• From: buxton
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 19

Topic: barre chords. help im awful

anybody got any little tricks or routines picked up from their teachers when it comes to practicing barre chords. im completely useless after a long time practicing and think i need to review my whole practice session especially when it comes to the switching and changing barres in general. im self taught which doesnt help either. in fact any little routines that have caused mass inprovement to others would be greatly apreciated if anybodys got any
cheers all

all you need in life are shoes and a guitar
  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: barre chords. help im awful

noise there are no shortcuts but there are gutiar tutorials (videos) that can make it easier for you to learn practice and pickup some pointers from videos good luck

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: Utah, USA
  • Registered: 2007-11-26
  • Posts: 15

Re: barre chords. help im awful

I have been playing 4 months now, just last night I was able to hit barred F with some consistancy.  I have been intensionally learning songs with F and B in them to 'force' myself to get comfortable with barring.  I also like to change the key of a simple song I already know with chords G, A and D, (easily done on Chordie) and practice playing it in F, G and C, complicating a simple song (for me) I already know and play well, just adds more of a challenge to an otherwise easy song.

  • From: Central Flatland
  • Registered: 2007-05-30
  • Posts: 223

Re: barre chords. help im awful

See my post here:  http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic. … 69&p=2 for how I did it.  It works, but I still have to think about it.

Good luck, and keep practicing.

"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
                              --David St. Hubbins
  • etc_04
  • Senior Member
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  • From: OHIO
  • Registered: 2007-07-25
  • Posts: 204

Re: barre chords. help im awful

on youtube the great teacher Justin Sandercoe has a video segment on barre chords.

when you first start, practice them higher up the neck (closer to the body of the guitar)

You have to forget about what other people say; when you're supposed to die, when you're supposed to be lovin'. You have to forget about all these things. You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.
                                                        -James Marshall Hendrix
  • From: Utah, USA
  • Registered: 2007-11-26
  • Posts: 15

Re: barre chords. help im awful

dguyton

I tried it and like it.  Much less fatigue.  Thanks!

  • From: Central Flatland
  • Registered: 2007-05-30
  • Posts: 223

Re: barre chords. help im awful

Glad it helped.  Keep rockin'.

"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
                              --David St. Hubbins
  • NELA
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
  • Registered: 2007-11-28
  • Posts: 1,303

Re: barre chords. help im awful

Find you a good slow song where you can use barre chords and play along. A good song for me is "My Last Date" as sung by Skeeter Davis. It's 3/4 timing and the chords are "C" ... F ... G....


Nela

NELA's Website

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: barre chords. help im awful

Good posture, plan ahead, practice.

Still won't help with B chord, though.  It's just evil.

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: barre chords. help im awful

B chord good B chord friend me love B

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • etc_04
  • Senior Member
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  • From: OHIO
  • Registered: 2007-07-25
  • Posts: 204

Re: barre chords. help im awful

Zurf,

   I rank the B chord slightly below castration on my scale of most evil things on this earth

You have to forget about what other people say; when you're supposed to die, when you're supposed to be lovin'. You have to forget about all these things. You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.
                                                        -James Marshall Hendrix
  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: barre chords. help im awful

Because of the sudden and forceful introduction of a 24 oz framing hammer to the top knuckle of my left ring finger, it just doesn't bend the way it needs to to make a two-finger B.  I suppose there are some mutants out there who love B (sorry, Russell) or some folks whose knuckles remain unacquainted with construction equipment who can finger that chord (but I cannot imagine there being any true affection), but so far as I'm concerned, it's flat out evil. 

Etc_04, the only thing that I would add to your statement is "forced" and "unanesthestized".  You can figure out where those words go in the sentence on your own.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • NELA
  • Honoured Member
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  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
  • Registered: 2007-11-28
  • Posts: 1,303

Re: barre chords. help im awful

My problem with the "B" chord (or any "A" shaped barre) is once I make tha chord I cannot get back to the next chord quickly. I don't have any problem in making the chord or getting it to sound right it just getting to nthe next dhord in the progression. So - I kinda / sorta cheat and use a "B7" any place that has a "B" chord.

Nela

NELA's Website

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,863

Re: barre chords. help im awful

zurf you may be right about my being a mutant i dont have any problems with any chord thats what 8 hrs a day practice will do to you turn you into a mutant i dont have to practice a whole lot i spend my time just pickin what I have learned and recording the results of past years of practice torture i can play whatever run or chord progression i wish,this aint bragging all us mutants have this ability long live the "mutants"

Zurf wrote:

Because of the sudden and forceful introduction of a 24 oz framing hammer to the top knuckle of my left ring finger, it just doesn't bend the way it needs to to make a two-finger B.  I suppose there are some mutants out there who love B (sorry, Russell) or some folks whose knuckles remain unacquainted with construction equipment who can finger that chord (but I cannot imagine there being any true affection), but so far as I'm concerned, it's flat out evil. 

Etc_04, the only thing that I would add to your statement is "forced" and "unanesthestized".  You can figure out where those words go in the sentence on your own.

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: Cincinnati, OH
  • Registered: 2007-07-16
  • Posts: 282

Re: barre chords. help im awful

My answer for the B chord?  Just use the E shape and play it at the 7th fret--no need to rebend 'nuthin.

And NELA I cheet all the time when the B is involved--songs that go E B A, I wind up playing the E the way everyone does, just putting my pinky finger down...what would that be, the G string? and sliding those two down to 4 and barring the second fret (is that a Bsus?), and then just sliding back for the A.

  • Registered: 2007-11-23
  • Posts: 12

Re: barre chords. help im awful

there is no other answer but practice.
a lot. often.