She is a brilliant teacher. Starting at the 5th fret instead of the 1st was a big improvement. Then gradually moving fingers up the fret makes the method gain traction. New subscriber.
I’ve made a lot of progress lately but realized my mediocre barre technique was holding me back. Your approach is so sensible - progressive and systematic. Why don’t more teachers teach this way?!? I will devour the PDF. Many many thanks, Merce!
If you make the exercises with care and attention to the detail I'm sure you will improve. If you have any question as you work on it, please feel free to write back :) merry Christmas!!!
Your teaching skills are excellent. The way you break things down is methodical and progressive. But, more than that, your delivery is extraordinary. You mention just enough, and no more, in a perfect logical progression. It's very rare to find someone with skills like that on video tutorials. Very, very well done, Merce.
Awesome. Your instruction on how to bend the index finger is really helpful. That made a big difference instantly. There's still some work on my end but thanks, this is a great video.
It may be worth bearing in mind is that there are broadly two basic positions of the barre: one when you need to place two or three fingers at the same fret (so-called 'chord position') and one for when you need a finger for each fret (so-called 'scale position'). This is exactly the same as for non-barre playing. Each of these positions will require a slightly different position of the thumb.
Hi MiProfe! Interesting! First time I hear them being called that way, but it's useful to know thanks! :) The thumb indeed changes but I've seen that this also depends on the hand size. Bigger hands might keep the thumb more static (as they have more margin before they need to use any stretch to reach a position/fret) while smaller hands we tend to keep it very movable to accommodate any harder reach. Therefore I didn't mention this much in the video, I find is quite personal from player to player and I didn't want to recommend something that might be counterproductive for the viewers :)
I have played guitar, mostly folky finger picking and some classical. . . since 1967. And all that time, I have hated barre chords! This is so helpful. Thank you for continuing to provide your expertise. !Gracias, Maestra!
Cool! very honored to help you out on that @Robert Hunt!!! With this detailed practice, if done with attention I'm sure you will get down the barre technique with ease pretty soon :) Keep me posted! Best wishes to you and merry christmas!!
Thank you @guitarrista666! I'll check Douglas channel, I didn't know about him :) Its great tough more classical guitarists make more tutorials so one can have different approaches, tips and points of view. Thanks for discovering me his videos! :) Happy holidays!
Hello Merce, i am not a classical guitarist but i have been watching your videos ,partiticularly on Barre chords as i have recently began playing guitar after over 30 years. I greatly appreciate your knowledge< it is helping me so much!
Thank you Merce. This is very helpful - my teacher used to ask that I played the three barre studies by Sor and Alard every morning when I was studying many years ago! I stopped playing 30 + years ago but will start again.
I am so excited because today I attended a piano concerto by Kirill , Anna, and their daughter. It instilled a greater desire to persue Classical Guitar. I asked Kirill questions about fugues, vs cannons, how to count 32nd notes, slurs, and how many notes are on the piano keyboard. He answered all of my questions with the greatest of ease. Then he asked me if I had a classical guitar teacher was, and I proclamed ever so proudly, Merce Front, from Spain.
He said the same thing you did, starting with sight reading 30 minutes. He also covered fuges and cannons, and talked about the question then the reply, like you did in one of your tutorials. I realized earlier in life that I had to learn things about guitar, but even more about music. You go much deeper than most, because it is not just a fad or some passing desire, like for most. For the professionals like you, it is a way of life. I watch other people teaching classical guitar on youtube, but the others seem to brush through the drills and cover the highlights, but you are much more thorough.
wow. after, perhaps, FOREVER, I've struggled with Barre Chords until this very Lesson. ! Not a Classical Player but learning Acoustic, all of your Lessons prove to be clear, simple and very helpful. Thank you for all of your Efforts you take to share with all of us! May your Generosity be returned to you 1,000 fold.
Thank you for this excellent tutorial! I play electric guitar and have been struggling with barre chords. Turning to classical guitar tutorials and exercises has helped me a lot eventhough I am just in the beginning on my journey 🙂
What a great tutorial ... clear, logical and full of helpful detail. I've been using your 'Special Barre Sauce' for three days now and it has helped me make rapid improvement. Today, I did the entire exercise on all six strings slowly, but cleanly, for the first time. Many thanks.
Glad you think so! I guess one always learns small details during the making: new problems, new solutions! But hopefully, every time less problems :D hahaha
Just discovered your channel. Thank you so much for your guidance, it's almost like you are reading all my problems with the Barre, in your other mistakes class. My sincere gratitude for what you do in making us better guitarists
Very nice tutorial!! I think it would also be good to note the left hand thumb position for the 5 and 6 string barre as regards to the neck width, this is important for the different sizes of the left hand.
