IM-111 • E Shape Barre Chord Grip (Maj and Min)

[Rolandson]

The Maj Barre Chords are sounding great. Every string but I have a huge problem with he min. The G string is the problem. Doesn't matter how hard I press I don't get a sound out of it. Even when I move the finger up or down. I don't find the position.

[Jokurr]

I struggle with the G string as well.

The problem for me doesn't seem to have anything to do with the barre... it's my pinky finger, it's always muting the G string. It's definitely more of a problem on the minor shape but sometimes on the major shape as well.

Also I don't seem to have a problem if I'm low down on the fret board, ie playing an F minor chord is not a problem, but playing something like a D minor chord at the 10th fret is more or less impossible. My hand feels like it's getting squished and my pinky ends up muting the G string. Basically the higher up the fret board the worse it gets. I'm really trying to arch my pinky but it's tough.

Anyone else have this problem and have any tips for it?

[Tobsen]

@ Jokuur

Try to get your palm more parallel to the neck. This should improve the angle of your pinky and avoid muting.

[Specterer]

I've been practicing the guitar for 3 weeks now, I thought that I couldn't nail those bar chords because of my lack of strength.

but when I took a look at my finger, I noticed that my finger gets fatter the lower it is from the tip.

So, what I did was including how Justin said that need to roll it sideways, also slide it upwards and just like that, I nailed my bar chords in less than an hour trying!!

and you don't even that much strength if you slide your barre finger upwards. your flesh automatically presses those strings

HOPE THIS HELPS!!!!

[jtbrown1]

Hi guys,

Officially completed the BC (feel confident in everything I learned, and have a repertoire of about 30 songs I can play through, though most are not memorized I can refer quickly to some notes I kept to remind me of the specific techniques for each song). Note moving onto the IM course and starting my barre chords.

I can already tell I'm going to have issues in the meat between my thumb and first finger. That area is where I get tired and feel like I have to stop and rest after 5 or 10 minutes of constant barres.

I noticed no one else has mentioned this. Any solutions? Or is this just a muscle that's weak and needs to be strengthened over the next several weeks?

Thanks!

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[SiegeFrog]

I'm in the IM with you. Two things:

1. Yes, the muscle needs to get stronger. When I first started 5 minutes of bar chord practice seemed like torture. I've gotten stronger. Think weeks and months, not days.

2. As you get more experience you'll find you need to apply less pressure and therefore won't tire out the muscle so quickly.

[jtbrown1]

I'm in the IM with you. Two things:

1. Yes, the muscle needs to get stronger. When I first started 5 minutes of bar chord practice seemed like torture. I've gotten stronger. Think weeks and months, not days.

2. As you get more experience you'll find you need to apply less pressure and therefore won't tire out the muscle so quickly.

I'm very glad to hear your reply, especially number 2. I notice that when I'm first learning a new song, even with regular chords I find myself pressing down really hard. Whereas once the song is committed to memory I don't press anywhere near as hard.

I'll keep working on my barre chords and strengthen my hands over the next few weeks.

What I found funny about this is I was watching a video of Corinne Bailey Rae playing songs with her acoustic. If you know her, she's a very slight, small woman. Yet she was having no trouble on her acoustic, playing nothing but barre chords. I'm saying to myself, "if she can do it, surely I can get past the pain." Somewhat sexist, I know. But I think of it as motivation.

Thanks!

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[Rossco01]

I think you'll find a couple of people on here mentioned that part of the barre chord technique is about realising that it's less about finger strength and more about arm strength. So when you've got the barre finger down use your arm to pull the guitar towards you slightly. It is something I find naturally happening more and more now and I'm not finding I get the aching thumb/finger as much as I used to. I think Sweed77 posted a good link to an article on this some time ago. It may be useful.

[m_c]

There is an article from a guitar tutor and how he noticed a young girl he was teaching had no problem and realised it was mostly about arm strength. I can't remember the name though, but it's been linked to a few times.

Try playing Barre's without using your thumb on the back of the neck to really exaggerate the technique. I can just about manage it, but I find I need my thumb as an anchor to make rolling my index finger over easier.

[yeax]

Hi, I have a question here.

I've been playing the barre chords for around 1-2 months now. It sounds alright, I can barre the strings well, but what I've found out recently is, that when I lay down my index finger to bar the strings 1, 2 and 6, I lay it right next to the fret and when I do so, the skin/flesh at the bottom of my index fingers kind of rolls over the fret a bit, especially the low E string. Because of this the thinnest string doesn't sound out clear but makes the sound that you get when u get too close to the fret (not muted though).

I watched some pictures of people doing the E shape chords and it seems that many of those also had the bottom of the index finger way too close to the fret (rolled over it).

Should I try to move my index finger away from the fret to get the low E string sounding clean as well? Has anyone had the same problem? Thanks a lot.

[Loefgren]

Hello! I have been working a lot on the E-shape bar chords and overall they work pretty good. Still some more work to do to be able to change between open chords and bar chords quick enough to use them in songs, but i'm happy with the progress.

