Barre Chord SOS

Techniques, licks, tabs, chords, tutorials
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LittleLemonJohnson21
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Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:14 am

Barre Chord SOS

Post by LittleLemonJohnson21 »

From all the things i need need help with, I think that barre chords is what's has been giving me the most grief. No matter how i can place my left hand, I couldn't seem to grasp the consent on how to strum a barre chord without muffling a string. At one point of practice, i was considering not using barre chords all together, but barre is part of the basics of guitar and i can't just skip it all together, especially in the blues. I would believe that because i have large hands, i would have to find something that would work for me that isn't conventional in guitar. My question to everybody on 12bar is what would they suggest that i could do or what have worked for everybody else with the same problem that I am having. I'm open for all suggestions because I am out of ideas. :icon_whoknows:
Little Lemon Johnson
"Everybody get the blues. Even babies get the blues"
quote from Andre 3000
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VikingBlues
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by VikingBlues »

First of all I wouldn't worry about having diffiulty with barre chards - particularly (if my momories correct) with saiying in your introductory thread that you've just been playing since April. Pretty well everyone has this problem with getting to grips with barre chords. There are also lots of hints and tips around via google or YouTube or on forum threads based on what various players found useful. If a particular hint or tip doesn't work for you don't worry - just look for another idea - that might work better.

While there is undeniably a difficulty all players have early on with getting barre chord sto work, there are also aspects about your guitar that can also make the barre more difficult. If the action of the guitar is a bit high (height of strings above the fretboard) or if the gauge of the strings is one of the heavier gauges then barres will become much trickier. I've always found barres on acoustic guitars trickier than electrics.

There's a set of 4 video lessons on YouTube by Justin Sandercoe about barre chords which you might find of use. There's some dealing with what the barre chord is BUT there is also some dealing with tips for getting the barre strong and all the notes clear. Here is a link to the first video.
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Copy and paste "Basic Barré Chords" into teh YouTube search box and you'll easily find lessons 2, 3 and 4. Hope this helps. :fingerscrossed:

Good luck! :thumbsup:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
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LittleLemonJohnson21
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by LittleLemonJohnson21 »

:dance: Thank you for the link. My barre chords are sounding better already. Their just little tweaks here and there like me not being able to get a good hold on the second string but other than that, it sounds a lot better than before. :guitarist:
Little Lemon Johnson
"Everybody get the blues. Even babies get the blues"
quote from Andre 3000
MichaelRobinson
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by MichaelRobinson »

I just want to add there is a special technic to grip the neck. The thum is crusial. The best way is to hold youre thum on the back off the neck in order to get pressure on youre other fingers. The angel you hold youre guitar comperd to youre body is allso a hint. Lift up the guitar neck a bit and youre fingers easy fall on place.

Hint. Study classic guitar player how they hold the guitar. The neck is pointing upwards and the guitar is hold high to the chest. This technic make it much easyer to play barre chords.

Here is a lesson in barre chords: http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/barre-chord-starter/#
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weelie
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by weelie »

Very good points there from the guys.

I have always had a problem with the Em-shaped barre chord, because the note on the G-string gets easily muffled. So it then doesn't sound minor anymore. Nobody else actually ever noticed this, I think.

The F-barre might be the toughest thing for a beginner to learn. Better to practice a couple of frets higher up the neck. Playing a song of all barres was very tiring for my hands for years, but some band practice fixed that. Anyway, when you practice, remember that staying relaxed is the key to learning, so play slow and stop when it hurts or hand starts to lock up.

But when you know it and can play it, you might also realize that muting strings is sometimes also good/better (on electric guitar at least) and for blues the barre chords may not have best sound (B7 or C7 sound the best to me, up the neck too, and those don't require a barre). Also when you play both licks and chords, I think playing "thumbover style" works better (does Jimi hendrix play barres? I would assume he does not) than barre. So thumb frets the 6 string, and mutes fifth etc.
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LittleLemonJohnson21
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by LittleLemonJohnson21 »

What i remember reading is that he did thumb over also. I tried that myself, i couldn't get it to work correctly for me. I'm thinking that with how I'm practicing blues with rock guitar, I could use mostly power chords when i play the blues because it give me that sound that i like of rock with the blues and emotion that i like so much. But their will still be intervals of music which I would need bar chords. That's why I cant forget about the bar chords all together. But im still working on it. Practice make me better than I was before. But i think I will always have the problem with bar chords, for some reason, its only the B string.
Little Lemon Johnson
"Everybody get the blues. Even babies get the blues"
quote from Andre 3000
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weelie
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by weelie »

Barres sure are a part of guitar playing. You need that tool in your trick bag. You will get better at them, it's just a tough nut to crack, can take months.

