Jump to content

Barre Chords


Fred Itz

Recommended Posts


  • Member ID:  361
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  5
  • Content Per Day:  0.00
  • Reputation:   4
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  01/18/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

On lesson 7 & 8 the fifth and sixth string barre chords, if it says C7 how do you know if it's a fifth or sixth string chord? 

My fingers are not particularly fat, but they only bend so much, how do I play a fifth string E7 without my third finger muting the third string?

Also when playing 5th string barre chords can your index finger touch the 6th string? 

 

Fred :( 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

Fred I am by no means a Barre chord expert seeing as how I've been on lessons 7 and 8 since last July.  Based on my experience the way to not mute strings  is to bend your wrist as much as you can so as to try and get straight up and down on the Barre chord.  The wrist will bend more and more if you challenge your comfort level daily.  And as to your other question, I find it helpful to touch the 6th string on 5th string Barre chords because it mutes it and your strum doesn't have to be perfect.  Hope that helps.  Probably not!  

Robert 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  361
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  5
  • Content Per Day:  0.00
  • Reputation:   4
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  01/18/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

That does help because I have been on lesson 7 since July also and recently pushed to 8. Thanks for the advice, I do try to bend the wrist, but when I do the index finger comes off the first string! :( Also, when I take a rest from playing my elbow is so sore and tight to stretch out, I wonder if I'm using the wrong muscles?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

I haven't had elbow pain mainly pain to the outer wrist and the Big muscle on my outer hand.  I learn best by watching so maybe find some you tube videos of a good teacher, like Justine Sandercore or just watch Steve and note their mechanics and try to duplicate.  Of course every human is different so watch a bunch and see if you can find something that works for you.  Good luck.  I'm struggling with this too but we can get this!!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  361
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  5
  • Content Per Day:  0.00
  • Reputation:   4
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  01/18/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

I do the something with you tube - thanks for the encouragement, as they say misery loves company! :) good luck and we'll keep on plucking away at it!! Maybe by next summer we will get to lesson 9! 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

As far as the index finger coming off the first string I try and get my thumb right under the Barre allowing for even pressure.  It took me a long time to ring the chords and now my battle is changing chords in time.  Complete muscle memory issue that I am working on.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

1 minute ago, Fred Itz said:

I do the something with you tube - thanks for the encouragement, as they say misery loves company! :) good luck and we'll keep on plucking away at it!! Maybe by next summer we will get to lesson 9! 

 

 

We're gonna do it!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  64
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  10
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  169
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   217
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  20
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Device:  Macintosh

Try this......roll your index (bar finger) slightly toward the nut while making a bar chord, it usually helps. This along with relaxing everything while getting the elbow position, wrist angle, fingers to hit all the right strings and frets.........nothing to it!O.o Keep on getting after them barre chords.....it will all fall together with practice, patience and perseverance!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  8
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  3
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  199
  • Content Per Day:  0.09
  • Reputation:   185
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  6
  • Joined:  01/04/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Device:  Macintosh

Another thing you can do to try a different angle is to raise the neck of the guitar higher. I find if the neck is higher, it feels less awkward trying to get my fingers to the proper positions for some chords, especially going higher up the neck with some barre chords. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  104
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  14
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  299
  • Content Per Day:  0.13
  • Reputation:   160
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  9
  • Joined:  01/08/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

I am glad that you have reached out to the forum Fred. The Barre chords are probably the biggest challenge in this course. 

I can see that you have been given lots of excellent advice already. Can I add that if you aim to place your fingers as near the the frets as you can then it will reduce the amount of pressure that you need. Try to be relaxed and take time to stop and shake out your hands and arms frequently. I used to do a few barres and then rest and shake my hands for a few seconds and then do some more. Stop when it hurts, do not work through the pain in your elbow. I found that my barre chords got better when I finally decided that I did not care about how they sounded any more. I was just going to play them. I just relaxed and concentrated on my hand placements and they just started to sound better!

As to the question about how you know whether to play a 5th or 6th string Barre chord, if you are in an exercise (or playing a chord progression) and it does not say which to play then you can choose (as long as you remember the appropriate shape for the string you have based it on). Guitar players will pick the chords which are the closest together or sound the best.

Keep at it Fred, just a little bit every day and you will get them sounding better. Please also do other guitar learning, there is also merit in reviewing past lessons or staring the next one also.

Best wishes

Mandy

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  119
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  5
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  26
  • Content Per Day:  0.01
  • Reputation:   15
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  01/09/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/23/1943

Barre cords certainly are a challenge, I have been in lessons 7&8 since May 15. Wish I could say Barre cords are done and I'm moving on. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. The support and encouragement of the community has gotten a lot of players (including me) through this difficult time. Seems barre cords are a turning point for a lot of guitar players. They quit or go on to be respectable guitarist. We must not ever  forget the 3 p's. I also have dangled a carrot out for myself, a new guitar when completing session 8. Probably not any two guitar students will approach their guitar journey the same. The important thing is to one day make that wonderful music that only comes from the guitar.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  12
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  8
  • Topic Count:  184
  • Topics Per Day:  0.08
  • Content Count:  1,235
  • Content Per Day:  0.54
  • Reputation:   1,089
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  177
  • Joined:  01/04/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/19/1948
  • Device:  Windows

12 hours ago, Fred Itz said:

On lesson 7 & 8 the fifth and sixth string barre chords, if it says C7 how do you know if it's a fifth or sixth string chord? 

