This is all so true guys. I've been struggling with F for a couple of months. Than I've watched a couple videos like this one and discovered 2 types of exercises: this one for finger strength (just play the bar up and down the neck) and a second one from elsewhere where you practice alternative F chords to familiarize your muscle memory with the layout. And after just a couple of days I wake up, I take my guitar (a classical) and play a good full F on first attempt. It still takes a lot of pressure and a lot of time to place all the fingers, but at least i can actually do it. I was amazed. Next milestone is learning to change to an F fast.
I've watched a number of tutorials on barre chords and although I picked up tips and tricks from each, this lesson for me, has been the most helpful. I finally feel close to playing my first barre chord. Thanks a lot for the detailed tutorial 🙏💙...I've also been practising spider exercises on scale for finger flexibility.
Another great video, James. Your videos are excellent. I really enjoy playing my guitar and you are helping me enjoy it even more with your song tutorials and instructional videos. I can't thank you enough.
Wow James, hours of looking and there's finally someone who actually shows you to do a barre chord. That's a subscription and a like from me! Great video man!
I've watched a few of these barre chord videos to try to improve on it of course. The only thing I would add that I thought was helpful is: try using the guitar's body to help leverage force and take some pressure off your pointer finger and your arm. For example push back on your guitar so the front (fret board) is pushing out so now you can use the pressure from that push and take the pressure off your fingers from squeezing. Essentially it's just moving the pressure points to another spot, hope that helps anyone struggling with barre chords.
@@Good_Guitarist Thanks for the very helpful content! I really appreciate you breaking it down all the way for us beginners. Didn't even know about the "swing" strum in the song "Layla" until I watched your video. Thanks again!! 🙏
Thank you so much, I just played my first barre cord properly. If you guys are struggling, don’t think about playing the cord too much and don’t apply and insane amount of pressure. Good luck👍
Definitely the best guitar teacher on all of RU-vid! You make it so simple and easy to understand! I love all of your videos! Thank you so much! Also I've been trying to learn about riffs ( I'm not really sure what they are) do you have any videos on those?
You are an excellent teacher and explain the Barr Chord shapes so well! What kind of strings do you recommend for a Taylor GS Mini that will be kind and gentle to beginner fingertips?
I use D'addario EJ16's myself. They're pretty light, super common and sound pretty good. Really, I had to experiment a lot and try a bunch of strings before I found the right ones for my particular guitar (and it changes on diff guitars!).
I'm a beginner guitar learner and that's exactly what I asked my guitar teacher in the second class. Why not play bar shape for open chords as we're gonna play that shape anyways further up the fretboard? He laughed and said yes you can. Some guitar teacher especially on RU-vid teach so outdated they make you learn open chord shapes and then bar chord shapes which actually make your struggling period extended. You're a good teacher btw. I do have a question though while playing barre chord in c major position my Pinky's bottom side accidentally touches first e string as you can imagine in c major barre chord shape the stretch is quite curvy. So how I could stop that?
Did some homework practicing barre chords according to your superb video lesson James. Thanks! By when is your new barre chord lesson course ready for us buyers??
Hey Fritz! It's ready now! It's the most comprehensive course on Barre chords anywhere, in my opinion. It took a while to make because I wanted it to be foolproof and perfect. Here is the link: courses.goodguitarist.com/courses/barre-chords
Hey mate. I've been looking for "A thousand years" by Christina Perri, but have not yet found any useful videos that could help me learn that song. I'd be very thankful if you could make a guide for that song. Other guides you've done so far are very simple to learn. Keep it up! : )
My problem is not that my fingers are not strong enough to press the strings, but my middle finger's base (I googled it's called Distal Phalanx) keep on touching the strings below (2nd string) making it mute...
I am a basic guitarist but i want to be more professional on it i watched ur courses and i’d love to join. Should i learn Finger picking first or bar chord first?