For E-shaped barre you don't really need the B-string anyway, to make the complete chord (same note on already fretted on the A string), but if you do pick the string, for fingerstyle comping, it of course needs to be fretted . For A shaped barre, you have the minor/major-defining note on the B-string, so you need it (BUT it's not fretted by the bar, unless you play sus2). I often play that major chord (for ex. B major) with just two fingers, on barring all five strings and the other two frets up barring three (2.-4.) and muting the high e-string
Last edited by weelie on Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
kiwiclapton
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by kiwiclapton »

It took me years, to Barre - Hang in there bro!
In the name of God, Eric Clapton and the Slowhand, Amen.
kiwiclapton
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by kiwiclapton »

And one more bit of info, you don't have to have all the strings ringing pure and unhindered. I think thats a trap for the beginner! Get your shape going where you need to chord and the nut will crack.
In the name of God, Eric Clapton and the Slowhand, Amen.
Toriginal
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Re: Barre Chord SOS

Post by Toriginal »

I have avoided barre chords for about 40 years and left my guitar sit for years at a time due to my frustration trying to learn it on my own.
About a month ago someone mentioned Barre chords and the "Caged" chord system.
I did an internet search on "Caged Chord Theory".
I checked out all the links and weeded the good ones from the bad ones and then printed up about 50 pages from various web sites.
The I placed the pile of paper at my favourite reading place *flush* and read and re-read until I grased the concept.
I then sat down and And figured out the basic "Caged Chords" for the Major and Minor natural keys.
I could post those chords (working on 7th chords now) but the sifting through it all and figuring it out myself is what turned the light on.
Then I tried it out using a 12 bar pattern in A.
I used An E type barre chord (caged) barred at the fifth fret (That's an A chord) and an A style barre chord at the 5th and 7th frets for the IV and V (D and E actually).
Then in an effort to be able to sloo or arpeggio over something higher up on the neck I went on to use the D style barre chord at the 7th fret (An "A") and then a G style Barre chord at the seventh and ninth fret for the IV and V (D and E actually).
Now, I don't know a whole lot about a whole lot but "Caged" gave me an understanding and incentive to work my barre chords.
After reading everything multiple times and finally wrapping my head around the concept, I suddenly found myself one morning automatically picking the e style Barre chord instead of the usual open A. I stopped and relished in the revelation.
So anyway I started off figuring everything out and suddenly I had incentive, motivation and a profound revelation. The rest is practice I guess which I do daily.
Here is an example of the above mentioned chords. There may be mistakes since I did this on my own note for note, tab for tab, chord diagram for chord diagram. In one day I gained 75 chords and they just keep multiplying.
The whole thing makes ity alot easier than running up and down the neck for the I IV V (using say an E style barre chord at the 5th 10th fret and 12th (A,D,E) and it opens up so many possibilities that it is astounding. It can keep the chords all close together on the neck. Changing to higher or lower forms helps th emusic vary and gives new ground for accompaniment and soloing. It's just plain all good.
First position in A example of Caged.

Image

So now if I move it a bit higher up the neck (higher in pitch) I used:

Image

The possibilities are endless and the biggest boost is when you finally get it. It's a bit wierd but it suddenly becomes clear over time.
Well worth the search and the read and the practice.
"Caged" is just the order of the positions in "caged" the first position is actually often referred to as E so really E,D,C,A,G describes it better but Caged is easier to remember I guess referring to the order only.
"Caged" gives a head start and a big boost in incentive and motivation although it's success is based on learning the fretboard, practicing and using your mddle, ring and baby fingers to make the chord pattern and using the index finger as the barre.
So first one has to master the open C, A, G, E, D chords using the middle, ring and baby finger. Then you're ready to start applying the positions and the barre.
Search, read and enjoy as I am. Now to strengthen my Barre. Incentivative, motivation and practice. It's well worth a look see.
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