One problem I have though is bar chords above 6th fret (B and up), no matter how I try I can't really get these to ring out as they should. 1st and 2nd strings are usually dead. 6th fret (A#) works fine, but 7th (B) and up is the problem.

I find this a bit odd, since it is supposed to be harder to do bar chords on 1st-3rd fret. I don't have any problems with these.

Anyone who have the same experience with difficulties on the higher frets? Any idea what to do?

[Joerfe]

Hello! I have been working a lot on the E-shape bar chords and overall they work pretty good. Still some more work to do to be able to change between open chords and bar chords quick enough to use them in songs, but i'm happy with the progress.

One problem I have though is bar chords above 6th fret (B and up), no matter how I try I can't really get these to ring out as they should. 1st and 2nd strings are usually dead. 6th fret (A#) works fine, but 7th (B) and up is the problem.

I find this a bit odd, since it is supposed to be harder to do bar chords on 1st-3rd fret. I don't have any problems with these.

Anyone who have the same experience with difficulties on the higher frets? Any idea what to do?

It could be that your guitar is in need of a setup. Can you check if your guitar neck has too much front bow? Push down the 6th string (low E) at the 1st fret and at the 14th fret simultanously and check the space from the string to the fret in the middle of your hands. If you can fit a business card between the fret wire and the string it is ok.

[Loefgren]

Thanks Jesper!

I am not sure I understand though. I did the test and a credit card for sure does not fit between the fret wire and the string at the 7th fret. The action is much lower than that. Should I try to measure the distance? What would be the ideal distance roughly?

[Joerfe]

A credit card is probably too thick for this. Try a business card instead.
For adjustments and measurements take a look at this (or numerous other sources)
http://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/1014/the-12-step-guide-to-electric-and-acoustic-guitar-setup/53887


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[jono]

If you hold the string down at the 1st and 14th fret and tap on the low e string on actual 7th fret wire there should be a tiny movement, if there is no movement then the truss rod needs to be tightened. This works for me anyway.

[Loefgren]

I have checked the guitar and I think it's good. My father who is a pretty good guitarist have no problem playing bar chords on it at 7th fret. I think its all down to technique. When i move further up the neck, frets get smaller which makes it more difficult for me hold down the bar and fretting the other strings simultaneously.

I recently changed strings and I feel it made it a little easier. I'll just have to keep on practice bar chords.

[BCDC]

Hi folks. I posted this link on a different thread, but I think it is more suitable here. Has anyone seen or tried this method of playing barre chords.

http://www.guitarmetal.com/barre-chords-made-easy/

Thoughts?


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[sdd56]

@BCDC - I would agree totally with what he is saying about putting the thumb further towards the body of the guitar.

I spent weeks trying to squeeze the barre down, with my thumb either behind the index, or pointing towards the headstock. All I got was a sore thumb joint. Justin doesn't seem to mention thumb position in his barre lessons, but I'm sure a few videos on YouTube show a "pinch" between index and thumb.

Moving my thumb behind finger 2 was a revelation. I'm not sure whether I got the idea from a YouTube video, or possibly it was mentioned in the very long "dreaded F Chord" thread. Almost immediately I was able to form good chords all the way up to F on my electric, with very little pressure needed.  In effect you are forming a lever, with the force coming from the arm, not your thumb.

The other benefit is (for me) - with thumb either behind finger 1 or (worse) pointing up towards the headstock, my fingers 2,3,4 tended to collapse towards my index, which as Justin says, is bad. With thumb behind finger 2, this does not happen.

Acoustic is harder of course but I'm getting there. Now all I need to do is learn to change to other chords at a decent speed!

[plywood]

I came here to post the problems I have been having, and they are almost the exact same problems that everyone else has already mentioned! I guess the only solution is practice, practice, practice.

Right now I'm using Creep as my barre workout. I can do G no problem, B is ok-ish, C is quite flakey and Cm is mostly bad. I use the thumb-behind-2nd-finger approach, using my arm to "pivot" my index finger into the fretboard, but it gets tougher and cramped up past the 6th fret. 5 minutes ends in an aching hand at the moment. On electric it is slightly better, but not much.

[Barend]

Hi. I have an issue playing the B Barre and higher up on the neck. My left hand and arm gets close to my body and everything gets cramped up such that i loose quality on  the barre. The curve of the guitar body is over my right leg. It feels like i need alonger guitar neck. Any suggestions on how to address this.?
Tx

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[DarrellW]

Have you tried putting your guitar on your left leg classical style, I do that with my Ukuleles and smaller guitar!

[stitch101]

Play the A shape B and Bm barre chord then. Thers is really no need to play barre chords that far up the neck.
When your are more experienced at guitar and want to play that far up the neck you'll be using chord inversions,
partial barre chords and triad.

[tony6767]

Bring on the triads.

[Barend]

Play the A shape B and Bm barre chord then. Thers is really no need to play barre chords that far up the neck.
When your are more experienced at guitar and want to play that far up the neck you'll be using chord inversions,
partial barre chords and triad.

Tx. I haven't looked into the A shaped barre yet.

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[Barend]

Have you tried putting your guitar on your left leg classical style, I do that with my Ukuleles and smaller guitar!

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