Hello Subash, it's really up to you. We would love to have you on board. Fingerpicking might be more accessible for you but barre chords also unlock a lot of other skills. Which one are you more inclined to learn? Fingerstyle or "rock"? Here's a link either way: courses.goodguitarist.com/
I have trouble playing f minor, because my index finger that is barring mutes the 3rd string, so it pretty much turns into a giant power chord :( I really like to do that thing where you play the 4 chord and then play it again but in minor then follow up with a perfect cadence (IV iv V I) so this really sucks for me.
Eashwara Sai period 💯 I wouldn’t say mines is perfect. It’s the transitions into bar chords that get me. I’ve been neglecting tho. I’ve been learning the guitar for months now, but I have like less than 8hours of practice
@@Sonder_stoic I'll give you a tip which helped me if i can😅Even if the transitions become buzzy, just keep doing and keep playing with the positioning of the index and the thumb.. And just keep doing it and you will master transitions for sure👍
I put all my energy into pressing the bar and then my fingers hurt really bad after a few seconds. If I don't put too much pressure the strings remain muted.
@@melodysamplelibrary9032 i have got quite better at it now. I am able to play barred chords like Bm, A(at 5th fret), B (at 7th fret) without hurting my fingers while managing to get a good sound.
The Name of the Bar Chord consists of the root note and the shape you fret with your other fingers. The root note is either the note you bar on the low E string or the one you bar on the A string. So if you bar on the 3rd string the low E becomes a G. You are now playing a G Chord. Now if you fret a Emaj shape you get a Gmaj, fret a Emin you get a Gmin, fret a E7 you get a G7 and so on... Same applies if you bar the root note on the A string. Now you would use the A shape to fret the rest of the strings. A String on 3rd fret would be C. So if you fret a Amaj shape you get a Cmaj, Amin shape gives you Cmin and so on. That's why barre chords are so useful, you only need to remember a few shapes (for example Emaj and Emin) to play all kind of Chords all along the fretboard (as long as you know the root notes).
I would just add the comment that as you are holding the guitar neck quite low down i.e. below the level of your shoulder, you are risking development of synovitis in your wrist due to sharper bending in the left wrist in combination with the tension in tendons as they work round that bend. This condition is extremely painful and can be almost eliminated by holding the guitar neck up at the level of your shoulder as a classical guitar player would. Classical guitar has had a long time to work out the best technique and, since I experienced synovitis in my 20s as a result of what I have described, I changed my technique to a more orthodox standard and have not had the condition return in 50 years. Take my advice as a teacher of guitar for over 45 years, don't risk the pain. Hold the instrument properly.
Some good advice here ..my advice would be take your time and it will all come believe me..and keep the guitar in the room where you can see it all the time...and again stick with it..
@@Good_Guitarist thanks sir I learn lot of basic things about guitar from you.. Like chord, progression strumming, Barr chords etc.. I didn't have a teacher but now i have a teacher, nd that is you.. I'm Roy from India 🇮🇳.. Thank you again sir for your beautiful work.. Lots of love ❤️❤️💕🙏
I've been playing guitar for 40 years and to this day cannot play barre chords on acoustic guitar. I can do barre chords on electric guitar all day long with no problem but the strings on acoustics are just too heavy and the fret placement too unforgiving. I play melody and open chords only on acoustic and grab my Strat or Tele for serious playing.
Hey Neal, the best advice I have for you for barre chords on acoustic is to make it a goal to keep at it. Keep following with these lessons and I hope you will be able to finally make it happen! Cheers - James
If you are able to play open cord songs easily then you just have to practice chord progression before playing the song. Practice with patience & your efforts will be paid off.
I learned barre chord in 2 days or 3 Sometimes it doesnt mute sometimes it does but all i need to do is remember placing my hands wothout looking Yeah looking back at this comment I kinda lied.. But I did improve
When ever someone says, no memorization, it's easy, I close the book and move on. Nothing about this is easy and there is no way around the fact things need to be memorized. Face it straight up, boldness of attack. No way around the FACT that it takes endless hours of mind numbing practice. It's not easy, if it was easy, everyone would do it. STOP TELLING PEOPLE NO MEMORIZING IS REQUIRED BECAUSE IT IS.
