Struggling with barre chords
- Thread starter Anthony Rus
- Start date
I can’t personally assist with the small hands part but I find barre chords significantly easier when I barre with the side of my first finger and not the fleshy part. Not *fully* to the side, but about halfway between the side and the fleshy part. Aside from that it’s a lot of endurance work. I still get pretty tired pretty fast when barring. Repetition repetition repetition.
J
Jak Angelescu
Guest
I have small hands too. But this doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are plenty of 10 year old children and even younger that can play Barre chords really well, but they had to practice A LOT! Barre chords are not easy to get. It took me a very long time, and I mean a very long time to get any decent with them. Your hand is simply not strong enough. If you want to, you can always upload a video of you playing them and we can see if there’s anything that you are doing that might be disabling your ability to play them easier. But ultimately bar chords are every guitar player’s nightmare in the beginning when they start to learn them. It will seem like you are doing something wrong but in all actuality it’s a tough concept of strength to get. Don’t worry, you will get better if you keep practicing it! It seems like you never will, but it will get there.
This seems to be one of the biggest frustrations new guitarists have, and I wonder if WHICH barre chord people start with is the real problem. It seems like the first one people go for, logically, is the F Major barre chord, which, really, is the hardest one to get. It’s closest to the nut and the frets are at their farthest apart place on the neck. Noah and Jak have great recommendations, ones I’ve made myself in the past – good stuff and right on.
But I wonder if there might be another solution? Maybe start with a C major barre chord at the 8th fret? The fingering for six-string major barre chords is identical up and down the neck, so why not start up higher, and work your way down?
Start with C Major:
8
8
9
10
10
8
And then, when you get that solid, move down to doing an A major.
5
5
6
7
7
5
Then, once you have that solid, work down to the G major,
3
3
4
5
5
3
And finally hit that nasty F Major.
1
1
2
3
3
1
You can throw a few others in there to make the transition easier, but you get the idea. I don’t know if that’s been tried, so you might be a guinea pig, but I think it might be worth a shot.
But I wonder if there might be another solution? Maybe start with a C major barre chord at the 8th fret? The fingering for six-string major barre chords is identical up and down the neck, so why not start up higher, and work your way down?
Start with C Major:
8
8
9
10
10
8
And then, when you get that solid, move down to doing an A major.
5
5
6
7
7
5
Then, once you have that solid, work down to the G major,
3
3
4
5
5
3
And finally hit that nasty F Major.
1
1
2
3
3
1
You can throw a few others in there to make the transition easier, but you get the idea. I don’t know if that’s been tried, so you might be a guinea pig, but I think it might be worth a shot.
Hello
I also have some troubles with barre chords. Especially the ones on the higher frets. My strings are a little bit further away from the neck than on the lower frets, dont know if this is normal.
I am practising now by holding my bare finger on a fret (with no other fingers) and push, ring, push, ring. That goes pretty good (im not using the fleshy part of my finger, but roll a litlle). My problem is when I use extra fingers, than the barre wont ring nice. Lik the song: Stairway to heaven, the first few notes are so hard when i use pinky or ring finger on 7th fret and barre on 5th fret, i cant do that same time and get good sound. Is it just a lot of practise and pushing harder? Is it ok to keep trying just my barre finger and do that exercise, by trying every note with only barre finger, without extra fingers?
Im playing for 3 months now, and played for 2 years 20 years ago, but im still a beginner, barre was a problem for me when i tried it years ago
I also have some troubles with barre chords. Especially the ones on the higher frets. My strings are a little bit further away from the neck than on the lower frets, dont know if this is normal.
I am practising now by holding my bare finger on a fret (with no other fingers) and push, ring, push, ring. That goes pretty good (im not using the fleshy part of my finger, but roll a litlle). My problem is when I use extra fingers, than the barre wont ring nice. Lik the song: Stairway to heaven, the first few notes are so hard when i use pinky or ring finger on 7th fret and barre on 5th fret, i cant do that same time and get good sound. Is it just a lot of practise and pushing harder? Is it ok to keep trying just my barre finger and do that exercise, by trying every note with only barre finger, without extra fingers?
