Guitar players, help please!

[Gelsons Dad]

Yep don't Barre until you've built up some hand strength. As has been said B and E first fret with your index finger you can also leave the A string open and don't strum the low E and A. The only problem with short cutting to start is you will eventually want to sound all 6 strings to get the right tone then you have to re-learn the chord.

The only solution is practice till your fingers bleed as someone once said.

 

[tornandfrayed]

From my experience using your thumb to hold down the E string only works if you've got huge hands or are double jointed.
I've been learning for about four years and I still don't like barre chords although that might be an age thing as my 13 year old son had no problem with them. What I have learned though is that with the guitar if you put enough time and effort into learning something you will get there in the end (even using your thumb on the E string!)

 

[BertTrautmann'sParachute]

Try here, it's got advice on just about everything: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.justinguitar.com/en/AA-000-LessonIndex.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.justinguitar.com/en/AA-000-LessonIndex.php</a>

 

[-dabz-]

From my experience using your thumb to hold down the E string only works if you've got huge hands or are double jointed.
I've been learning for about four years and I still don't like barre chords although that might be an age thing as my 13 year old son had no problem with them. What I have learned though is that with the guitar if you put enough time and effort into learning something you will get there in the end (even using your thumb on the E string!)

It's a bad habit to get into using the thumb to fret. It can limit your technique depending on what you hope to play.

 

[Gelsons Dad]

From my experience using your thumb to hold down the E string only works if you've got huge hands or are double jointed.
I've been learning for about four years and I still don't like barre chords although that might be an age thing as my 13 year old son had no problem with them. What I have learned though is that with the guitar if you put enough time and effort into learning something you will get there in the end (even using your thumb on the E string!)

It's a bad habit to get into using the thumb to fret. It can limit your technique depending on what you hope to play.

Agree but it never did Clapton any harm. I learned to play watching VHS tapes of him in the days before youtube and the internet when you could only get tab from magazines!

 

[stimo]

Thanks guys, tried the two suggestions. Sounds like im strumming with a shovel.

Will just keep plugging away. I seem to mute stings with my stumpy fingers!

dunno if been suggested but try index finger on B string first fret. middle finger G string 2nd fret. little finger on D string 3rd fret, ring finger on A string 3rd fret -this acts as a kind of softer bar chord i guess but keep practising the bar chord, its tough at first but your hand gets used to applying the right pressure and stops hurting soon enough. any other questions please ask.

 

[pominoz]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TZ4ITPLIzBc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... Z4ITPLIzBc</a>

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ecPzu9sTKbo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... cPzu9sTKbo</a>

 

[goat boy]

Yep don't Barre until you've built up some hand strength. As has been said B and E first fret with your index finger you can also leave the A string open and don't strum the low E and A. The only problem with short cutting to start is you will eventually want to sound all 6 strings to get the right tone then you have to re-learn the chord.

The only solution is practice till your fingers bleed as someone once said.

As evidence that there as many ways of doing something as there are people, I learnt to play from barre chords. I was 15 and had just discovered the nirvana back catalogue (root, 5th, octave). All the open chords came after, and proper F and B barre shapes :)

 

[-dabz-]

From my experience using your thumb to hold down the E string only works if you've got huge hands or are double jointed.
I've been learning for about four years and I still don't like barre chords although that might be an age thing as my 13 year old son had no problem with them. What I have learned though is that with the guitar if you put enough time and effort into learning something you will get there in the end (even using your thumb on the E string!)

It's a bad habit to get into using the thumb to fret. It can limit your technique depending on what you hope to play.

Agree but it never did Clapton any harm. I learned to play watching VHS tapes of him in the days before youtube and the internet when you could only get tab from magazines!

Or bob Marley.... the point I was making though is that it's ok if you're playing something slow, but if your playing anything with a bit of pace it's an awkward position to change chord from.
Guitar playing hurts, there's no getting away from it.
Anyone with normal sized hands who's tried a twelve bar in F will testify.
Half the time, the problem is with posture.

 

[Super David Silva 21]

Could also try light gauge strings like a gauge 10, then shouldn't have to put much pressure on strings when playing the chord.

I'm more of an acoustic player nowadays and bars on acoustic took a bit of going.