Hi y'all,
I'm just sharing my frustration I guess.
The hardest thing for me is double barre chords; for example the A-shape barre chord especially the B or Bb. Firstly, I can't get my ring finger to stretch to the fret while staying straight and keep my index finger straight too. Next I'm finding it difficult to develop enough leverage to produce clean notes with my ring finger. I'm hoping that this is just a matter of doing and doing and doing. I must say, I tend to shy away from them. If I need to make A-shaped barres I currently need to use my 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers to make the A shape.
I'm trying to learn 'Never Going Back Again', which is just gorgeous. Where the double barre with the index and ring finger is tortuous, the pinky barre is pure madness.
I'm using the hinge barre for my index and trying to do the same with my pinky, but it is refusing to make a hinge. When I do get it in to a hinge shape for a second, it snaps back and any pressure I had snaps with it.
I've trying doing it with a straight pinky and bent normally (but across the top two strings) and neither gives me clean notes. If I press it as hard as I can I can do it momentarily but it it's reliable and my finger tires quickly.
I remember not being able to do the index hinge barre and the mini F when I first joined and somewhere along the way they both fell into place so I'm guessing this will too with time (and patience...)
So... anyone got the Colonel's secret recipe for this one? How long should I expect to have to work at the pinky barre before it comes together?
If you got this far you're a champion. Thanks for listening to me whine.
Michele
Double barres suck!
frustrated are we all i think on that kind of chords,,it cost a lot of time to devolop the muscle's,,maybe you can transpose the song to easer chord's..When you transpose one step down(two halfsteps)the B becomes a A,,,that's a easy one..but what about the other chord's???
ps capo up two frets and your in the key again..
ps capo up two frets and your in the key again..
-
Music Junkie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:17 am
- Status: Offline
M:
Welcome to the club!!!! They started it just for me when I started......
That is the chords shape that has haunted me since picking up this instrument. The best that I have gotten so far is to use my first finger to do the fist barre and my third finger to do the second barre. I get it about 35%-40% of the time. The rest I just get string buzz.....
The songs I work on to help are "Mellisa" and "Sister Golden Hair". My new guitar also plays better than my old one and that helps a LOT......
I think like the Small F you eluded to, it is a matter of patience and practice. However, for me, this one has taken more patience and more practice and I still have not gotten it down yet. You'll get it though, I have no doubt. You have shown to be hard working and talented young lady.
Good luck, and if you find a really cool trick to help PLEASE HELP ME...... :woohoo:
J
Welcome to the club!!!! They started it just for me when I started......
That is the chords shape that has haunted me since picking up this instrument. The best that I have gotten so far is to use my first finger to do the fist barre and my third finger to do the second barre. I get it about 35%-40% of the time. The rest I just get string buzz.....
The songs I work on to help are "Mellisa" and "Sister Golden Hair". My new guitar also plays better than my old one and that helps a LOT......
I think like the Small F you eluded to, it is a matter of patience and practice. However, for me, this one has taken more patience and more practice and I still have not gotten it down yet. You'll get it though, I have no doubt. You have shown to be hard working and talented young lady.
Good luck, and if you find a really cool trick to help PLEASE HELP ME...... :woohoo:
J
I used to do the small bar with my pinky because I could bent it more and clear the small E string. But after watching Neil's lessons I changed the pinky for the ring finger to be able to do the 7th and the blues shuffle. I took me a while to get a clean bar (not always clean , but most of the time). I find that if the bar is not straight having a bit of an angle it is quite easier to make the bar. When I do that, the tip of the barring finger is a bit over the fret, muting the fat E but it is not needed and not wanted in this type of bar.
Marc
Marc
No secret recipe unfortunately Michele (none that I have found anyway). I found practicing going from B to C and back (both barres) really helped get the double barres. As Marc said, not always entirely clean but that's just more work.
With your work ethic I'm sure you will have this challenge cracked in record time.
With your work ethic I'm sure you will have this challenge cracked in record time.
Hi Michele!
At some point, I got some advice on barre chords from an old I Guitar Player
magazine. Here's that & some other ideas mixed in.
