Bar Chords in 5 Minutes #1 - (a.k.a. Barre Chords)

[emoboi951]

hey how do you do the A chord with one finger? kills my finger so much :S

[1metallicalinkinpark]

@emoboi951.... ikr... it really hurts

[twisterellafell]

see guitarmanual.typepad.com/blog/ for beginning lessons! or google guitar manual blog and see first result.

[rhysninetyeightynine]

Whern theres an 'X' in a chord diagram does it mean 1) do not play that string or 2) mute the note ? someone help

[RobertWhiting]

HI - It's better not to play the note at all, but if that's difficult to do you can mute it. With practice you can make the pick come down and avoid those X'd notes.

[dvdsmlprstylr]

haha, ive been doing barre chords without realizing it!!!!!!!!!!

I don't even know chords!

[liveeviltrypios]

thought I respect the time you put to create this video, I have to say, your technique is not as good as it should be to be teaching.

There is a lot of buzz, cause your index is not properly pressing the fret on the 6th string.

Also when barring barre chords that have their root on the 5th string, you should mute the sixth string with the tip of the index finger,

Otherwise you're left with a 2nd inversion of the chord (a 6/4 as you may call it in classical harmony)

[lifestraight]

@liveeviltrypios show off!

[liveeviltrypios]

@lifestraight

Technique is very important. And very difficult to change once you learn it one way.

Call me what you want but we'll see how far you'll go if you don't care about it

[RobertWhiting]

I think it's just something you learn by working harder to bend your finger. I'm not great at it myself, so when I play a bar chord I concentrate on the making the top 5 strings sound good. If my ring finger is "bendy" enough that day, I can play the 6th string without dulling the sound. If not, I dull it and try not to strum that string so its as if that string doesn't exist.

[stzzo]

Thanks for the reply. I get the sense I'm stuck with what I have. I've tried bending that joint backwards intentionally using the other hand, and it just won't go.

[stzzo]

Apologies if this is a frequent question. When I try to do an A form with just my ring finger, it feels mechanically very difficult. Not so much a matter of strength...

I can't seem to avoid touching the 1st string with the ring finger, fretting or muting it inadvertently and throwing off the sound of the chord. Does your ring finger need to bend backwards at the first joint for this to work fully?

[darkwrath429]

ty dude thanx alot

[RobertWhiting]

THe F is one of the hardest barre chords to play because your wrist has to bend so much. I would play 5 A barre chords, then slice your hand down and play 5 F barre chords. Then go back up to A and do the whole thing again. The A is the easiest one to play because the strings bend there more. Once youre comfortable there, when you slide down to play the F it should be easier to press down all the strings.

[trousien]

yeah i get carpal tunnel everytime i try doing the f chords over and over and end taking a break for 2-3 days because of it...

[darkwrath429]

dude im atm learning the F bar chord...sometimes i get it right but sometimes distrotion come and i play acoustic guitar.... can u help me in positioning or any tips?

[yinx9]

I started barchords today. Obviously, they're not ringing out clear. If I practise around 30 minutes a day, how long will it take until my fingers gained enough strength to make them ring clear?

Also, what additional finger exercizes can I do to speed up the process?

[RobertWhiting]

I recommend practising on an electric guitar with the thinnest strings possible. Later you can play an acoustic who's strings are harder to play. Practice the A chord (based on the e chord) on the 5th fret, the D chord , based on the A chord - 5th fret, and the E chord, also based on the A chord, 7th fret. These three chords have been combined in hundreds of ways to make great rock songs, like Louie Louie and WIld Thing, and Sympathy for the Devil. They are also mid neck and easily bendable.

[Purrturbed]

Thanks for the help.

[ilovecherries84]

This was a big help for me, thank you so much, i like the way you teach!

[RobertWhiting]

Thank you. Best of luck with your practicing.

[musiclov3r2]

whenever i play the bar chords they dont come out cleanly. any advice?

[RobertWhiting]

If you are not playing with an electric guitar, go to a guitar shop and ask if you can play one with the thinnest strings possible. You'll see how much easier it is to learn with thin strings on an electric. I practiced on that till my fingers were strong enough for an acoustic guitar. Also, start by playing the A chord, 5 frets up from the base, because it's close to the middle of the strings where it's easiest to push the strings against the guitar. Good luck.

[RobertWhiting]

THe F is the hardest barre in my book, because your arm is stretched out and it puts your hand in an awkward, twisting position. I would recommend bringing the end of your neck close to your body and playing the chord there for a while -- in basically the same position you'd be playing a barre A. Then gradually move the neck further away from you as you continue to play the F. Eventually it should feel right.

[that1loser]

hey how do you do an f major barre chord. I can't seem to bar on the first fret without pressing down on the high e string.

[Kingduck21]

hey doc, i can't play my major minor 6 string or major 5th string chords with one finger without muting that high E string. WHAT SHOULD I DO? I'm not sure if it's my finger because no matter how much pressure i put down and to what extreme i bend my ring finger I can't seem to depend on it.

Should i keep at it? How long does it take for my finger to deform to the point it can arch over that damn high e string?

[RobertWhiting]

I've been experimenting on how to teach players to hold strings down firmly. Try this: Pinch your nose. Then pinch the bottom three strings on your neck (the thin strings) the exact same way. This gives a very strong press. Strum a while . Then gradually move your finger up until it crosses all 6 strings. Your thumb will not be in the usual "chord" position behind the neck, but the more you play, it will eventually get there, as your chord pressure gets stronger.

[helixsqrd]

Awesome. Ive played guitar for awhile and these stupid bar chords always give me trouble. Maybe my fingers aren't long enough, or the better answer is im retarded and need to practice harder. Thanks for the vid, im gonna go practice this now.

[6270851]

thats 2 minutes

[tanman8014]

your fingers grew that much in a month?

[PhillyDips]

Lmfao.

[clockwise3559]

yay my fingers are big enough now thanks alot man :)

[clockwise3559]

thanks dude that helped but my fingers are 2 small :(

[lagmoredale]

i personally think that (wahwahwahhendr just thinks he is a know all if he knows so much then put your own post on youtube or shut up you clampet

[wahWahwahHendrix]

Nice try, but in my opinion not very helpful . Your Thumb is completly crooked. he Always should be behind the Fretboard.

And your 1st finger is also not straigt.

With the D-chord it is wrong, because you mute the high e string !

Maybe its okay for a completly beginner, but you can´t play with that method properly

[RobertWhiting]

Thanks for the comment. I agree with you that my fingering is not perfect and urge all advancing players to look at other videos by pros on You Tube. My videos are for those people who play guitar for years without ever figuring out how to do bar chords. I just try to give them easy e-bar a-bar chord progressions to have fun with while their fingers get comfortable moving up and down the neck.

[CanadaBlue85]

Thanks for the videos! That is excatcly what my teacher told me practice. When you change from the A to the D, barre finger does not seem to move, are you muting the 6th string?

[RobertWhiting]

I should be but I'm not. Basically, when I strum with the right hand, I try not to hit the 6th string, so in effect it's muted. But if it does make a sound, I don't find that it spoils the sound of the whole chord, especially when it's amplified. Thanks for the note.

[shaggy0007]

wow.. thanks for the tip at the start... seems to helpfull.. thanks

[pablo2006b]

Great stuff,, and thank you for posting these.