Thanks for another super clear explanation! I recently discovered your channel and watched some of your videos in the meantime. You are not only a good guitarist but also a very good teacher. Your explanation is very detailed and you also give very clear examples where things can often go wrong. I am really excited! Thank you very much for your tutorials!!!👍❤️
I have a pretty strong left hand grip from doing barres over the years .I had a lot of tension in me starting out. I always powered down to get a clear sound. Some pieces still require it. Classical guitar really requires a strong will and determination. Pieces with lots of Barre chords scare guitarists off really fast. Gavota Madrigal by Barrios . I just ran through it three times. Lots of barres in that. I love it.
This is a magical technique which finally works for me I am a complete novice to guitar But it is from your video that I have finally deciphered the proper technique to practice Barre chords, which is stating to play Barre chords just with two strings. Although I need to practice it a lot, but at least I am getting proper sounds from all the strings now. Lovely approach that solves my problem. Can't thank you more Ma'm
Greetings! I've been playing electric guitar all of my adult life one thing I can add is a quality instrument is very important to make your fingering less stressful.
I've seen players who can barre an A-chord formation by just using their ring finger on the 2nd,3rd, and 4th strings. Any suggestions on how to accomplish this? Excellent presentation and thanks for the PDF.
I've watched a couple of dozen vids about how to do barre chords but still have never been able to do them well. This vid is so thorough and impressive - I look forward to practicing these routines thoroughly. New subscriber! Edit: are these techniques directly applicable to acoustic guitar style too, or are they classical-guitar-specific?
I haven't finished the video/training yet, maybe nothing will come of this for me (pretty sure my actions too high) BUT I commend you for helping people/me start from square one. The only other UA-cam help I've got was "turn your finger to the side a bit for bone help" basically... To sum it up, this should help me learn to do Barre chords even if my guitar won't allow it. I can at least know I'm doing it correctly.
Great video, Merce. Highly underrated channel. I think that the strength of the Pollicis (thumb muscles) need to be developed, just like with any other muscle. Funny thing, the other day I held up both thumbs next to each other, and I noticed that my left-hand Pollicis is a bit thicker than the right one.
Absolutely! We've got to train our hands with care to slowly get them moving the way we need them to! Is a long distance run, but very exciting and rewarding! :)
Merce I am kind of excited. I mix in your drills in between the music I am trying to learn. However, I want to cover several items where I was wrong. 1. Trying to advance too quickly by playing music that is too far above my ability. Correction: Not advancing to the next piece until all the simpler music is played flawlessly. 2. Having unrealistic expectations. Correction: By playing whatever is in front of me, at a tempo without mistakes. Also by relaxing before getting to the difficult part. I sing, and if I tighten up, I will not be able to hit the high notes, or fulfill the voice control for sustained notes. Since the last communication, my right hand pinki, or S, is getting involved in tremolo, and I can play stuff much better than I could before. Thank you!
Thank you for your detailed response. I have been playing for about 20 years withour direction. It started by getting a classical guitar because I wanted to have a voice like Bing Crosby accompanied by the beautiful classical guitar. I used to wake up playing the guitar but drifted away for about 8 years. I realized that I finally wanted to play Classical music or play Flamenco as the guitar type was designed, but not limited to that style of music. I am still trying to play at least 10 different classical pieces that are familiar to most. I am not there yet. Those pieces include Spanish Romance, with single note lead, block chords, trippletts, classical and flamenco tremolo. I would also like to play the Entertainer, and the guitar equivalent of The Third Man. You are helping me and soon I will include most of your exercises in my development. I can play bits and pieces of classical work, but not the entire passage. This is where I languish at the current time. I don't know where you reside, but you are too far away for me to visit. I don't know how you have the time to answer everyone and maintain your professional schedule. You are a blessing to many classical wanderers that are drifting around Lost in Space in the world of music.
the mystery of time... it's a daily challenge to manage everything but I like to help as much as I can. Keep it up william! hope to be back in youtube someday with new tutorials for you guys :) hugs
Well I'm going to watch this because there's always a speck of gold to be lifted from a guitar technique video but I really don't have any problem with barre chords
Warming up with your left hand drills has been helpful. I had to practice slowly, especially during the barre exercise. I did not realize my thumb was out of position.
Thanks a lot. I've found i can practice the exercise in a relaxed mode because i don't need to stop my breathing pattern in order to put strong tension in the left hand. Great.