Some of these ideas could possibly be pertinent to some of the difficulties
you are having. I am no ace, but these suggestions and helpful hints have worked for
me (for the most part...at least)
Some of this info you are probably are already familiar with:
1.) Play "A" shape barres (whether it is Bb or 5th position D whatever) with your
index & pinky fingers
2.) To produce the correct clarity, you don't need as much pressure as you would
think. It is like putting oil in your car... too much can choke things up.
3.) Save your hand. Don't clamp down full pressure of the barre all the time. Just
tighten-down the pressure before you strum. (Unless you are finger picking, but
even then, it probably won't need to be as firm a grasp as you would think.)
You might try practicing songs like "Lola" that have a mixture of open chords & a
few barres. It allows you to practice going back & forth. Also, it saves your
hand, & by the end of the tune you are not as tired.
4.) I find it easier to put down the secondary fingers a split second ahead of the
barre. Especially in "E" shaped barres. I think Dennis suggested this in a
recent thread. I agree with him. Somehow, I think this practice promotes better
muscle memory as well.
At some point, I got some advice on barre chords from an old I Guitar Player
magazine. Here's that & some other ideas mixed in.
Some of these ideas could possibly be pertinent to some of the difficulties
you are having. I am no ace, but these suggestions and helpful hints have worked for
me (for the most part...at least)
Some of this info you are probably are already familiar with:
1.) Play "A" shape barres (whether it is Bb or 5th position D whatever) with your
index & pinky fingers
2.) To produce the correct clarity, you don't need as much pressure as you would
think. It is like putting oil in your car... too much can choke things up.
3.) Save your hand. Don't clamp down full pressure of the barre all the time. Just
tighten-down the pressure before you strum. (Unless you are finger picking, but
even then, it probably won't need to be as firm a grasp as you would think.)
You might try practicing songs like "Lola" that have a mixture of open chords & a
few barres. It allows you to practice going back & forth. Also, it saves your
hand, & by the end of the tune you are not as tired.
4.) I find it easier to put down the secondary fingers a split second ahead of the
barre. Especially in "E" shaped barres. I think Dennis suggested this in a
recent thread. I agree with him. Somehow, I think this practice promotes better
muscle memory as well.
Hi Michele, I think you should reconsider getting used to the pinky for the small bar or least practice it at the same time you would practice the ring finger as well (sorry Cori if my opinion differs )
As I was mentioning earlier in this thread, I used to make the bar with the pinky which is easier but has some drawbacks. You cannot do 7th or blues shuffle, but Michele you were asking in the thumb behind the bar poll thread how to move quickly between Em and A bar shape quickly.
That is another plus to use the ring finger instead of the pinky. When you use the ring finger for the A shape bar, the tip of the finger is already on the second string which can be used as a pivot. When you do the E shape bar chord your barring finger is straight but for the A shape you have to rotate you hand a bit toward the top of the end of the neck.
When changing from the pinky, you have to move your pinky down one string, so you have to move all three fingers to make the E shape making it a slower movement.
I have used the pinky for the A bar chord for quite some times. It works until you see the need to do what I was describing above
Have a look at this link from the chord companion3 from Neil at 11:17 (not sure if the video will work because of the site update). He shows the hand movement I was saying to move from E to A shape with some exercises.
Sorry for the long babbling
Marc
http://www.totallyguitars.com/target-ho ... anion#song
) As I was mentioning earlier in this thread, I used to make the bar with the pinky which is easier but has some drawbacks. You cannot do 7th or blues shuffle, but Michele you were asking in the thumb behind the bar poll thread how to move quickly between Em and A bar shape quickly.
That is another plus to use the ring finger instead of the pinky. When you use the ring finger for the A shape bar, the tip of the finger is already on the second string which can be used as a pivot. When you do the E shape bar chord your barring finger is straight but for the A shape you have to rotate you hand a bit toward the top of the end of the neck.
When changing from the pinky, you have to move your pinky down one string, so you have to move all three fingers to make the E shape making it a slower movement.
I have used the pinky for the A bar chord for quite some times. It works until you see the need to do what I was describing above
Have a look at this link from the chord companion3 from Neil at 11:17 (not sure if the video will work because of the site update). He shows the hand movement I was saying to move from E to A shape with some exercises.
Sorry for the long babbling
Marc
http://www.totallyguitars.com/target-ho ... anion#song