To start off i think it would be good to know that I have a very long history of completely avoiding songs with barre chords. In fact, I've only played one once or twice, and none of the notes rung. The other day I was thinking that it would be fun to learn something I had never really tried before on my guitar, and barre chords seemed like a good idea, especially because they are used a lot in my music by the Dire Straits, and I really want to do a song by them. So I was wondering where I should start. Any ideas?

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Hi, IJ. I struggle with barre chords as well, but have a few suggestions for getting started. I tried playing just a basic I-iv-V chord pattern but using barre chords, which gives you Louie Louie and most everything by the Ramones.

Try an E shape at the 5th fret (A), an A shape at the 5th fret (D) and an A shape at the 7th fret (E).

Yesterday is a good song with a mix of barre and open chords because of the Fs and B flats in it.

And then everything by the Hives using nothing but barre chords and down strokes so that gives you some more songs in the Ramones-type style.

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Thinking back to when i learnt barre chords (dawn of time kind of era), I broke it down into 2/3 sections.
1 practice playing all open chords without using your index finger. Start with your 2nd finger instead of index. If you can place your index finger slightly behind the nut, dont apply pressure with it, you'll sharpen the notes.
2 practice just barring across the frets with the index finger, involve no other fingers. Make every string ring true.
#3 combine the two techniques. You'll even barre open G shapes at the 2nd fret. I do and my hands are stumpy tiny things.

It worked for me, it MAY work for you.

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No no and no

The hard part about learning barre chords is that your hand may be a little sore when you finish playing. After a while they come natural and will be easier to finger and move. There are some songs that really are supposed to be played with them, then there are others that they make them a little easier. I have met some people who call them "cheating" chords.

They may well be, but I confess that I love 'em. Can't play surf without them!

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

I play them all the time, and really love them.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Barre chords are one of the trickier things in the standard repertoire of guitar skills to learn because they can be so foreign. I learned to play on a terrible old classical, and was encouraged -- and I quote -- to "just play the barre chords." That's what I did, and it got easier and easier.

The best thing to do is play acoustic guitar! It's harder than an electric to play, and will make the eventual transition that much easier; your hands will be stronger, and your technique more refined because acoustics don't hide mistakes.

This might be controversial, but I believe that anyone who starts on, and plays with for a year or so, an acoustic, will be head and shoulders above his or her peers who started playing electric.

Great point Vulcan, and so true as I played acoustic when I was young for a few years before plugging in. Barre chords I hate them there just so blah. But for those guys out there learning them play the whole chord not just the root and the 5th for those who dont know the top 3 strings. Even if the song just calls for root 5 power chords I would reccomend you play the whole chord until you have them down so you learn how to mute with your left hand the top strings,and also take a lil rest when it hurts as this will only last a short time and make sure every string rings clear so play some progressions and arpeggiate the chords. Come to think of it I hardly ever barre anymore I play them Hendrix style with my thumb wrapped around the low E.

Hi italianjunkie: probably we all struggle with barre chords when we start so don't worry about that.

Couple of small tips to add to what others have said. While fretting a barre chord be sure to have the ball of your thumb in the middle of the back of the neck: don't be palming the neck with your thumb reaching round. If you're not used to it that'll feel very strange to begin with, but it's good technique and well worth working at for it's own sake; and it'll also get your hand into the right position to fret right across the fingerboard and make all the notes ring.

Also, if you play standing up (which is good discipline even if you don't play in a band) don't have the guitar slung too low. It makes reaching barre chords difficult. Look at a picture of Jimmy Page in the '70s: he said that wearing the guitar that low meant he simply couldn't do an F major barre chord at the first fret...

One other thing: I've played a fair bit of Dire Straits for a long time. The numbers I play I don't think I ever use a barre chord in them. Not saying there aren't any, but you can get a long way with Mark Knopfler with just triads...

Cheers - C

Wha! Can't make barre chords! Ya'll must play country & western or hippie folk songs .

I have small hands but one of the things I learned was to make all the open chords in barre shapes. You can't play Chuck Berry without making barre chords!

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Tony Houston

Me too, although I find it much easier to do on my electric guitars. If I'm playing acoustic, I tend to go for the full barre on anything higher than an E-shaped G. On my electrics, I'll go up to the 9th fret or so before giving the old index finger a workout.

.

Amen brother. And the guitar isn't worth playing if you can't play Chuck Berry licks.[/quote]

don't expect to play barre chords right from the first try!
I spent a whole summer trying to get those right, back in 1997!

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2007 Fender CD-60 (Sunburst)
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Haha, I love barre chords!! I just love to make up these catchy grooves with a bunch of muting, and it just sounds awesome.

I also just wanted to say that I started off on an electric, and when I got my first acoustic about a year later, I had absolutely no trouble at all switching from the easier strings of an electric to the "harder" strings of an acoustic.

Just sayin'.

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"If it's planned, it's boring." - Freddie Mercury

The two Ps brother. Patience and practice. Dont worry. you will get them down in no time.

I was sort of the same way during my earlier years of playing. I think it stemmed from beginning on the acoustic guitar, where barre chords can be a daunting task due to the larger strings and such. I really didn't get into using them much until the 80's when I began playing the electric more and learning the power chords used everywhere in heavy metal of the time. Eventually, I got used to using barre chords regularly, even when I'm playing acoustic.

What's cool about that is when you have a progression like this:

E - G#m - A

Playing the A as a barre chord at the 5th fret sounds way better and is easier to get to than having to finger the open string A. Also, the G#m really can't be played any other way except as a barre chord.

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