@@MerceFont Thanks Merce. Yes this year was at least quite productive. My tone production improved a lot. I remember when I first asked you about that, it seemed like I would never solve it, but now I'm getting at least a proper intermediate level tone. Merce, I have to say you are a great teacher, very direct and you are really valued in the community. Thank you for helping us mere mortals. And have a lovely Christmas.
Very interesting concept, on using your arm instead of always the thumb to control the pressure. I have never thought about that this way before but it makes perfect sense. Thank you very much for this knowledge that you share with us ! ❤️
After watching your warm up drills, I started sight reading first, before I played. It actually worked as a wake up call, and I wanted to play what I was sight reading. Secondly, i played easy pieces, and familiar pieces that I can play. During this exercise I realized my left hand finger positioning was incorrect. So I did several of your left hand exercises, then repeated the previous drill and there was improvement. From here on, I am considering myself to be a beginner leaving my ego in behind. I am to sing Cristmas songs today, in front of others, oh my God, accompanied with my classical guitar. Singing is second nature, but playing guitar in front of strangers is new territory. Thank you Merce.
@@MerceFont The performance was excellent. The husband, wife, and daughter played at the same time, but mostly husband and wife, then solo performances. He explained, they use sheet music when playing togather, so the other person can step in if needed at any time. Then he played solo without the sheet music of something that consisted of a 7 piece movement from memory. My God. After the performance, when I was asking the questions, I told him that the performances were so effortless, that turning the pages seemed to be the most difficult part of the performance. Turning the pages while two hands are fully occupied on the guitar worries me.
yep, that's a common problem. Maybe use a mirror while you practice for a few days until you start to get used to the new elbow position when you need Barre :)
Experience at your skill level is so attentive and detailed I look at my hands with new inspiration and practice with new understanding. Thank you for opening my senses up learning.
I have been working your barre drill and currently I am getting thumb tension of the 4 string barre. My left index finger wants to go straight instead of wrapping closer around the neck like yours. But I am not worried. I have been working the right hand pinki in with tremolo excercises, my goal is to play various patterns of tremolo using different fingering combinations, without having to think about it. I am not there yet, however your right hand speed drills work well for that. I have found that while practicing that I had a tendency to have a list of your exercises to practice daily, and the common mistake so far has been to hurry through one drill to get to the next. Each exercise is important and one should concentrate fully on the piece they are playing at the time. That was corrected this morning. How ridiculous I have been. Your hardest drill for me is the finger independence exercise. Merce why are the simplest pieces so difficult to play? To correct this error, I am trying to treat all the pieces of music in front of me the same, whether it is Romance, Leyenda, Moonlight Sonata, or your independent finger exercise. Regardless of my plight, my confidence is building due to your instruction. The funny part is I am really a singer that wanted to learn to play the classical guitar.
Excellent tips! When barring an A major-shaped chord, are you able to barre strings 2, 3, and 4 only using the ring finger (in addition to the major barre using the index finger)?
Just what I needed. Doing Barre Chords has been a total hassle, especially on a guitar with a thick neck. I wish I knew all of this when I was still taking classical guitar all those years ago.
No worries, I'm sure you'll slowly find your way with it :) Just be smart with the hand positioning and you should get the barre sounding in no time! :)
For the full barre actually I use the weight of my arm to grip on the strings. Pulling back the fretboard might help in some cases but might not be the best choice for some others, plus, if you manage to turn your arm weight in 'free' energy to press the barre is less effort that you will need to do with your hand. A new video with more tips will be coming soon so it will be explained in more detail :)
I have been attempting to play Classical Guitar for quite sometime, incorrectly, I might add, and then I found your tutorials. My weekness is definately with the left hand, and thanks to your left hand drills, I have hope for future development. I was not trained properly at the start and I lift my fingers too high off the fret board, and my barre was terrible. But, thanks to your exercises, I can see and feel improvement. I do have one question concerning tremolo. Can the right hand pinki be used during tremolo?
using the little finger for tremolo is not common for classical guitar standard repertoire but if you train the finger well enough and the nail shape is properly done, I don't see why you couldn't use it. In fact there are some composers nowadays that do use the pinky finger of the right hand for some arpeggios and effects. let me know if you manage to get an even tremolo with that! would be great to see it! :D
Thank you for your response, but I want to improve the standard way first. The Pinki nail was broken and has not returned to equal the other fingers. Your Speed Drills have given physical and mental freedom to improve. I struggle with the Staccato version of the exercise, but the progress is slow. For example, I try to play Spanish Romance using single note leads, then trippletts, then tremolo. Is that a good way to learn by adding difficulty to the same piece? You are giving me excellent instruction that I should have received as a beginner. I thank God I found you. Sincerely, Bill W.