Im playing for 3 months now, and played for 2 years 20 years ago, but im still a beginner, barre was a problem for me when i tried it years ago
I can attest to small hands! Mine are the size of an average female lol. Possibly try a lighter gauge string to build up your strength then gradually increase. Also the diameter and width of the neck makes a huge difference. I usually always play strat style necks which are a 9.5in radius and 1.63mm nut width.
I have giant hands and barre chords were still difficult for me. One of the biggest hurdles I have found with barre chords is building strength/stamina in the fret hand, particularly the thumb. Press down to softly and you get dead notes, press down to hard and your thumb is cramping up before the song intro is done. Like most things guitar related it all comes down to practice and finding what works best for you.
Getting your fingers into position is just muscle memory, but if you already know you E and Am open chords you’re already halfway there. You could try the ‘bounce’ technique, where you make the chord shape then lift your fingers while still holding the chord shape before dropping back onto the strings, repeat. Can be applied to all chords.
Getting your fingers into position is just muscle memory, but if you already know you E and Am open chords you’re already halfway there. You could try the ‘bounce’ technique, where you make the chord shape then lift your fingers while still holding the chord shape before dropping back onto the strings, repeat. Can be applied to all chords.
Thanks for replies 
I can get my fingers in position, and its not a memory thing, I know where to place them. But the problem is: when i place those extra fingers somehow my barre finger cant push as hard anymore, so my tones are dead (the G, B and E string). Like i cant push all fingers ahrd enough when i use them all. If I only use barre finger and no other fingers, it is good.
Do you think its just getting more musles and keep practising?
I can get my fingers in position, and its not a memory thing, I know where to place them. But the problem is: when i place those extra fingers somehow my barre finger cant push as hard anymore, so my tones are dead (the G, B and E string). Like i cant push all fingers ahrd enough when i use them all. If I only use barre finger and no other fingers, it is good.
Do you think its just getting more musles and keep practising?
The string height could be a little high, no need for a new guitar though, fairly straightforward adjustment (heaps of ‘how to’ videos on youtube).
It sounds like you can barre the strings fine when using only your index finger, but when you add the remaining fingers to complete the chord the barre stops working? If so, take a look at how your index finger sits across the string on its own and again when forming the chord. I would guess that what may be happening is that the index position is shifting, even slightly, when adding the extra fingers causing the barre to fail. The index finger may roll left or right a little or it will ‘curl’ releasing the pressure needed to sound the notes clearly.
Does that sound like the issue? If this is the case, I am not sure of any quick fix, other than practice and training that finger to stay put.
It sounds like you can barre the strings fine when using only your index finger, but when you add the remaining fingers to complete the chord the barre stops working? If so, take a look at how your index finger sits across the string on its own and again when forming the chord. I would guess that what may be happening is that the index position is shifting, even slightly, when adding the extra fingers causing the barre to fail. The index finger may roll left or right a little or it will ‘curl’ releasing the pressure needed to sound the notes clearly.
Does that sound like the issue? If this is the case, I am not sure of any quick fix, other than practice and training that finger to stay put.
Kim, what brand/model do you have? Maybe I can try to find a video on how to adjust the height. And sorry about the measurements, I copied them from the PRS website and didn’t realize they were not in millimeter. You could also try to change string gauges to something lighter and build up your endurance.
@ Adin: the issue is exactly what you describe! I Will keep practising. And be aware of what index finger does.
@ Kevin, Adin: i have an Ibanez gio.
I tried to adjust it before multiple times and also brought guitar to expert to adjust everything. But after that the strings sometimes trill (dont know if thats good english) when i push Some strings. That was annoying.
I want To buy new guitar in about 6-12 months. This guitar is second handed
@ Kevin, Adin: i have an Ibanez gio.
I tried to adjust it before multiple times and also brought guitar to expert to adjust everything. But after that the strings sometimes trill (dont know if thats good english) when i push Some strings. That was annoying.
I want To buy new guitar in about 6-12 months. This guitar is second handed
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