Topic: bar chords
does anyone know an easyer way to play bar chords? ive have my guitar for about 5 or 6 years but then i quit playing it but i just started playiing again so im sort of relearning again
VEGAN MUFFINS
- Zurf
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Re: bar chords
Good posture, finger strength exercises, push your wrist forward to allow your index finger a better point of leverage, and practice. That's all I know about it. And that the B chord is evil.
- Zurf
Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
Re: bar chords
thanks soooo much
VEGAN MUFFINS
Re: bar chords
It took me years to master a barre chord and now i can just play the BM. I found the set up on my new guitar made a lot of difference other wise i think i may have nailed them sooner, who knows! Its not until i got my new guitar i realized how hard the old one was to play.
Re: bar chords
Barre chords seem to be a major stumbling block to most beginners. First, make sure that your guitar does not need an action adjustment.
Many guitars are delivered with a rather high action, the manufacturer figuring that experienced players will make adjustments to suit them.
This leaves many inexperienced players with sore fingers because they have no idea how to have the action adjusted.
Secondly, analyze what's going wrong. finger a simple major chord, and play each string separately. See which ones are sounding properly and which ones are not....Adjust accordingly.
Also, don't place your barre-ing finger right on top of the fret. Think of it like a capo.
Re: bar chords
Speaking of capo.....
It is often easier to do barre chords further down the neck (towards the 12th fret) where leverage is to your advantage. it requires a lot less pressure on the index finger closer to the center of the scale of the guitar, until you get enough finger strength. Practice and conditioning is the key though. It will improve with time and exercise. As you are playing you might alternate between barre chords and open chords to keep from overload, and it will help you get used to making that transition as well. If you have been playing barre chords, for instance F & G and then toss in an open C, it can be worth your life to get that index finger to bend when you want it to.... keep at it and you'll get there.
By the way, Welcome to Chordie!!
Take Care;
Doug
"what is this quintessence of dust?" - Shakespeare
Re: bar chords
Practice...that's all there is to it. There is no magic method.
I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Re: bar chords
Bike nailed it. Action has alot to do with it. Just had my newest addition worked on. Action was lowered significantly and barres are much easier. So now when I practice practice practice the barre chords I can get some to sound like they're supposed too.
Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: bar chords
well i have an acoustic guitar and its an Austin i also play chords backwards sometimes cuz im a lefty with a lefty guitar but i honestly have no claue what action is and i just rescently became able to play the F chord
VEGAN MUFFINS
Re: bar chords
Congrats on the F chord Steph. That one is the easiest I think, so it gets harder from here.
Action refers to the distance between the strings and frets. High action means there is alot of space between the two and you need to push the strings farther to contact the frets. High action makes a guitar more difficult to play. So low action is just the opposite. The strings are closer to the frets. Less distance to push the strings, less hard on your fingers, and faster chord changes. If you take your guitar to a good luthier he will be able to set it up for you.
Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: bar chords
Stephanie337, now that you feel that you have mastered the "F" chord try to find songs in the key of "C" and play them for practice. In the key of "C" your chord progression will be C, F and G.
It is very easy (with practice) to go from a C chord to an F chord. The G chord will be exactly the same as the F chord just played 2 frets further up the neck.
nela
Re: bar chords
thanks everyone
VEGAN MUFFINS
Re: bar chords
i just looked at my guitar and my strings are pretty close to the frets
VEGAN MUFFINS
Re: bar chords
Others will chime in if i get this wrong!!!!
Hold down the 6th string at the 1st and 12th fret. Look at the string at the 6th fret. You should have about .005 (5 thousandths of an inch). A piece of 24# or 28# printer paper should fit in between the fret and string. That's what my set up guys tells me.
Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: bar chords
zuitar, that's a test for the proper bowing on the neck, Capo at the first fret, hold down the fret where the neck meets the body, usually 12 or 14 for acoustics. personally I would use a .010 feeler gauge, but if .005 works for you, that's cool with me.
Too much bow will affect the action, but if bow is correct, you may need to adjust the action independently.
A good guideline for checking action is to use a machinists ruler, at the 12th fret, from the top of fret, the 6th (low) string should be at 5/64 of an inch, or 2mm and the 1st (high) at 4/64in, or 1.6mm, with the rest of the strings falling between those measurements. Of course some players may want lower or higher action depending on personal preferences and style, and heavier gauge strings can be set a touch lower.
A machinists ruler can be found at almost any hardware store, for just a few bucks.
Re: bar chords
i will try that
VEGAN MUFFINS