@@rossthemusicandguitarteacher i've not really used many barr chords in my learning but i did learn the F bar chord, i can do that, but tried a song yesterday and can i bugger get the Gm or the Gm (with the pinky raised) so only one finfer and i'm finding it hard to tilt the finger on it's side, maybe because I started learning too late
Adrian Russell it's never too late - I'm a beginner at 64. I'm learning to barr chords myself and after much frustration, I can do some, though F is hardest for me so congrats to you! I've discovered dropping my shoulder and bringing my elbow in to my waist works for me. Don't despair, because if my tiny, old hands can do it you can!
enchanted watermelon I’m just getting notification of your question. I’m sitting outside on my tree swing (my happy place) practicing right now! I’m happy to report that though I’m not making barre chords perfectly, I have my good days! I’m into fingerpicking and recently discovered John Prine songs just before he passed with covid 19. I’m working on Summer’s End and Hello In There at the moment. We’re blessed to have so many wonderful instructors on RU-vid. Practice some every day if possible and make a quality decision to hang in there on “bad” days and never be a quitter! I’m so in love with learning guitar! 💞
SUMMARY: IT REALLY SOUND GREAT THIS WAY THNAKS FOR THIS VIDEO 1)USE SIDE OF YOUR INDEX FINGER 2)FINGER SHOULD BE RIGHT NEXT TO FRET & BE CAREFUL WHICH STRING REALLY NEEDS BAR 3)DONT SQUEEZE BY INDEX FINGER, THUMB SHOULD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK OF BAR 4)PUSH THE GUITAR BY YOUR CHEST AND PULL THE FRETBOARD BY THE CORD HAND, 5)PULL THE GUITAR BY THE STRUMMING ARM TOWARDS YOU
i actually sprained my wrist trying to learn barre chords and got so frustrated I gave up on guitar for nearly 5 years. finally got determined enough to try again and found myself at this video, and barre chords actually feel achievable now. thank you so much for saving me from medical bills and frustration haha
A couple of other things you need to look at is the height of the action on the guitar. If it's too high it will make playing barre chords more difficult even for experienced players. Another tip is to use lighter gauge strings. So if you currently use 12's (light gauge) then drop to 10's (extra light) and you'll find it a lot more comfortable to play barre chords without the pain.
I just want to add- Making barre chords is the place in guitar learning where a lot of people give up sadly(especially older beginners). So just a nice thought for today- you have helped more than a few people continue on their musical journey instead of giving up, all by deciding you share what you have learned...Thank you!
I can't express my gratitude, for months I've been trying to do bar chords. Like you have saved me from the depressing frustration of thinking I'll never be able to really play the guitar.
I’ve been playing for eight years and it never occurred to me that there were ways to make barre chords less painful. I thought you had to play through the pain to be good lol but it still hurt after this long. You saved my life and my hands my dude
RU-vid is just incredible, can you just imagine without Ross's help I'd have probably given up on my barre chords and just avoided songs with them in altogether. Cheers Ross 👏👏
Dude i've been playing guitar by myself for almost... 14 years, i know my way arround chord voicing, positions, scales and all that good stuff, but the technique man, my technique sucks. In barre chord territory i've been blindfold, at some point I even had an had injury for playing wrong, putting all the preasure on the muscle betwen my thumb and my index finger ending in the clinic with tendonitis . This video is MUST SEE for every guitar player, whether new or experienced , really a game changer!!! Thanks so fucking much!!!!
How can this video have only 1500 views? Man you literally nailed it, I've been 3-4 years playing and always had trouble playing barre chord (mostly on acoustic guitar because the pressure needed is higher), I was never able to play songs that had only barre chords or that 3 of the 4 chords were barre chords. You literally saved me man, big thumbs up and you got a new sub!
@@rossthemusicandguitarteacher I have literally had the same problem. Always used to put songs to the side that had barre chords in them and stick to the easy stuff! It actually sounded like a Bm (clapping hands) !!
Omg I've been crying through some song because I've not had this technique down at all. This feel so much better after only trying out on a few chords. Thank you so much!
Man i was struggling so damned hard with my f and bM. 45 minutes after seeing this video, struggle no more. Thank you so much! I'm 2 months in and i couldn't imagine how i was gonna progress beyond those two
I've been playing guitar for about15 years on and off, and i've never been able to play bar chords for more than one song at a time because my hand would start hurting and getting tired. As a kid when i told my guitar teacher that it hurt or my hands were getting tired he just said i would build the muscle eventually if i practiced enough, so i just assumed they were supposed to hurt. Now that I know more about technique i realised if it hurts i'm probably doing it wrong. And so finally i decide to look into it and see your video. You probably just saved me from rsi or an injury of some sort.
Before watching this video my strings were buzzing like a fridge, afterwards they were singing out like canaries. Feels quite effortless when you know how. Thanks!
