Barre Chords

[Griff]

I just want to chime in with the fact that barre chords are more about memorization than execution for a loooong time.

If you can understand how they work, how to move them, and where you would use which shape for which chord, you are pretty much there.

It may take months for you to be able to just put your fingers down and grab the chord. From a technical standpoint I think most of us would agree that barre chords are probably the single hardest thing to do... ever. I can't think of any other technique you'll ever have to learn that will give you as much of a challenge.

So my philosophy is to ignore it and move on. If you know where your fingers are supposed to go and you can get them there but the chord just sounds bad, pretend like it was perfect and keep playing.

What you'll find is that one day it will sound perfect whether or not you work at it. At some point your fingers figure out all the complex and minute little movements they need to make and the barre chord will sound (and the heavens may part and the angels may sing a little too

I know that's how it went for me, and for many of my students over the years it just worked one day. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Griff

 

[Russ]

My chords (INHO) are starting to sound pretty nice. I had to read twice about not caring what they sound like. I thought, "what if your ears get used to the sound like they get used to the bad timing between chords?" Then I realized that my chords just started sounding good a little while ago. "Griff must know what he's talking about." 

 

[MikeS]

My chords (INHO) are starting to sound pretty nice. I had to read twice about not caring what they sound like. I thought, "what if your ears get used to the sound like they get used to the bad timing between chords?" Then I realized that my chords just started sounding good a little while ago. "Griff must know what he's talking about." 

We all keep coming back to that conclusion don't we. LOL

 

[Lame_Pinkey]

I just want to chime in with the fact that barre chords are more about memorization than execution for a loooong time.

If you can understand how they work, how to move them, and where you would use which shape for which chord, you are pretty much there.

It may take months for you to be able to just put your fingers down and grab the chord. [glow=yellow,2,300]From a technical standpoint I think most of us would agree that barre chords are probably the single hardest thing to do... ever. [/glow]I can't think of any other technique you'll ever have to learn that will give you as much of a challenge.

So my philosophy is to ignore it and move on. If you know where your fingers are supposed to go and you can get them there but the chord just sounds bad, pretend like it was perfect and keep playing.

What you'll find is that one day it will sound perfect whether or not you work at it. At some point your fingers figure out all the complex and minute little movements they need to make and the barre chord will sound (and the heavens may part and the angels may sing a little too

I know that's how it went for me, and for many of my students over the years it just worked one day. Don't beat yourself up over it.

Griff

I'm not so sure about that Griff & it maybe different for everybody but I took about 1-2 months to learn & be able to move (reasonably well) the E shape barre chord , when I 1st started playing & probably took 5-6 months to get the A shape down ...then I was off to the races !
In late 2010 I started with a few of these jazz chord thingies - now here is a can of worms that should never be opened !
Some chords I didn't even bother as I knew I could not make that stretch in another 20 yrs of trying , others weren't so bad ( a lot of 9th & 7#9 chords but one chord was a real pain & took me about 16 months to get it & I feel like I still don't quite have it & even worse its just called a plain old 7th chord  :-?

LP