Really helpful video. I am going work through the exercises and try and improve the sound quality of my chords. Great to hear your new chair is helping you. 😂
Oh yeah, that would be good for a more advanced barre tutorial where we see all the other barre possibilities with the other fingers. This chord you wrote I'd probably try the fingerings (numbers below are fingers, not frets) x 1 3 2 4 4 Or, if your second finger allows such bending do something like that: x 1 2 2 3 4 Or even weirder but still possible for some: x 1 2 2 3 3 😳 Please, be careful with trying those, don't want you to hurt your fingers! hahaha I would probably go for the first option I wrote as the second finger bended whilst still needing other fingers on the bass strings, is not something I'd feel comfortable playing on speed, so I'd prefer to have an Amin type of shape and then stretch out the 4th as a mini barre. I know for some guitarist is super comfortable to bend the distal phalanx of the 3rd finger, then the third option is the simplest, otherwise an hybrid will be the second... Which fingering do you actually use? I'm curious... :D
omg I just realized it wrote that upside down... that was 1am 🤣... Its the Am/C sort of chord in the 5th bar. So 5 5 2 2 3 x I've been playing it the only way possible I think: 4 4 1 1 2 x Thanks for replying!
![How To Easily Play Barre Chords Without Pain & Buzzing - [Complete Guide]](/img/n.gif)
She is a brilliant teacher. Starting at the 5th fret instead of the 1st was a big improvement. Then gradually moving fingers up the fret makes the method gain traction. New subscriber.
I love how she says "Barre"
spanish style. could be her mother tongue
I’ve made a lot of progress lately but realized my mediocre barre technique was holding me back. Your approach is so sensible - progressive and systematic. Why don’t more teachers teach this way?!? I will devour the PDF. Many many thanks, Merce!
Barres are my nemesis 😡. Thank you for the excellent tutorial and pdf. Hoping for far lession tension with improved clarity 🎶
If you make the exercises with care and attention to the detail I'm sure you will improve. If you have any question as you work on it, please feel free to write back :) merry Christmas!!!
I accomplish anything I train myself to do, but I am definitely not doing the barchord correctly. Lol
Your teaching skills are excellent. The way you break things down is methodical and progressive. But, more than that, your delivery is extraordinary. You mention just enough, and no more, in a perfect logical progression. It's very rare to find someone with skills like that on video tutorials. Very, very well done, Merce.
Awesome. Your instruction on how to bend the index finger is really helpful. That made a big difference instantly. There's still some work on my end but thanks, this is a great video.
I've been struggling with barre chords for a long time. I finally feel that I have a path forward, thank you so much!
Best lesson that I've found for barre chords. Thanks so much.
When it comes to barre, not everyone talks about the thumb, thanks for the amazing tutorial
thank you very much. im almost 60yo, and i am just starting t learn guitar. thank you for the tips. i will let you know if i am learning.
Awesome! Practice well! 😊
It may be worth bearing in mind is that there are broadly two basic positions of the barre: one when you need to place two or three fingers at the same fret (so-called 'chord position') and one for when you need a finger for each fret (so-called 'scale position'). This is exactly the same as for non-barre playing. Each of these positions will require a slightly different position of the thumb.
Hi MiProfe! Interesting! First time I hear them being called that way, but it's useful to know thanks! :) The thumb indeed changes but I've seen that this also depends on the hand size. Bigger hands might keep the thumb more static (as they have more margin before they need to use any stretch to reach a position/fret) while smaller hands we tend to keep it very movable to accommodate any harder reach. Therefore I didn't mention this much in the video, I find is quite personal from player to player and I didn't want to recommend something that might be counterproductive for the viewers :)
I have played guitar, mostly folky finger picking and some classical. . . since 1967. And all that time, I have hated barre chords! This is so helpful. Thank you for continuing to provide your expertise. !Gracias, Maestra!
Also watch Douglas Neidt's video here on UA-cam on how to perform this technique. With Merce and Doug's
help, it will be water off a duck's back !
Cool! very honored to help you out on that @Robert Hunt!!! With this detailed practice, if done with attention I'm sure you will get down the barre technique with ease pretty soon :) Keep me posted! Best wishes to you and merry christmas!!