After a 40 year break from guitar playing, it was great to learn your tip number 5. I recall my classical guitar tutor telling me about the no squeeze and push the neck into my hand (tip 4), but the addition of your 5th tip has made the barre cords sooo easy. :)
just started out on guitar and this was literally the most informative and most helpful way of playing these barre chords. I can now play them with such ease thank you so much dude!
Oh man, this is such an eye opener! I've been playing a few months and working my way through some classical-ish music book I've got, and this was exactly what I needed to apply consistent and pain-free pressure as needed to play so many parts of the music. Thanks so much! This is the first video of yours I've seen, but immediately I notice that you radiate all sorts of valuable qualities in a teacher - experience, perceptiveness, humility, and a pure desire to help people learn. I feel really lucky to have found this. I'm subscribing; I'll be back to learn more later.
this guy seems super chill, i love the unedited video format! also i have been trying to figure out barre chords for the past hour, thanks for the help!
Great tips! Thank you! The last 3 points really put a fine point on some things I was intuitively trying to do but couldn't figure out exactly. For me in the begging I found out that Barre chords are far easier to play with the guitar in classical position, neck almost perpendicular to the ground and then slowly letting the guitar neck come down until it's parallel to the ground, or whatever angle you play at.
Just started playing guitar about 2 months ago. I just got into learning the F barre chord and this video saved me so much frustration and headache. Thank you so much!
Excellent lesson. Been playing guitar for years but loved that tip about using the arm to pull down on the fretboard. Soooo much easier. Much appreciated Ross! :)
OMG ! You are an actual genius!!! I had an injury on my left arm and have had several surgeries on it, which has left if quite weak, so i've always struggled with barre chords, this video has been nothing short of a miracle!!! Thank you!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
THANK YOU! I’ve been using my thump to apply pressure and didn’t realize that it was making it worse. I’ve been trying to practice with my thumb off and it’s definitely helped!
Thank you so much man, have been doing bar chords on and off but when I tried to learn a song with them there would always be a string buzzing and I’d be pushing very hard, now I’m starting to do them with ease!! Thanks again lifesaver
Fantastic video. I have been struggling with barre chords, and after watching this, it is because I spend too much time trying to get the optimal sound while trying to "squeeze" out the chord. Great and informative to learn about using the arm, and pulling the guitar with the other arm.
Best advice I believe I have gotten for Barre chords. Just holding my elbow in went from mutted strings to getting an acceptable sound, I need practice it but to working with it. Thanks!
Brilliant lesson. Even with 23 years playing under my belt, I needed to hear most of this (due to constant wrist fatigue). Thank you so much for this lesson!
Wow nobody told me this. After years of pain I finally decided to RU-vid it and you literally just explained it point blank without wasting time. This video was here when I started. From now on I will simply solve the problems I don’t understand by looking them up. Thank you.
Thank you sooo muuuchh, I'm only fifteen but I have been getting very very severe wrist pain from playing Barre chords and it has been effecting my daily life. I'm so glad I don't have to quit guitar because of pain now!!!!!!!
Notes: 01: Side of finger 02: Right against the frets - focus on parts needed for the chord *03: Thumb should be placed in the middle of the barre = even pressure on the fingers 04: Pull with the arm 05: Push on the body Great lesson! 😁
Bro thank you. You are a genius I love that pull on the left push on the right idea. I haven't tried it yet but thinking that is good and all these little things I haven't thought about make a difference. Truth is right now I am suffering with extreme hand pain in my left thumb. It came on a few years ago and i didn't have an injury that I did that day and then the pain was there. It was all of a sudden, I felt pain and it nagged and i don't know how many years it has been now. But i have had nights that my hand looks like i have mangled it because for some reason i feel relief when i pop the joints and i will just be yanking on the thumb in different directions till i hear the pop. And my instincts know to open it up there and i get the pop and if feels amazing when i do get it. But I wonder if it is all in my head and all i am doing is more damage. And i know I am supposed to sit up straight and have good posture, but I lay on my back alot and play lying down. It may be due to the fact I live in a bridge under a freeway that you can't stand up inside of and have to crouch to move around inside. I thought that the pain was due to the fact that my father had given me a very cheap acoustic and the action was so high you could do the limbo under it. When I lost my father, I missed him so much and would busk on the streets using that guitar and because it came from him, I loved it, and I was obsessed at that time too and would play for 8 hours straight and could still keep going I loved it. But it hurt my hands pushing down those high in the air strings for so long. And I have had a few hand injuries like ride the bike on a bike trail and not see in the dark the metal things they put there when it comes to a road to cross. And another time carrying a guitar case and the side of a computer piece of metal at the same time in one hand. The 2 items split open from each other and omg the pain was intense i had to go to a chiropractor to try and fix it. And i wondered if that moment had come back to haunt me. I have been playing guitar for over 35 years and i can't tell you the misery of being able to shred and sound like Satrani and then all of a sudden you can't play Every Breath you take because i am only about to play a tenth as good as I used to play. I see people playing and miss being able to do that. And I even got a Quartarone shot or however you spell that. But i didn't get told any exercise to do or rehab. So having to research it all myself because i want it better again and it is embarrassing when i can't open up a ketchup packet or tie my shoelaces or zip up my pants. And you would be amazed how much you need your thumb and its crippling when it goes out. According to some videos the person says that guitar playing is not the reason for arthritis. But I want this pain gone and any suggestion on how to fix this would be appreciated. And btw I am a billionaire and in the middle of trying to get to my money but when I get it, I am going to send some your way because I want heaven on earth and people like you trying to help others 0ut with sharing is how it will it work, and thy kingdom come is my belief.
