Guitar chord forum - chordie — Bar chords

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (musicman01) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:15:29 +0000

yea straighting back out your wrist helps alot!!:)

also you shouldnt lay your baring finger totally flat...lean it to the side a bit!!

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (Roger Guppy) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:19:16 +0000

Hi IamSunny,

You are right in thinking that the number shown on the left hand side of the chord is the fret that it is played on. If you look you will see that they are generally the barre chords.

Roger

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (jerome.oneil) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:28:14 +0000

alansheeran wrote:

Here'a one out of left field - make sure that you are breathing when you practice - and I don't mean that you need to be alive ! Check that you aren't holding your breath during practice of the difficult parts.
In order for your muscles to recover from the pressure they are under they need oxygen.

As silly as it sounds, that is excellent advice. I've always found that I play better if I'm relaxed, too. Steady breathing helps with that.

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (IamSunny) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 06:23:08 +0000

Regarding barre chords: I copied all the charts (and what do those little numbers on the side of the grid mean, anyway? is that a fret?)listed on Chordie's resource page but where can I get something like for barre chords . . . online . . .free. . . printable? (Don't tell me to hunt them out of the chart I'm too lazy for that!) I can practice but I'd like to see and hear as well as hear V. A. T or K if you wish.

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (alansheeran) — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 08:46:44 +0000

Here'a one out of left field - make sure that you are breathing when you practice - and I don't mean that you need to be alive ! Check that you aren't holding your breath during practice of the difficult parts.

In order for your muscles to recover from the pressure they are under they need oxygen.

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (geoaguiar) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:03:12 +0000

Echoing all above...practice, practice, practice

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (bonedaddy) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:47:33 +0000

Definitely practice! You could also build up finger strength by making the barre chord on whichever fret, press down, strum, release, press down, strum etc. I'm sure there is a name for this technique but I have no idea what it is!

Enjoy and practice

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (Backagain61) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:40:11 +0000

I agree with Frank...Make an "E" chord using just your middle, ring and pinky and just slide down to whatever chord you want next..This is exactly the way I learned years ago and still play this way...However, there are going to be times when a "regular" chord sounds much better in a song than, lets say a two finger "D" chord. A great exercise to make a chord change from a regular chord, for me anyway, was from the regular "D" to a barre "A". I use to just finger the chord and change to the A without strumming over and over until I felt it was smooth...Like everyone else has said..practice, practice and practice. When you think you got...practice somemore..

Goof Luck!

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (Kahuna) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:34:59 +0000

Strengthening your left hand (grip) would also help with barre chords. Those spring hand exercisers work wonders! Just squeeze it about 30 minutes a day will reduce the cramps. Then, as others have said...practice, practice, practice!

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (25Frankster) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:30:40 +0000

Zurf is all over this one, practice, practice, practice.
Very important to keep your thumb on back of the neck, so you're not just pressing with your index finger, you're pinching the neck between your thumb and finger.
On the lower frets, I tend to "roll" my index finger a bit and it makes a bit of a "C" shape"...I just seem to get a more complete barre. When I get north of the fifth fret, it seems to straighten out. Don't know if this is text book proper, but it works for me.
Did I mention you should practice? Try making an E with your middle, ring, and pinky fingers. Then just slide it down a fret, and throw your index finger across the first fret for an F. Then move the whole thing up so the barre is across the third fret (that's a G), and then move it up to the fifth fret for an A. If you want to go really crazy, move it up to the 7th position for a B!
Oh, I almost forgot....practice.
Good Luck!
Frank

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (Zurf) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:52:04 +0000

I'm finally getting barre chords to a point where it takes less than the better part of an evening to play one.

I used advice from this site to start getting them. First, practice them over and over and over and over. Practicing getting to them and away from them to the next chord. Practice using them in a song with a metronome. Second, be sure you have good posture and that your thumb is on the back of the neck where it belongs rather than wrapped up around the neck. Also, stick your wrist out. Third, finger strength. Use a stress ball or other finger conditioner to get more finger strength.

Practice
Posture
P-strength

- Zurf

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (smart_deedee) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 02:18:53 +0000

Yeah...that's the hardest part...the pressure. And the fingers well, I'm not too old but my fingers are little so is still hard to hit the barre chords (sorry I wrote it wrong...my bad).

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (kayharley) — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:42:39 +0000

Oh...those nasty barre chords!
I'm able to get my fingers in the right place but to apply the correct amount of pressure to get the sound...that's another story.
The older I get, the smaller my fingers get!

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (smart_deedee) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 06:02:06 +0000

Thanks for the advice...I'll get on to practicing.

Re: Bar chords

null@example.com (topdown) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:26:14 +0000

Hi smart deedee and welcome to chordie.

I have found the below links helpful in learning / practicing my barre chords. Hope they help!

http://www.justinguitar.com/html/chords_scales.html

http://www.betterguitar.com/instruction … rds_1.html