Thank you @guitarrista666! I'll check Douglas channel, I didn't know about him :) Its great tough more classical guitarists make more tutorials so one can have different approaches, tips and points of view. Thanks for discovering me his videos! :) Happy holidays!
Hello Merce, i am not a classical guitarist but i have been watching your videos ,partiticularly on Barre chords as i have recently began playing guitar after over 30 years. I greatly appreciate your knowledge< it is helping me so much!
a very instructive guitar lesson from a beautiful lady guitar master. BRAVO, BRAVO
Thank you Merce. This is very helpful - my teacher used to ask that I played the three barre studies by Sor and Alard every morning when I was studying many years ago! I stopped playing 30 + years ago but will start again.
I am so excited because today I attended a piano concerto by Kirill , Anna, and their daughter. It instilled a greater desire to persue Classical Guitar.
I asked Kirill questions about fugues, vs cannons, how to count 32nd notes, slurs, and how many notes are on the piano keyboard.
He answered all of my questions with the greatest of ease.
Then he asked me if I had a classical guitar teacher was, and I proclamed ever so proudly, Merce Front, from Spain.
hahaha you are so kind william! happy to know all the content is helping you! more will be coming next year! 😁
He said the same thing you did, starting with sight reading 30 minutes. He also covered fuges and cannons, and talked about the question then the reply, like you did in one of your tutorials.
I realized earlier in life that I had to learn things about guitar, but even more about music.
You go much deeper than most, because it is not just a fad or some passing desire, like for most. For the professionals like you, it is a way of life.
I watch other people teaching classical guitar on youtube, but the others seem to brush through the drills and cover the highlights, but you are much more thorough.
This is the exercise I have been looking for, very incremental with definite results. Its not a sprint but a marathon 🙂. Enjoy the experience.
Enjoy! :)
wow. after, perhaps, FOREVER, I've struggled with Barre Chords until this very Lesson. ! Not a Classical Player but learning Acoustic, all of your Lessons prove to be clear, simple and very helpful. Thank you for all of your Efforts you take to share with all of us! May your Generosity be returned to you 1,000 fold.
Glad it helped! :)
Thank you for this excellent tutorial! I play electric guitar and have been struggling with barre chords. Turning to classical guitar tutorials and exercises has helped me a lot eventhough I am just in the beginning on my journey 🙂
What a great tutorial ... clear, logical and full of helpful detail. I've been using your 'Special Barre Sauce' for three days now and it has helped me make rapid improvement. Today, I did the entire exercise on all six strings slowly, but cleanly, for the first time. Many thanks.
This is so great to hear!🥳🥳🥳🥳
Very helpful. I have to say your videos are getting better and better.
Glad you think so! I guess one always learns small details during the making: new problems, new solutions! But hopefully, every time less problems :D hahaha
Extremely helpful, thank you!
You're welcome! :)
I would also suggest using left hand weight. That does a majority of the work.
Thank you very much, your video has been very helpful to an old man trying to learn and use barre chords.
Just discovered your channel. Thank you so much for your guidance, it's almost like you are reading all my problems with the Barre, in your other mistakes class. My sincere gratitude for what you do in making us better guitarists
Thank you for tip for playing the Barre with the index finger. Has helped 😊
A brilliant exercise with a very helpful PDF. Thank you. Paul Lucas.
Thank you for your teaching and help with this ....
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice tutorial!! I think it would also be good to note the left hand thumb position for the 5 and 6 string barre as regards to the neck width, this is important for the different sizes of the left hand.
Thanks for another super clear explanation! I recently discovered your channel and watched some of your videos in the meantime. You are not only a good guitarist but also a very good teacher. Your explanation is very detailed and you also give very clear examples where things can often go wrong. I am really excited! Thank you very much for your tutorials!!!👍❤️
Awesome, thank you for your nice feedback, always very appreciated 😊💝
Great instruction! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
Your skill is advanced 💙 God bless you
I have a pretty strong left hand grip from doing barres over the years .I had a lot of tension in me starting out. I always powered down to get a clear sound. Some pieces still require it. Classical guitar really requires a strong will and determination. Pieces with lots of Barre chords scare guitarists off really fast. Gavota Madrigal by Barrios . I just ran through it three times. Lots of barres in that. I love it.
Best bar chord instruction and drills I've found both online or in the lessons I've taken. Thank you.
aw thank you for your kind words! glad I could help :)
This is a magical technique which finally works for me
I am a complete novice to guitar
But it is from your video that I have finally deciphered the proper technique to practice Barre chords, which is stating to play Barre chords just with two strings. Although I need to practice it a lot, but at least I am getting proper sounds from all the strings now.
