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Em and A shape barre chords.


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I can play the E and Am shape barre chords for a longer period of time. But whenever I try to play the Em shape or the A shape barre chords I can play for a bit then my thumb really hurts and the chords start buzzing. What should I do? Please give me some tips. :) 

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Rest and stretch your thumb 

Don't squeeze so hard with the thumb vs pull back with arm a bit.

If tendonitis kicks in in your thumb just makes playing harder all around 

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On 8/2/2021 at 5:18 PM, Eracer_Team-DougH said:

Rest and stretch your thumb 

Don't squeeze so hard with the thumb vs pull back with arm a bit.

If tendonitis kicks in in your thumb just makes playing harder all around 

Thanks for your suggestions. I keep doing those things but I don't know whether am I improving or not. And getting stuck in a situation makes me frustrated. :(

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Check out this mini course Steve did on YouTube:

 

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Get really close to the fret with your barre. You should use the side of your finger for the barre. You can pull back and down slightly on the neck. Don't squeeze with your thumb.

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Thank you very much for your suggestions and tips. I've been following the video lessons and as well as your advices too. I've been practicing very hard for last month or so & now I'm feeling pretty confident playing the barre chords I mentioned above. I mean it's pretty strange I've practicing those chords for weeks but I never really felt much confident or relaxed playing those chords. But from a few days ago it really started to pain less.  Thank you so much though. :)

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Yeah, sometimes you just have to stop thinking about the chord and start playing it.

I have been practicing a new song with some new chords down the neck. I try to play the chord progression I am learning, and I stumble quite a bit. If I try to play along to the video of the song with the artist which is faster I can actually hit the chords fairly clean.

Do not fear learning new chords. You will never say to yourself "I wish I didn't learn all these chords". Every chord is a new challenge. 

Practice and repeat.

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Guitar playing is a physical activity and it takes a lot longer to build the endurance we need to grip some chords than it does to understand where our finger tips need to be.  I think all of us struggle with that from time to time.  We understand what is supposed to happen, but haven't built the physical capability to do it yet so we get frustrated and think we aren't progressing when we are actually building the endurance we need.  

The trick is to accept it'll take time, and work in a steady way, gradually pushing yourself but not overdoing it and getting an injury that slows you down even more. Several of us has made that mistake and had to put the guitar down for days or weeks while we worked out strained muscles and tendons.

Keep climbing, you'll get there.

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I have also found that if I pull my elbow in toward my body, I have more leverage and don't have to press as hard with my thumb.

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Continue practicing

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