[ApoXonFire]

I can't do barre chords to save my life. I don't know if its me or my guitar neck... I don't know if overall body strength has anything to do with it, but i'm a strong guy. I don't know the neck measurements, but I do have big hands.

Basic question is, can necks hamper barre chords

(I can do them on my electric)

[MakoMako]

I can't do barre chords to save my life. I don't know if its me or my guitar neck... I don't know if overall body strength has anything to do with it, but i'm a strong guy. I don't know the neck measurements, but I do have big hands.

Basic question is, can necks hamper barre chords

(I can do them on my electric)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I feel that they can, as I can do barre chords quite easily on my Ovation guitar, but not on my starter guitar. I'm not 100% if it is the neck that actually causes it, but that seems to have been the issue with me.

I personally will admit I'm not the strongest guy, since I spend most of my time doing something artistic, so I'm more delicate than not. So, I think it comes down to technique. I use to lay my finger COMPLETELY across, to the point to where the tip of my finger was reaching of the opposite end of the neck. Now, I'm experimenting with different positions, and finding it to be easier in some ways.

My advice is to just mess around with a few different positions, since it never hurts to be able to adapt. Good Luck.

[theprik]

practice practice practice, acoustic have more string tension than electrics do so it's harder to push down

[rayvon87]

I'm a bit like MakoMako, I'm more into artistic stuff than other stuff, so I'm not the strongest person, but I've managed to pick up Barre chords alright, so I don't think it has too much to do with strength, just maybe in your fingers.

It may also be your strings, if they're a high gauge, I would imagine that Barre chords would be harder to do.

[LooPbacK]

Practice...that's the key...
Strength usualy doesn't have nothing to do with it...after a while you'll be able to do barre chords on every guitar...it would have been easier if you had started on acoustic first rather than electric...
That's all...peace and good luck...

[dadfad]

Yes, mostly just practice. And technique. Here are a couple of links to other earlier barre-chord topics that might help a bit:

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

(And there are others too if you do a search of this forum.)

[john_p12]

i think it has to do with talent only.
maybe you're destined to play the flute, where your lack of strengh and delicacy will pay off. what do you think? im just kidding.

[musicman2000]

i'm learning the flute and the way you have to hold it makes my left hand index finger hurt since it has to curled up all the time.

[rb8460]

I can't do barre chords to save my life. I don't know if its me or my guitar neck... I don't know if overall body strength has anything to do with it, but i'm a strong guy. I don't know the neck measurements, but I do have big hands.

Basic question is, can necks hamper barre chords

(I can do them on my electric)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would say just stick with it. I started guitar six years ago at the age of 39 and for about the first four years pretty much avoided playing songs with barre chords. But if you just stick with it -- and that means keep playing barre chords -- eventually it will become more and more natural. Just practice, practice, practice. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, but that's all it is. There is no magic formula. Just practice. Keep doing it and it will become natural.

Another thing I've found is if your left hand is relaxed, things are a lot easier than if it's tense. So, relax and practice.


Good luck.

[MakoMako]

Also, just a quick extra note. Even though it isn't the easiest song in the world to pull off, try looking up Jack Johnson's "Sitting Waiting Wishing". The entire verse is nothing but barre chords. I figure it would be a good song to learn, since it would give you great practice with bar chords, and the rhythem is fairly easy and steady.

[rayvon87]

Another song would be Cat Stevens' 'Father and Son'. If played all Barre chords, it helps with switching between chords like G (355433) and chords like C (335553).

[ouijaouija]

ive always found barre chords easy, but i have joint pain and boney fingers which makes it difficult sometimes.

i suggest you do what is suggested by rayvon, try playing the barre chords of c, g, b etc.

i also think the actino is important also. i could not do barre chords well until it got set up