Barre chords can be the breaking point for many beginning guitarists. Everyone who has learned them knows that they can cause a lot of frustration and discomfort. One issue is that every guitarist’s hands and fingers are shaped a little differently, so it can be hard to nail down one specific technique that works for everyone. If you are one of those guitarists in barre chord hell, then I am here to tell you that there is la path to success! Here are some tips to help you with barre chords.

Lets start with the F barre chord in 1st position.. As we can see from this shape, we need to “bar” the high E and B strings with the index finger on the first fret. Making sure your left thumb is slightly peeking up over the guitar neck, first attempt to place the index finger down alone. Experiment with the angle required to get both notes to ring with clear, bell-like tones. Often times, a diagonal angle is a good place to begin, meaning that the middle knuckle of your index finger is under the nut (the white piece at bottom end of the head stock).

This may take some time to become comfortable but once you feel confident that you can get both notes to ring clearly, try adding the middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret. When you can get all three notes ringing clearly without having to alter the index finger position on your “bar”, try adding the ring finger on the D string at the 3rd fret. This progression of adding notes assures that you are using proper technique and building strength gradually, rather than getting frustrated by trying to play all of the chord tones from the start.

Another issue is that this F chord is barred on the first fret of your guitar, which is the most difficult place to play this shape on the guitar neck. Playing closer to the nut requires the most pressure and the frets are the furthest apart, requiring the most hand stretching. So try playing this exact shape further up the neck. I like to show students the A bar chord which is the “F-shape” with the index finger barre at the 5th fret. You’ll find this to be an easier place to start and you can move back down to the actual F chord on the first fret after you build strength and flexibility.

Speaking of this strength, it’s an essential part of physically mastering the guitar and takes time to develop. Other than practicing often and keeping these focused muscle movements active, there are some products on the market you can use to augment this development. A couple of good ones are the Varigrip and Gripmaster. These tools are designed to develop and maintain the strength and dexterity of your fingers, hands and forearms. You can use them for about 5 minutes once or twice a day outside of your guitar practice time.

Few guitarists master barre chords quickly. It can take several weeks or months to master them and feel comfortable enough to switch between them. So what’s the “secret” to mastering barre chords? Patience, and persistence. Once you do, it opens up a lot of new sonic possibilities for chords (and soloing) across the whole fretboard.

Stay focused, determined, take breaks when you need to, and have confidence. Many guitarists before you have faced the same struggles,and succeeded. You will too.

related post: The Easy Way to Perfect Guitar Chord Changes

© 2013 Brenna Method

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