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I can’t play barre chords, please help me!

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Started by matthew in Musicians (Gear, Tabs & Lyrics)

Guys, I bought guitar for dummies a while ago and I don’t understand how it is humanly possible to play some of the barre chords. The F based barre chords aren’t too bad but at certain points on my clssical guitar the notes don’t ring out properly and sound shit. Apparently it is harder to do barre chords on a classical because the strings are further off the neck?

Don’t get me started on A based major barre chords, they are impossible. I’ve tried all the ways of doing them creating a barre with my third finger over three strings is impossible while trying to keep my index finger as a barre two frets away. Then there’s the way of barreing with the index finger and then using 2,3 and 4 to for the A chord. Fucking impossible! Muted notes deluxe and buzzing strings all over. Fuck it the drums are way easier, I played them for five years and started playing in a similar style to David Silveira me thinks.

Lately I’m so desperate to play A based barre chords on my classical that I’ve started using my fourth finger to form an A chord and then not play the last thing.

I’d appreciate any advice thanks!!

Posted on Tue, 20 December 2005 at 20:31

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#1

FNYANKEZ wrote:

strengthen those fingers! Also do some stretching excercises so you can spread them further apart.

Plus just keep practicing the chords, get your muscle memory going. Eventually it will get easier.

Posted on Tue, 20 December 2005 at 22:23

#2

buffalo-boy wrote:

Barre chords are nasty… for a long time i just used to cheat eg playing the ‘A’ in the open position and just playing the chords over the bottom 4 strings - that way you’ve got every note you need in there (root, 5th, octave, M or m).

On a classical guitar you will find it MUCH harder, thats true compared to an electric but keep going and don’t worry about getting every note perfect, eventually it will come. Or get an electric, way easier!
I play chords on a bass, now thats pain!

Posted on Fri, 23 December 2005 at 08:32

#3

Divers (Simon) wrote:

sadly it’s practice practice practice, as people said strengthen your fingers and slowly it will become easier then just concentrate on making each string ring out:)

Posted on Fri, 23 December 2005 at 10:19

#4

matthew wrote:

Okay, thanks guys I’ll keep at it. I don’t feel so bad anymore knowing that barre chords are harder on a classical thanks. I feel pretty cool.
Buffalo-boy I didn’t know there were chords on a bass? On every single tab I’ve seen so far for bass I’ve noticed that bassists only play one string at a time and rarely two and never three.
Please explain to me bro. Thanks

Posted on Fri, 23 December 2005 at 19:09

#5

30seconds wrote:

Barre chords are hard!! It took me ages to play some of them. I just had to practice alot!
When you can’t play them, it makes it hard to play the pixies songs!

Posted on Fri, 23 December 2005 at 20:52

#6

matthew wrote:

Hi 30seconds, yeah there are some bands that love barre chords, such as the Kinks!!

Posted on Tue, 27 December 2005 at 17:57

#7

viking_pooh wrote:

just be lazy like me, i used to barre almost everythign cos i was too lazy to use more fingers and taught myself to play so looking at tabs i saw the numbers and used a finger to press them down, thoug im using mre fingers now as thigns sound easier and don;t hurt to play. also try playign in drop d to get a feel for barring stuff then add in other fingers.

Posted on Fri, 30 December 2005 at 20:20

#8

3ddo-on-the-balcony (eddo) wrote:

It seems not easy but it’s easy to learn: practise a lot and strenghten your fingers. Like all good things; do it a lot every day. Discipline’s the key word.

Posted on Sat, 31 December 2005 at 01:38

#9

Philth wrote:

I think you’re right about the height of the strings from the neck. I had a cheap electric with strings quite high of the neck and I could barre at all. When I bought an Epiphone, I noticed the strings were closer and I can barre now.

Posted on Tue, 31 January 2006 at 12:45

#10

poenkrokker wrote:

If you really want pain and suffering try playing some jazz chords like the ones Django Reinhardt played, and which the Stray Cats (Brian Setzer that is) use. It looks impossible, feels that way as well, but it is really great for your technique and knowledge of the guitar / chords / scales. Best practice there is…

Posted on Fri, 5 May 2006 at 14:32

#11

Dennis wrote:

the cheaper classical guitars that most of us begin our guitar-playing on are notoriously hard to play - especially barre chords. Classical guitars aren’t really designed with barres in mind, and you will probably never see a classical guitarist use them, so don’t feel too bad. When you move onto electric you will notice how much easier it is to play, and you’ll master the barre chords in no time at all.

When I look back to my early days playing a classical acoustic, it’s a wonder I ever stuck with it at all. Now I still struggle with the things, but I am told I am pretty handy with an electric. :D

Posted on Tue, 16 May 2006 at 12:02

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