Lovely approach that solves my problem.
Can't thank you more Ma'm
Thanks you Merce. I just started learning classical guitar months ago and this tutorial is exactly what I need.
Greetings! I've been playing electric guitar all of my adult life one thing I can add is a quality instrument is very important to make your fingering less stressful.
I've seen players who can barre an A-chord formation by just using their ring finger on the 2nd,3rd, and 4th strings. Any suggestions on how to accomplish this? Excellent presentation and thanks for the PDF.
I've watched a couple of dozen vids about how to do barre chords but still have never been able to do them well. This vid is so thorough and impressive - I look forward to practicing these routines thoroughly. New subscriber!
Edit: are these techniques directly applicable to acoustic guitar style too, or are they classical-guitar-specific?
Very clear presentation and great exercises in the PDF. Thank you.
i love your professional detail info. great job!
my finger hurts
Great video! Lots of great info here. I was doing ok with it then all of a sudden WHAM! your fingers were moving at lightening speed!!! Blows my mind!
Best tutorial I have come across. Are you still available for new students?
Thanks so much, this is really breaking it down into smaller steps I can work on!
Thanks for the lesson!
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent. I will definitely practice this.
Thank you for this excellent tutorial!
You're very welcome! :)
This is the best way to get into playing correctly barre cords, thanks, Great tutorial!
Great lesson thank you!
I haven't finished the video/training yet, maybe nothing will come of this for me (pretty sure my actions too high) BUT I commend you for helping people/me start from square one. The only other UA-cam help I've got was "turn your finger to the side a bit for bone help" basically...
To sum it up, this should help me learn to do Barre chords even if my guitar won't allow it. I can at least know I'm doing it correctly.
Great video, Merce. Highly underrated channel.
I think that the strength of the Pollicis (thumb muscles) need to be developed, just like with any other muscle. Funny thing, the other day I held up both thumbs next to each other, and I noticed that my left-hand Pollicis is a bit thicker than the right one.
Absolutely! We've got to train our hands with care to slowly get them moving the way we need them to! Is a long distance run, but very exciting and rewarding! :)
Thank you merce❤ i'm using your playlist . You help me a lot 🫂❤
Merce I am kind of excited. I mix in your drills in between the music I am trying to learn. However, I want to cover several items where I was wrong.
1. Trying to advance too quickly by playing music that is too far above my ability.
Correction: Not advancing to the next piece until all the simpler music is played flawlessly.
2. Having unrealistic expectations.
Correction: By playing whatever is in front of me, at a tempo without mistakes. Also by relaxing before getting to the difficult part.
I sing, and if I tighten up, I will not be able to hit the high notes, or fulfill the voice control for sustained notes.
Since the last communication, my right hand pinki, or S, is getting involved in tremolo, and I can play stuff much better than I could before. Thank you!
Muchas grqacias por tu manual
The barre exercises were very helpful,thanks for sharing.
Glad you like them!
It helped a lot, thank you :)
Very good information 🙂
Thank you for your detailed response. I have been playing for about 20 years withour direction.
It started by getting a classical guitar because I wanted to have a voice like Bing Crosby accompanied by the beautiful classical guitar.
I used to wake up playing the guitar but drifted away for about 8 years. I realized that I finally wanted to play Classical music or play Flamenco as the guitar type was designed, but not limited to that style of music. I am still trying to play at least 10 different classical pieces that are familiar to most.
I am not there yet. Those pieces include Spanish Romance, with single note lead, block chords, trippletts, classical and flamenco tremolo.
I would also like to play the Entertainer, and the guitar equivalent of The Third Man.
You are helping me and soon I will include most of your exercises in my development.
I can play bits and pieces of classical work, but not the entire passage. This is where I languish at the current time.
I don't know where you reside, but you are too far away for me to visit. I don't know how you have the time to answer everyone and maintain your professional schedule. You are a blessing to many classical wanderers that are drifting around Lost in Space in the world of music.
the mystery of time... it's a daily challenge to manage everything but I like to help as much as I can. Keep it up william! hope to be back in youtube someday with new tutorials for you guys :) hugs
I have got this pdf file by email. It is helpful. Thank you very much
I'm learning regular guitar (not classical) but your videos are good for technique!
Cool, thanks!
Thank you Merce 😊
Well I'm going to watch this because there's always a speck of gold to be lifted from a guitar technique video but I really don't have any problem with barre chords
Thanks so much.i really enjoy all your lessons.
Sam.
