Hello all
I've been playing for a bit more than a year teaching myself to play thanks to a instructional book and to some Guitar Noise lessons (thanks)! Now I feel quite confident with strumming and in most cases I can play a song along the cd but I realized that if i really want to progress I have to learn bar chords. Actually a lot of songs are easier to play with barre chords than with first position ones (not to forget that muting and chocking is also simpler when playing barre chords). Just think how many songs revolves around G, C, D, A chord which are all available in just two frets if barred...my main trouble is to obtain a decent sound for the A shape barre-chord since my ring finger is not trained enough and of course to make a good change between an E-shape to an A shape barre-chord (i.e. from G to C).
I've decide that I will dedicate half an hour a day (if pssible) to play only barre hoping to see some results....
The same goes for power-chords which are essential to play rock tunes..my first approaches are not terrific but I hope that with a costant excercise I'll finally get them...
Could anyone suggest me some specific excercises to learn them?
Thanks
Matteo
What you're doing is perfect! Regarding that "A" shaped bar chord, think about a Gymnast or yoga. Your joints will limber up with steady pressure applied for 10 second intervals. Don't over do it! press your ring finger so it bends back flat against a table for a 10 count with easy steady pressure. Do this a few times per day when you're not practicing and the finger will limber up. Real fretboard practice is the best, but you can practice finger yoga anywhere :P
PK
My dad's finger literally bends backwards now.. it looks like its a second joint, (but it certainly isn't).
Mine however, still lies a little flat, but its starting to bend.
It may hurt... well, I say hurt, but I actually mean feel uncomfortable... after a while - it will limber (just like pkrider said).
Again, you can practice "finger yoga" anywhere, touch the tip of your "ring finger" on the tip of your thumb and push.... not hard, just so it keeps that shape!
Good luck and you'll get there (I certainly am!)
//--Amnesia--
Gutiars: Sheraton II | Yamaha APX-7A | Taylor 510CE-LTD
Equipment: Hiwatt 40 Amp | Switch Pedal | Zoom 200 FX Pedal
Piano: Roland 236
Hi first of all
thanks for your suggestions, expecially the ring excercise. It seems to work since yesterday I took the guitar off after three days (I was out of town for the week-end) and all of sudden my barre chords were better, also the A-shape ones. The dsame goes for power chords...I'll keep on praticing
Matteo
just a silly notation. Last sunday I played with a friend (he ia a bass player in a band but can also play guitar...) and after a while he lent me his acoustic guitar (I have a very cheap classsic one). All of sudden barre chords went ok since it is a lot easier to play them with an acoustic or electric guitar..I'll keep on trying with the classic guitar but also start to think to buy an acoustic...
Matteo
Matteo, most acoustic and electric guitars have a 'fretboard radius' - it's not flat, but curved a bit. This makes barre chords easier, especially the A-form barre.
Classical guitars are almost all built without any radius - the fretboards are perfectly flat. That's because the techniques are a bit different... steel string emphasizes chords, while classical emphasizes pairs of notes (counterpoint), and each building style is designed around the required technique.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Hi Npoteboat
thanks for the kind explanation, in my ignorance I only noticed that acoustic guitars have a thinner neck and so I tought that it was easier to play barre-chords because of the thinnest neck, not noticed the different shape ...just a quick question: what does it mean "pairs of notes (counterpoint)"? Has it something to deal with the pinch technique when you play two strings at a time? sorry for the silly question but i'm not english mother tongue...:-)
Matteo
Yeah, pinch technique is one way.
On acoustic/electric guitars, you play either single notes, chords, or double stops (two notes on adjacent strings). On classical guitar, you have one or more melodies going on at the same time, which means you often have two (or more) notes on non-adjacent strings. They might be pinched, or you might do two with fingers, using I-M, I-A, or M-A. Depends on where they fall on the neck, and how the lines are moving.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Don't know if this will help Matteo but here it is anyway
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=291&d=1134106056
and this is handy to have also ( I have found )
http://www.guitarnotes.com/chordgen/
and last but not least here is a short cut to a post I started ages ago Wes typed out just about everything one needs to play Barre chords
https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19315
Hope I have been helpful mate
hilch :?:
Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am
Barre chords are really hard. I haven't dived into them too heavily yet but I've tried them out and the one where you have to hold down all the strings with your index finger just does not work for me at all yet.
Don't know if this will help Matteo but here it is anyway
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=291&d=1134106056
and this is handy to have also ( I have found )
http://www.guitarnotes.com/chordgen/
and last but not least here is a short cut to a post I started ages ago Wes typed out just about everything one needs to play Barre chords
https://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=19315
Hope I have been helpful mate
hilch :?:
hi hilch thanks a lot you gave me some phantastic sites to explore! There are som many fingesr-style lessons to keep me emplyed for years to come!
By the way I never tought that you were in your forties...I'm 34 and I play since one year an half, trying to teach myself...so we could say we're in the same boat :)
Happy easter to everyone
Matteo
I 'm glad I was able to help someone for a change :lol: :lol:
Here is to you as good as you are
And here is to me as bad as I am
As good as you are and as bad as I am
I'm as good as you are as bad as I am
Add scales and rythm and I'M ON BOARD!!!!
"Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven beside you. Hell within." -Jerry Cantrell
Matteo,
Now maybe I can help you since you've helped me out PLENTY! Here is a site on Acoustic Guitar.com that has helped me to learn Power Chords. Since starting Paranoid by Black Sabbath I wanted to learn power chords since there are a TON of my favorite songs that use them.
I hope this helps!
