Ah, the much-dreaded (or highly anticipated, depends on your outlook really) bar chords for guitar. For a lot of guitarists, learning how to play barre chords effectively is one of the biggest challenges to overcome. There are some who have been playing the guitar for years, but still encounter minor problems now and then when it comes to barre chords. Hopefully though, after you read this, you will be encouraged and continue to rock it out on your guitar so that you can work on those barre chords, yes?
Now there is no easy way to make yourself better at playing those bar chords for guitar, nor is there a shortcut to it. So here are some steps you can take to further improve your skill.
Bar Chords For Guitar – Practice, practice, practice
A truly dedicated student will always find the time to practice his craft, no matter how busy his schedule may be. Yes, we all have busy lives, but if you truly wish to improve and become a better guitarist, then making time for regular practice sessions is a must. Playing barre chords will certainly strain your fingers and wrists at first, but that is something you have to bear with. It’s just like when you go the gym for the first time – your body will hurt after working out, right? But give it time, and work out regularly, your body starts to get used to the work out and pretty soon, you won’t even notice that it hurts anymore. It’s the same when playing those bar chords for guitar. Your hands are not yet used to doing that, but if you practice constantly and diligently, you “work out” your hands and train them to play those barre chords. Over time, it will get easier as the muscles in your hands and fingers “remember” the movements you use in playing bar chords for guitar.
Bar Chords For Guitar – Be careful in positioning your hand and fingers
When playing those bar chords for guitar, you should be very careful to note where your fingers are positioned. Sometimes, a chord may end up sounding muted because of the positioning of the fingers. The thumb should always be behind the guitar neck, NOT on top of it, because it basically acts as the support for the rest of your fingers. Imagine the neck of the guitar as being sandwiched in between your thumb and the fingers on the guitar fingerboard – that is what your hand should look like ideally when playing a bar chords for guitar. Watch your hands and fingers – be sure to check if your fingers are properly positioned on the guitar fingerboard, otherwise, the chord you are attempting may sound off. Also, make it a point to check that your wrist is in good alignment, that way, you can maximize your hand’s potential in positioning for the various chords.
Bar Chords For Guitar – Mind your posture
We may not realize it, but our posture when playing the guitar contributes a lot to the quality of our playing. For beginners, you may find that when you are standing up or when your guitar is hanging too low on your body, it is more difficult to make those barre chords sound right. Try playing your guitar sitting down, and bring the neck closer to you so that you can be more comfortable. Also, try putting your left elbow closer to your body – it helps.
Now don’t let those barre chords intimidate you. In fact, when it gets more difficult, that is when you should strive more. Remember that every great guitarist went through the same thing, but they became great at bar chords for guitar because they just kept practicing and practicing.