Warming up with your left hand drills has been helpful. I had to practice slowly, especially during the barre exercise. I did not realize my thumb was out of position.
A superb tutorial from a charming lady. Helped me so much. Thanks a lot.
Awesome! So happy to help! :)
I’m so glad to find your videos
Thank you 🙏
You are very welcome! :)
very helpful, very clear explanations -- thank you!
You're very welcome!
Thanks a lot. I've found i can practice the exercise in a relaxed mode because i don't need to stop my breathing pattern in order to put strong tension in the left hand. Great.
Wonderful!
This is a really good one Merce. Now you've given me a program for the next month. Thank you.
Thanks Blah!! You got this! I wish you great practice and happy holidays!! :)
@@MerceFont Thanks Merce. Yes this year was at least quite productive. My tone production improved a lot. I remember when I first asked you about that, it seemed like I would never solve it, but now I'm getting at least a proper intermediate level tone.
Merce, I have to say you are a great teacher, very direct and you are really valued in the community. Thank you for helping us mere mortals.
And have a lovely Christmas.
Very interesting concept, on using your arm instead of always the thumb to control the pressure. I have never thought about that this way before but it makes perfect sense. Thank you very much for this knowledge that you share with us ! ❤️
After watching your warm up drills, I started sight reading first, before I played. It actually worked as a wake up call, and I wanted to play what I was sight reading.
Secondly, i played easy pieces, and familiar pieces that I can play. During this exercise I realized my left hand finger positioning was incorrect. So I did several of your left hand exercises, then repeated the previous drill and there was improvement.
From here on, I am considering myself to be a beginner leaving my ego in behind.
I am to sing Cristmas songs today, in front of others, oh my God, accompanied with my classical guitar. Singing is second nature, but playing guitar in front of strangers is new territory.
Thank you Merce.
Nice, how did the performance go? :D
@@MerceFont The performance was excellent. The husband, wife, and daughter played at the same time, but mostly husband and wife, then solo performances.
He explained, they use sheet music when playing togather, so the other person can step in if needed at any time. Then he played solo without the sheet music of something that consisted of a 7 piece movement from memory. My God.
After the performance, when I was asking the questions, I told him that the performances were so effortless, that turning the pages seemed to be the most difficult part of the performance.
Turning the pages while two hands are fully occupied on the guitar worries me.
Pensé que me faltaba desarrollar mucha fuerza en el índice. Pero ese no era el problema. Gracias!! Me ayudaste mucho. Tus consejos valen oro. 🥰
Muchas gracias!!! como dicen, más vale maña que fuerza! hahha y en guitarra hay mucho más de destreza que fuerza fisica 😃
Thank you for all your detailed lessons. They are so well done and helpful
You're very welcome!
I sugest yousers get a waat for that hand... I had to use them after sergery ... they work! I youse them 8 times a day!
Thank you... I've been struggling with this. I'm struggling with elbow position and tend to get a non straight finger too easily.
yep, that's a common problem. Maybe use a mirror while you practice for a few days until you start to get used to the new elbow position when you need Barre :)
@@MerceFont I've recorded myself. I think that will help. Thank you so much. You're brilliant.
Experience at your skill level is so attentive and detailed I look at my hands with new inspiration and practice with new understanding. Thank you for opening my senses up learning.
Thank you so much 😀
Thanks a lot !!!
I have been working your barre drill and currently I am getting thumb tension of the 4 string barre. My left index finger wants to go straight instead of wrapping closer around the neck like yours. But I am not worried.
I have been working the right hand pinki in with tremolo excercises, my goal is to play various patterns of tremolo using different fingering combinations, without having to think about it. I am not there yet, however your right hand speed drills work well for that.
I have found that while practicing that I had a tendency to have a list of your exercises to practice daily, and the common mistake so far has been to hurry through one drill to get to the next. Each exercise is important and one should concentrate fully on the piece they are playing at the time. That was corrected this morning. How ridiculous I have been.
Your hardest drill for me is the finger independence exercise. Merce why are the simplest pieces so difficult to play? To correct this error, I am trying to treat all the pieces of music in front of me the same, whether it is Romance, Leyenda, Moonlight Sonata, or your independent finger exercise. Regardless of my plight, my confidence is building due to your instruction. The funny part is I am really a singer that wanted to learn to play the classical guitar.
Excellent tips! When barring an A major-shaped chord, are you able to barre strings 2, 3, and 4 only using the ring finger (in addition to the major barre using the index finger)?
Thank you very much for every lesson you have offered with some complementary pdf. More successful in your career ahead as a classical guitarist !
