My Barre Chord Blues

[BeginnerBob]

With a little help from my friends (posts on this forum) I am making progress on those barre chords. Thought I'd post a progress update on the good, bad and ugly.

From all the posts I learned each person and guitar might need a little different technique. So it was going to take some trial and error - probably lots of errors!

Using fairly light pressure I was able to get good sound on strings 4, 5, 6 with my finger tip. I was trying the idea of just doing the index finger first. So more pressure wasn't the answer.

Then moving that index finger to cover more of the 6th string and also rotated more to the side. I found string 2 started to sing. With more of these adjustments I was able to get all 6 strings to sound!

With great anticipation I put down the major chord shape and WOW! Actually sounded like a chord. Not perfect but good.

Still very slow moving fret to fret. Still don't have the minor and 7th chord shapes working - but a little progress gives me hope.

Also taking the advice to practice these barre chords just 5 or 10 minutes at a time. 

Feeling better with the improvement but enough struggle to keep me hearing those barre chord blues!

 

[artyman]

Percy Verance is the answer  We've all been there, after the F barre chord my next nightmare was B7 now I don't think about it, before long you will be in the same position and wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[sdbrit68]

Its funny, I struggle with the little chords, I spent a ton of time last year practicing barre chords as I thought that wsa the ultimate mountain top.

every morning I would use the 4 basic shapes, and play a chord 5 times from each, same at night.

Worked for me, not perfect, but they don't give me anxiety anymore. I also used the song knock on wood to practice

 

[BeginnerBob]

Quick update (and trying out the new Forum) - With some regular practice on those barre chords I am making progress, although not as quickly as I'd like it is in the right direction. More of the chords are sounding, though I am still slowing moving from chord to chord.

Meanwhile, I've started working on the Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed course!

 

[HotLks]

Nice! The devil is in the details Beginner Bob!

 

[Fingerlick]

I'm gonna jump in here with a note about my difficulty. I have rheumatoid arthritis in my left hand so the mini chords help me a great deal. Try as I might, I cannot get my hand in position to make a decent barre with my index finger. I have adapted by bringing my thumb up and fretting the low strings and using my index finger to fret the high strings. It's not ideal and it looks like I've got a death grip on the neck, but I am able to get a clean six string strum. I almost gave up when I encountered this as it is quite painful and playing guitar is supposed to be fun. I kept at it and I'm encouraged again.

 

[Timothy W. Cook]

I have adapted by bringing my thumb up and fretting the low strings and using my index finger to fret the high strings. It's not ideal and it looks like I've got a death grip on the neck, but I am able to get a clean six string strum.

Whatever works for you.

The thumb over the top is not all that uncommon. You are in pretty company actually. ;-)

 

[Thatman]

Percy Verance is the answer We've all been there, after the F barre chord my next nightmare was B7 now I don't think about it, before long you will be in the same position and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Yep, Percy's been helping me too, he sure does get about.

 

[sdbrit68]

Percy Verance is the answer We've all been there, after the F barre chord my next nightmare was B7 now I don't think about it, before long you will be in the same position and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Whats funny, for me, the b7th I found easy...and most 6th string 7th barre chords, not too difficult, but a 6th string major chord, I struggle with, and a 6th string minor is hard..................dont get me started on the c7th

 

[Thatman]

Yes those 7th with he root on the B string can be tricky to drop onto with all your fingers but sometimes I just use the three finger D shape configuration with the ADG strings as is shown in the BGU V2 Tore Down Example.