Skip to content
Notifications
Clear all

F Barre chord

6 Posts
5 Users
0 Likes
1,355 Views
(@drlloyd)
Active Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter  

Hi,

I am struggling to use the F barre chord, eg in Old Man, by Neil Young, the I play the song reasonably, but the long pause getting onto the F Barre chord ruins it!! Is their a way to learn changing to and from Bare chorde more easily; or should I just stick to the truncated versions on the treble strings, or even just use eg Fmaj7 as a cop out?

Any advice will be appreciated, a lot! :?


   
Quote
(@guitarteacher)
Trusted Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 46
 

Bar chords present a major hurdle for most guitarist, but, once you master them, your world will open up to harmonies you never dreamed of.
Well worth the effort, imo.

I assume it's taking you longer to form the F because you are taking time to ensure the barred notes sound cleanly. If this is the case, there are a few things you can do to clean up your barring. One is to straighten the tip and middle joint of your index finger and keep them straight whilst barring. This is often overlooked when fingering the remaider of the chord.

Here is a link which shows a much more efficient manner of barring:

http://www.tampaguitarlessons.com/betterbarchords.htm

Good Luck!

If you want to be good, practice. If you want to be great, you must constantly change the way you think.


   
ReplyQuote
(@dagwood)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1024
 

Hey drlloyd,
Its like anything else.. Practice Practice Practice.

There is much to be said about proper technique though....that is true. You don't want to practice the wrong thing over and over that would be dreadful.

I approach barre chords just as I did when I learned open chords...just keep drilling on them. Eventually you won't have to think about them.

Often times I found myself trying "TO HARD". Once I learned to relax a bit I was hitting them more often than not.

Keep it up. :)

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)


   
ReplyQuote
(@misanthrope)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2261
 

One thing I tell people who are struggling with making a change in time, is not to sacrifice learning rhythm to learn the change. You need to practice changing to the problem chord cleanly, of course, but you'll find it harder to 'get the rhythm' if you keep stopping to make the change. A song with accurate rhythm but fluffed chords sounds a whole lot better than accurate chords but fluffed rhythm.

I'd suggest practicing the chord changes seperately before concentrating too much on getting into a particular song. If you want to practice the song, concentrate on the rhythm - if you end up playing nothing but mute where the F should be but the timing of it is right, you're still learning the rhythm. As the seperate practicing of the change comes along you'll find the song sounding better and better, and at no point are you teaching yourself something that's wrong. Works for me anyway :)

ChordsAndScales.co.uk - Guitar Chord/Scale Finder/Viewer


   
ReplyQuote
(@clideguitar)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 375
 

I assume it's taking you longer to form the F because you are taking time to ensure the barred notes sound cleanly. If this is the case, there are a few things you can do to clean up your barring. One is to straighten the tip and middle joint of your index finger and keep them straight whilst barring. This is often overlooked when fingering the remaider of the chord. Good Luck!

Isn't it also a case of the PINKY getting stronger and faster?

Bob Jessie


   
ReplyQuote
(@guitarteacher)
Trusted Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 46
 

I assume it's taking you longer to form the F because you are taking time to ensure the barred notes sound cleanly. If this is the case, there are a few things you can do to clean up your barring. One is to straighten the tip and middle joint of your index finger and keep them straight whilst barring. This is often overlooked when fingering the remaider of the chord. Good Luck!

Isn't it also a case of the PINKY getting stronger and faster?

Bob Jessie

It may be a case of the little finger getting more coordinated (we all have enough, strength, sometimes we use it too inefficiently). If this is the case, one should remember that the most efficient shape of the little finger (or any left hand finger) is an arch. Keeping all three joints at equal angles will maximize efficiency. Sometimes to do this it is necessary to bring that side of the hand (the little finger side, that is) closer to the fretboard. You may have noticed that players who seem to play effortlessly tend to havd their left hand knuckles parallel to the strings.

If you want to be good, practice. If you want to be great, you must constantly change the way you think.


   
ReplyQuote