My fingers are not particularly fat, but they only bend so much, how do I play a fifth string E7 without my third finger muting the third string?

Also when playing 5th string barre chords can your index finger touch the 6th string? 

Fred :( 

Hey Fred, You got some great advice above.  If it says, C7 how do you know if it's a 5th or 6th string barre chord?  The answer is "Yes".  ;)  Unless the music states what it should be and you want to follow the music dogmatically, as Mandy said above,  chose whatever is "the closest together or sound(s) the best".  For that matter if it just says C7 what's to keep you from playing an open C7 if you want? It's your call. 

I'm currently in S13, "Playing the Blues".  In it is a perfect example.   In the video Steve has us playing a C Blues 12 bar blues progression.  You probably don't know what a I-IV-V blues progression is yet.  But in the key of C the chords are C - F-G.  Steve plays them as 7 chords.   First time through he plays the C7 as an open chord and the F7 and G7 as 6th string barre chords.  on this video he plays it through twice and then, the 2nd time through, he moves it up the neck and plays all 3 chords as barre chords. The C7 as a 6th string barre chord at the 8th fret and the F And G as 5th string barre chords at the 8th and 10th fret, respectively.  So easy just to change a couple fingers and go from that C and F and back.  And just move down two frets to go from G to F! I'm not suggesting you go study 13 yet but it would almost be worth it to sneak a quick peak at the video to see what I'm talkng about and show you an example.  It's at 33 minutes.

When playing 5th string barre chords can your index touch the 5th string?  Sure.  But it's important that you don't play the 6th string. You have to make sure that you only play the 5 higher strings. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  33
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  20
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  192
  • Content Per Day:  0.08
  • Reputation:   215
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  37
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  07/07/1959
  • Device:  Macintosh

Regarding the 6th string on 5th string barre chords, you can touch it to mute it as previously stated. You can also go ahead and extend the barre to the 6th string and play it if you want. Remember, the 6th string notes are the same as the first string notes, just two octaves lower. If you extend the barre to the 6th string and play it, you're just playing the fifth of the chord as the bass note. For example, say you're playing a 5th string barre C chord. Your barre is at the third fret, so if you extend the barre to the 6th string, you're adding a low G, the chord's fifth, as the bass note. That could be useful if you want to play an alternating bass between the 1st and 5th, or there may be other times it could come in handy if you want that lower bass note or just a slightly fuller sounding chord. I don't recommend it at this stage as barre chords are hard enough to learn, but file it away for future reference.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

14 hours ago, The deuce said:

Barre cords certainly are a challenge, I have been in lessons 7&8 since May 15. Wish I could say Barre cords are done and I'm moving on. There is light at the end of the tunnel though. The support and encouragement of the community has gotten a lot of players (including me) through this difficult time. Seems barre cords are a turning point for a lot of guitar players. They quit or go on to be respectable guitarist. We must not ever  forget the 3 p's. I also have dangled a carrot out for myself, a new guitar when completing session 8. Probably not any two guitar students will approach their guitar journey the same. The important thing is to one day make that wonderful music that only comes from the guitar.

Please let all of us know when you break through and get that new guitar!  I love new guitar day!  It's a joy meant to be shared!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  361
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  5
  • Content Per Day:  0.00
  • Reputation:   4
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  01/18/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

Great suggestion to raise the neck! 

Thanks 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

  • Member ID:  22
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  2
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  129
  • Content Per Day:  0.06
  • Reputation:   57
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  

Yes, raise the neck, it really helps. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Member ID:  24
  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  18
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  156
  • Content Per Day:  0.07
  • Reputation:   125
  • Achievement Points:  0
  • Solved Content:  0
  • Days Won:  3
  • Joined:  01/07/2018
  • Status:  Offline
  • Last Seen:  
  • Birthday:  03/02/1964
  • Device:  Windows

3 hours ago, Maybellene said:

Yes, raise the neck, it really helps. 

I ordered one of those foot stools to help with this.  I'll let you know if it helps.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

About us

Guitar Gathering is a community of guitar lovers of all types and skill levels.  This is a place of learning, support and encouragement.  We are unapologetically positive.

If you've come here to gripe, demean others or talk politics then this isn't the place for you.

But if you've come to talk guitars, ask questions and learn from professionals and guitar learners from all over the world then come on in!

Get in touch

Follow us

facebook feed

Recent tweets

×
×
  • Create New...