Lesson: Barre Chords for the Classical Guitar

Playing barre chords on the classical guitar can be a major obstacle for many beginners. Many people believe they require a lot of strength, and that we need to press very hard with our first finger. However, the opposite is true. We need to stay relaxed so that we can be accurate with our finger placement. It is also important so we can play other melodic material or anything else that is under the barre.

[@colink4823]

This has changed how I approach barre chords. Great video

[@Gyarukeir]

tysm

[@GarySchiltz]

On the road to good barre technique, this is step 1. Maybe it goes without saying, but I'd like your take on the following: Step 0 should be to make sure your guitar is setup properly! So many beginner guitars have too high an action, both at the nut (fret 0) and at fret 12 (from too high a saddle). And most beginners aren't going to go to a luthier (at least not right away) to have the guitar properly setup. The closeups in your video look like your guitar has a pretty low action, making it inherently easier to do a proper barre without buzze (pun intended).

[@upsidegaming7134]

What the… this is actually magic. I want to thank you so much.

[@davehumphreys1725]

Thanks for the video. However, a problem that I have been struggling with.... for 45 years...... is this. I can lay my index finger flat across all 6 strings, apply a little pressure, and get a reasonable sound from each string. Obviously, it gets a little harder further up the neck. BUT, as soon as I place ANY other finger down, my index finger gets pulled out of position, and the chord breaks down. Another problem is that the G-string INVARIABLY ends up right under the middle crease of my finger and the resulting note sounds dead or I get the inevitable buzzing.

[@ethanali1921]

A tip for the index getting pulled out of place is try keeping your thumb below halfway of the neck

[@BlissOn47]

No but how do I use my pinky three frets behind the barre without fucking up the barre?

[@mad-scientist6027]

Placing all my fingers close to the frets doesn't seem to help man, I have to apply massive force to avoid muting. I even start struggling with open chords due to exhaustion. It's not like I haven't played barre chords before, but it was easy on electric. Why is it so hard?

[@stana8211]

👌 pքɾօʍօʂʍ