You are welcome! I was VERY lucky to have an amazing teacher, Ben Cantu, who helped me develop this. His teacher, Ricardo Iznaola, was a technique MASTER!
That last tip was literally a life saver. Not only did it help with bar chords but it is now way easier to slide my fingers up and down the frets just by having that pressure applied by my arm. Major thank you.
I was trying to learn the F#min barre chord and the pain in my hand was killing me! I found your video and am so glad I did! Not only did I finally succeed but it became much more painless for my hand. Thanks! I have subscribed. :)
Duuuude, I freaking hate barre chords, and I refuse a Capo.. this technique( broken down nicely), has me playing without frustrating finger cramps. The contact Points, thumb placement and using the old roman leverage technique. Nice.... UPDATE!!, in case you were like me and got frustrared playing barres and 2mnths later I'm a totally different player, I can't put real time in but I learned this lesson very part time and have these barres pretty much nailed, I don't have alien hands so the super eight fret stretch aint happening..been playing off and on when I can and love it..Im sure you'll learn playing them,using the arm is huge(I gave up, just solo over backing tracks, started out trying to play satch and got good doing so but never understood what I was playing and why?) learned back asswards no real lessons, and love the Blues now.. even different tunings with slide added.. I'm from a (dead kennedys, bad religion,suicidal tendencies,black sabbath, zeppellin,maiden,satriani,vai,Gilbert,Buckethead type Genre... now using four digits on acoustic(working on my pinky plucker..lol) playing some jimmy johnson, blue grass style music.. freakin weird how the path of music/life take you...
Update: since pretty much nailing these chords, it's put so many missing pieces of the puzzle together, notes in the scales in relation to the chord, plus a few extra for style.. Add pull offs, hammer ons, tap harmonics..= medicine.
do you have an advice or do you recommend a specific exercise.. if when I close my left hand fingers, the second and third finger are almost impossible to space apart to reach two consecutive frets? I see that you can go even a fret difference further...
Is your wrist very square or is it straight? Are you squeezing with your muscles in your hand? Are you squeezing with your thumb? Try to avoid all of these things. If you can keep your wrist straight and your palm/thumb relaxed, you will not be "fighting" against yourself. The more pressure you apply with your fingers or thumb, the harder it is to control the other fingers. If your fingers are tight and can't move apart you are likely squeezing very hard in some way or another. If you are very square with your wri8st, your fingers will prefer to behave more rigidly and you will feel pain in your wrist. Watch more videos on beginner technique.
I’ve been playing guitar for over 35 years and here’s my tip, for what it’s worth: 1. learn guitar on a steel string acoustic, not electric. 2. Whenever you’re not playing guitar squeeze a squash ball with your left hand. Both of these techniques will build up strength in your left hand.
unfortunately I had to injure my hand before I learned all these tips ,pulling the arm especially ,it should also be mentioned that string tension and action play huge role in ease of playing barre s
dude thanks for this vid! i've been playing guitar for around 8 years, and I was playing barres in a way that was damaging my wrist to the point that I had to go to PT. Trying to relearn techniques to keep from hurting myself again, and this is SO HELPFUL!
Can't thank you enough, dude! Been struggling with consistency in barre chords over the last year, and pain tended to be an issue... I heard about number four as a great trick, but three and five really helped.
the major shape shounds great, finally... But when I lift the middle finger and try to play a minor chord that note doesn't sound at all and I can't figure it out.
Move your index finger higher or lower so the knuckle is closer to the third string. Try to roll your finger to the side if you haven't already. One thing not mentioned in this video is that your can roll your finger to the side by bringing your left elbow in a bit closer to your body. Try to come closer to the frets if you can. Also, try just barring e-g-b strings with the lower part of your index finger, this may give you some insight with your other fingers out of the way.
Zhinoi it’s because you are playing with your barring finger flat against the fret board. When you do that, the natural curve in the middle of your finger mutes the string as it can’t press it all the way down. Roll your finger over slightly so it’s not flat
Wow. I am a total beginner and have never done a successful barre chord before. After watching your video twice and applying your wisdom I can make a decent sounding e minor. Thank you so much!
Roll that useless index finger a little to the side. And before doing anything else, check the string action on the first fret. There shouldn't be more space between the top of the fret and the strings than a business card. Work on the nutslots or give it to a decent luthier. It should never be really painful. Keep playing every day and you'll get some nice calluses. Play with your fingertips.
