Songs to Practice Barre Chord Changes? (Page 1 of 2)

Just play any song  that uses G, D, C but play them as barre chords instead.

Regards to your Bm question, keep your strumming going in the right hand and do a left hand mute while you're switching chords or just hit the open strings. It will add texture but as long as you fret the chord solidly it will sound fine. Check this out here at about the 55 second mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lyw1mte … ature=plcp

As I move from G/B to C I pull all my fingers off the strings and just hit a bunch of open strings. It doesn't really ring as a chord, just sounds like percussive noise. 

This guy is a master of this technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEVE8l8fYUk  You can see him do it at 2.39, 2.44, and 3.04 repeatedly through the end of the solo. Works just as well on acoustic if you do it right.

If you don't like the way that sounds, lay the barre down first and then hammer on the rest of the chord Or if you're having problem with your pinkie finger, just leave that up and play the chord as a Bm7.

Or if it's easier play it up at the 7th fret as an Em barre chord.

ORRRRR depending upon the song you can probably substitute a G/B for the Bm chord.

After a couple of YEARS of steady practice, I'm finally starting to nail my barre chords pretty well.  Here are a few songs that I practice with:
>  Creep / The Air that Breathe:  G  B  C  Cm  G  (all barres)
>  I'm Not in Love:  A  Am  Abm  Ab7  C#m  C#m7 (x2), then A, F#m,  B  then an open E
>  That Thing You Do (lots of barres in this one)
>  Sister Golden Hair

As BGD said, take any song and play your open chords as barres.  You can even go so far as to play your open E with fingers 2-4 and your open A as a 3rd finger barre.  Lay your index finger across the strings between the nut and the tuning pegs so that it feels like a barre.

Above all, keep at it.  It will take some time (years in my case), but it will eventually feel natural.

Yes and yes.  Topdown's rule #1:  If it sounds good, it IS good.

Oh yeah.  When I'm playing, I still occasionally fake a Bm with xx4432, a Bb as xx3331 or play a "small F" (xx3211).  (Those forms work all the way up the neck, by the way, just like barres do.)

When I'm practicing, I usually force myself to do the full barre.  Speed comes with practice.

You are starting to see the different variations surface.  Everything is fair if it sounds good.

Any song can be played with barre chords. If you know the chords and know your fingering for the barre's then you can play it. Guaranteed.

The fret an open E leaving your index finger free. slide to the next fret and barre the first fret with your index. Now you have an F. Now slide the whole thing down in fret and you have an Fm. One more fret and you have G. A is with the index finger across the fifth fret and so on. The flat chords are in between.

Next fret an open Am leaving your index finger free. Now slide one fret over and barre the first fret. Now you have Bm. slide one fret over and remove index finger leaving ring and pinky on strings and hyou have a Cm. Two frets over is a Dm.

B is kinda hard but if you mute the last string you can pull it off. Just play the 2-6th strings. Slide one fret over and you have C. Two more frets over (5th fret) you get D and so on. Flat chord voicings are in between.

Now all you have to learn is going from the Majors to the minors and that is all just finger placement. It is easy going from G to C and A to D as all you do is lay your ring finger across the proper strings, pick up the middle and pinky finger and you have now done the chord change.

Just takes some practice but, for me, changing barre chords is easier that open chords as you often only have to slide up and down the fret board with minor position changes of your fingers. I can play most songs either open or barre and I find if I want a deeper tone I use the barre chords.

Wow! I'm so grateful for everyone's input. I've got a lot of things to practice now--you guys are so generous with your time and knowlege and I really appreciate it. I hope that someday I'll get the chance to give to others what you've shared with me.

Great song to barre! My brother insists on using a capo on this song so he can play open chords. I just barre my way through it. MB, the song is:Bm, F#, A, E, G, D, Em, F# for the verses and G, D, F#, Bm for the first part of the chorus and then G, D, Em, F# for the second part of the chorus. As you can see the only open chords would be Em and E but the fingering slides right into a barre as you progress to the other chords.

Nice choice dino!

Thanks for the suggestion on "Hotel California" -- I'm loving that Bm to F# and Em to F#. Good practice song!

I play open and barre chords but I have had to improvise. I have Dupuytren's contracture in my left hand affecting my ring finger. It's bent about 70 degrees. It's ok, I just need to warm up longer. I have had to give up on the rock beat, alternating A6 A7 chords because of my stretching ability [ or lack of ] I warm up with the chords B E A D G C F  then B7 E7 A7 D7 G7 C7 F7 and the same with the minors and minor 7ths. I can't lay my index finger flat so I use the tip on strings 5 or 6.

Thanks for the suggestion, Guitarpix--you're video of the song was really helpful!

Tommy Twotone..   "Jenny Jenny"    Two barres and two open chords..

"Who can I turn to"   

Badeye   

Thanks for the additional suggestions!