Thank you! So nice of you :)
Está increíble la clase, muchas gracias. Calisténicos muy melódicos. Bless you!
Gracias Alvaro!! un saludo!
Full barre in 1st fret using high tension strings is a nightmare, but I hope this exercises help me to reach that goal. Thanks
This is a very helpful video - for all kinds of guitar players! 👍
Glad you think so!
You are such a great teacher and a beautiful woman. Very nice video.
Thank you! 😃
Thx again Merce! Could you show some exercises for left and right hand coordination? Would really appreciate that thx
hi eric! thank you for the message! Will totally work on a video with only coordination exercises. Thank you for your feedback! 😊
Just what I needed. Doing Barre Chords has been a total hassle, especially on a guitar with a thick neck. I wish I knew all of this when I was still taking classical guitar all those years ago.
No worries, I'm sure you'll slowly find your way with it :) Just be smart with the hand positioning and you should get the barre sounding in no time! :)
Grazie mille❤
Very helpful-thank you ❤
you are very welcome!
StrengHT or strengTH ❤. Thank you so much, very good tips 👍🏽
For a full bar do you pull with the left arm or elbow at all?
For the full barre actually I use the weight of my arm to grip on the strings. Pulling back the fretboard might help in some cases but might not be the best choice for some others, plus, if you manage to turn your arm weight in 'free' energy to press the barre is less effort that you will need to do with your hand. A new video with more tips will be coming soon so it will be explained in more detail :)
I have been attempting to play Classical Guitar for quite sometime, incorrectly, I might add, and then I found your tutorials. My weekness is definately with the left hand, and thanks to your left hand drills, I have hope for future development.
I was not trained properly at the start and I lift my fingers too high off the fret board, and my barre was terrible. But, thanks to your exercises, I can see and feel improvement.
I do have one question concerning tremolo. Can the right hand pinki be used during tremolo?
using the little finger for tremolo is not common for classical guitar standard repertoire but if you train the finger well enough and the nail shape is properly done, I don't see why you couldn't use it. In fact there are some composers nowadays that do use the pinky finger of the right hand for some arpeggios and effects. let me know if you manage to get an even tremolo with that! would be great to see it! :D
Thank you for your response, but I want to improve the standard way first. The Pinki nail was broken and has not returned to equal the other fingers. Your Speed Drills have given physical and mental freedom to improve.
I struggle with the Staccato version of the exercise, but the progress is slow.
For example, I try to play Spanish Romance using single note leads, then trippletts, then tremolo.
Is that a good way to learn by adding difficulty to the same piece?
You are giving me excellent instruction that I should have received as a beginner. I thank God I found you.
Sincerely,
Bill W.
Excelente tutorial Merce, siempre se aprende con usted.
muchas gracias Gary!! feliz año y buena practica!
thanks for the video and pdf
Most welcome!
Really helpful video. I am going work through the exercises and try and improve the sound quality of my chords. Great to hear your new chair is helping you. 😂
Glad it was helpful!
After buying a new classical guitar, I realize how crappy I play. Back to beginnings :) Thank you for your patient explanations!
enjoy it!! :)
Thank you very much❤❤❤
This is I guess the best barre chords tutorial I saw, it was very helpful, thanks you ❤
first day trying barre chords... that was very hard!!!
I’m learning Kindgrens arrangement of 846, and there is a barre like
X
3
2
2
5
5
Would love to see something on barres like this!
Oh yeah, that would be good for a more advanced barre tutorial where we see all the other barre possibilities with the other fingers. This chord you wrote I'd probably try the fingerings (numbers below are fingers, not frets)
x
1
3
2
4
4
Or, if your second finger allows such bending do something like that:
x
1
2
2
3
4
Or even weirder but still possible for some:
x
1
2
2
3
3
😳 Please, be careful with trying those, don't want you to hurt your fingers! hahaha I would probably go for the first option I wrote as the second finger bended whilst still needing other fingers on the bass strings, is not something I'd feel comfortable playing on speed, so I'd prefer to have an Amin type of shape and then stretch out the 4th as a mini barre. I know for some guitarist is super comfortable to bend the distal phalanx of the 3rd finger, then the third option is the simplest, otherwise an hybrid will be the second... Which fingering do you actually use? I'm curious... :D
omg I just realized it wrote that upside down... that was 1am 🤣... Its the Am/C sort of chord in the 5th bar. So
5
5
2
2
3
x
I've been playing it the only way possible I think:
4
4
1
1
2
x
Thanks for replying!