• Registered: 2010-10-17
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Barre Chords

I have been playing for about two months and can play the open chords A  B C D E F G  and their minors and sus's and 7's. I pretty much can play so they sound clean & ring true.  I've started learning to play barre/power chords and have what  I perceive an unusual circumstance. They sound pretty good and ring clear on the upper frets i.e. F G A etc. and absolutely horrible down the frets B C D. What puzzles me is I thought the difficulty would be the opposite. Oviously the finger spread on the upper frets is far more than those down the fret board. Anyone have any idea what I'm doing wrong. Is my fingering or wrist angle or both. Thanks

Paul

  • arkady
  • arkady
  • ambient moderator
  • Offline
  • From: England
  • Registered: 2006-11-23
  • Posts: 2,147

Re: Barre Chords

Hi plind68
Welcome to Chordie.
Only two months on your guitar jouney and barring reasonably well sounds like you are not doing a lot wrong. The only thing I can suggest is to practice as much as you can and build up hand/ finger strength and accuracy within a month or so you should have it all nailed...
ark

  • Registered: 2010-10-17
  • Posts: 3

Re: Barre Chords

Thanks ark. I'm retired and have loads of time to practice and  I do about 3hrs a day or more.  So practice it will be....again thanks.

Paul

  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: Barre Chords

why do you call the frets FG and A. the strings are called EADGBE.

I'm confused as to what strings (or frets) are troubling  you

no matter. try barring and make the chord ring to check the notes aren't muted. rest your hand regularly.

johncross21's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: Barre Chords

Hi Paul and welcome to Chordie.

If the action of your guitar is not good then fingering barre chords at the lower end (F, F#, G etc) will be easier than playing at the higher end (C. C#, D etc). This could be the reason for your difficulty. (By action I mean the height of the strings from the frets).

Roger

BTW you are confusing up/down and higher/ lower on your guitar. These words relate to musical pitch and not to the physical position.

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • Registered: 2010-10-17
  • Posts: 3

Re: Barre Chords

Thanks John & Roger. Perhaps I didn't phrase it correctly John. I meant the Root note F G A or frets 1,3, & 5. When I continue playing barre chords on frets 7, 8, 9 is my problem. Also Roger I just bought a  new Gibson SG and they went over the entire guitar and checked and made few minor adjustments and I watched him check down the fret board relative to the string height to the frets. Thanks guys I appreciate your response and input.

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,205

Re: Barre Chords

Right then Paul, then if the guitar is set up OK it is down to those three words which get repeated many times on Chordie "Practice", "Practice" and then some more "Practice" wink.

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Barre Chords

Yep, Practice is it.
I didn't get barre chords for a full year because I kept looking for a shortcut instead of listening to the sage advice here.
After I buckled down and just practiced and did hand strengthening exercises (Squeezing a tennisball and then a blue handball when strong enough) I had barre chords licked!

Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website