between your ring finger and pinkie.

Alright, I think I get ya.

Hi Preacher!

That is an usual problem. Don't worry, you will play those barre chords. Six String Suicide pointed on the basic problem and the solution: the strength and the practice. Try to do some easy exercises. For example, just using your index finger, try to barre every fret along the fretboard. Slowly.

I think the barre problem is also related with the "quantity" of fingers that we use in those chords. I mean, most of the barre chords need the four fingers. I improved a lot just playing seventh chords (or even minor seventh chords) in which you only use three fingers. First, you don't need to worry about one finger and, on the other hand, sometimes the middle finger can help to the index in the barre!

Keep practicing and let us now about your progress.

And welcome to GN! 8)

Pretty good thread on the topic went by a little while ago-

http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=40936&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=barre

Thank you al for the tips. One thing that Ive been thinking of, (because I can play barre chords okay on my brothers electric) could the fact that Im playing an old classical guitar with a very high action have something to do with me having trouble?

Thank you al for the tips. One thing that Ive been thinking of, (because I can play barre chords okay on my brothers electric) could the fact that Im playing an old classical guitar with a very high action have something to do with me having trouble?

classicals have always been a lot easier for me to barre on, because of the spaced strings, but the high action is of course a part of the problem, you should start with lower action

Electrics are easier to me mainly by the action and string gauge. I started with my old Spanish guitar and I remember somebody told me if I was able to play barre chords there I will be able to play them in other guitars.

Try to learn and play a song with one barre chord. Thus you will practice.

Thank you al for the tips. One thing that Ive been thinking of, (because I can play barre chords okay on my brothers electric) could the fact that Im playing an old classical guitar with a very high action have something to do with me having trouble?

Definitely. The higher the action, the more strength you have to use to press the strings into the fretboard to hold them down.

I can honestly say, I never really had a problem with barre chords - as soon as I'd got my first guitar, I went out and bought "The Complete Beatles" songbook. Chock full of barre chords - Eb's, F's, Bb's, etc, etc. No-one told me they were supposed to be hard - and I was having enough trouble with C chords (especially C7th's!) and G chords at the time - so barres were just a different way of playing chords. I always found it a lot easier to change from C to F using barre chords than open chords - and you couldn't play Eb's and Bb's as open chords, anyway.

So I'd say, just treat those barre chords like you would any other chord - once you get used to moving that E-shaped barre chord and that A-shaped chord up and down the neck, you'll be delighted with the options they'll give you. 7th chords are so much easier - minor 7ths even more so. Blues songs in any key will be so much easier - A D and E are OK for beginners, but if those chords don't suit your voice, you might have to transpose the song to Ab, Db and Eb, or Bb, Eb and F.

And once you've practised them a few zillion times, you'll wonder why you were so worried about them!

:D :D :D

Vic

I started with my old Spanish guitar and I remember somebody told me if I was able to play barre chords there I will be able to play them in other guitars.

haha, thats what Ive been telling myself. And Ive been trying to learn Take The Money And Run by the Steven Miller Band. It has I believe the G, F, and C barre chords. And its comming. Slowely but Surely. And thank you Nuno, for your advice on barring every fret up the board, that has become a key point in my practice.
And thank you Vic for your advise on thinking of the barres as simply another chord, that kind of makes them a bit easier just thinking of them. (which was something I probably should have come up with myself)
And thank you all for just taking the time to help me out. :D
-Preacher

Hey, by the way, Vic, Do you recomend any Beatles songs to start learning?

You are welcome!
And Ive been trying to learn Take The Money And Run by the Steven Miller Band.
Cool song! 8)

Preacher, did you review the Easy Songs Forum? Lots of songs there!

Hey, by the way, Vic, Do you recomend any Beatles songs to start learning?

Apart from the "easy songs" forum, there are nice detailed lessons on Help, Eleanor Rigby and Nowhere Man in the "Easy Songs For Beginners" section....just click on the link in the header, it'll take you there.

:D :D :D

Vic