Simple And Quick Tips For Beefing Up Your Barre Chords!

Barre chords is one of those topics that is different from everyone. It is the most powerful thing you can learn as a guitar player. You’ll be thinking about the reason, right? Well, they are the key to playing 90% of the chords or even more that you will come across.

As a guitarist, you need to focus on developing essential music skills, and barre chords are definitely a part of that! For instance, if you encounter a song with Bm or F chord, you can indeed play them using barre chords. Plus, the most exciting thing is that you can play barre chords with exotic names.

Even if you are working on true fire guitar lessons, barre chords can take some practice to master, though. It may take two things into account, namely,

• A bit of strength in your hands

• Proper practice

It’ll take a while for many people to get their barre chords right. If you ask some other guitarists, they’ll tell you “practice more.” YES! Barre chords do require practice. But if you have got some technical tips with you, it’ll make playing your guitar much more effortless, further helping you jump this hurdle. Well, if you need some advice, you can come to us. Yes! You’ve heard it right. We provide real tips and lessons with real advice from real musicians.

Let’s learn a couple of tips to beef up barre chords!

Start With Simple

The most crucial factor is simplifying things and tackling the barre chord forms with the least note. The 5th string is the minor root chord, and you can see the difference by playing B minor on the second and 4th frets. Ensure that holding down the barre and the played notes on the second fret 5th and second fret 2nd string rings are accurate and precise. After you are done, you can move to the entire chord where three notes sound under the bar. Take some time and work through the exercise!

Finger Placement

This is among the apparent tips that don’t sound obvious until someone shows you. You can also check out the videos on the internet or seek the best online guitar learning lessons from our experts. While laying fingers across the strings for the barre, ensure you don’t end up with a string running under your finger joint. It’s nothing but a bit of crease in your finger.

Set The Clamp

The best way of ensuring you have a solid barre is to lay your fingers across the strings and just behind the frets. Then roll your first finger back to fret the barre with the bony part outside. This move will definitely create a clamping action.

Pro-Tip* Ensure your index finger is straight and close to the fret to help avoid the chord sound fuzzy.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

If you expect your barre to sound great at the first attempt, you are wrong. Playing barre is mostly an acquired skill; it’s not any magic. Your fingers not only have to build strength but also get comfortable with the chord shapes. Like you learn to play notes and simple chords, the same way learning to play barre chords is a process. And we can help you with the same to master your skills and be somewhere performing among millions. It only takes practice and patience at the same time. You just need to remember a simple formula:

Practice + Patience = Perfection

Proper Pressure

It is imperative to press your fingers firmly down on a string to make it sound. Don’t push too hard; otherwise, you’ll be at risk of straining your hand. Keep the pressure even on all the strings. You can experiment to see the pressure you need to clear the chord without overtaxing your hand. 

Thumb Beneath The Neck

You may see some guitarists like to play with their thumb glancing over the neck. This is wrong. When playing barre chords, you should place your thumb beneath the neck. When you keep halfway between each edge, it’ll become much easier. Placing your thumb beneath may account for the following three reasons:

• Stretch: When you bring your thumb back, you can stretch your other fingers up on the fretboard.

• Strength: Your thumb and index fingers are like two halves of a vice. You won’t have to push hard with your index finger if you're applying pressure underneath the neck.

• Stability: Keeping your thumb under the neck will make it steady while playing. The position may even help you straighten your wrist and prevent injuries.

Break Down The Barre

Approach the barre in the same way you would any other daunting task: break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Let us tell you how.

• Begin on the first fret, first string, with your index finger. It will be best to play the note four times. 

• Then, on the first fret, bar the first two strings. Four times, strum those strings. Each note should be audible if you press hard enough. 

• After that, strum the first three strings barred in the first fret and so forth. 

Once you complete the entire exercise, proceed to the second fret and repeat, then the third, fourth, and so on, working your way up to the twelfth fret and back down. To strengthen your fingers, do this exercise every day. Always remember to aim for quality rather than speed. 

If you want to learn more chords, expand your “chords” library. Seek the best online guitar lessons that might help you take through a step-by-step plan to learn the chords. In that case, you can visit us at Incite Music where we will surely give you an edge over your competition with some of the comparisons. Whether you want the best sound for your budget or the ideas for your music production, we are always there to help. So, navigate the fretboard, communicate, and develop your musicality!