You can play the F chord (XX3321) basically by eliminating the bar and starting from the 4th string. It doesn't sound as good as the real thing but it works
I'm almost 70. My left hand isn't strong, but I'm starting to master bar chords with your help and a lot of practice. Thanks so much for recording lessons like this one! You're a talented teacher. 🍎
I can relate. I am 74 (you young puppy, you!) and am coming back to the guitar...which I never played well, btw,...after 40 years or so. I was never, ever able to play barre chords! What is helping me here is the focus on elbow down, pressing guitar into body, sliding thumb further down to enable me to get a flatter index finger. Another idea I picked up is to imagine you are pressing the middle of the index finger down...impossible by itself but helps to get the two top phalanges straight. Also I’m finding that I was trying to use WAY too much pressure and proper technique and position means more than strength to me...a good thing as I don’t have anywhere near as much hand=strength. Thanks so much for an excellent lesson and I’m gonna go off now and work on it some more!
@@skintslots @swiftlessons and mine, i wish you put the scale of major chords you play on the amaj shape going down the neck like you did for the e if that makes sense lol
Don’t worry I’ve been playing for six years and realized today that my teacher taught me almost nothing, I learned TWO CHORDS and it was right before I stopped lessons. You’re doing a lot better than me.
@@infallible_8343 Whahaahha that's (sorry) hilarious. I learned like about 5 chords and my teacher tried to teach me some theory of the more advanced stuff but I really suck at power and bar chords lmao
Barre chords are a huge reason i stopped practicing guitar last year. I got frustrated with not being able to learn any of the songs i liked bc all the ones i wanted to learn had barre chords. I know that a lot of these could be gotten around, but i didn’t WANT to get around them. I wanted to learn! And i’m hoping that finally I can learn from you and it’ll help me get back into the swing of things :)
when I opened tabs for the song I liked my first question was: "how tf am I supposed to hold 6 strings if I have only 5 fingers and one of them is not doing anything?"
You have to be patient and continuous with bar chords. First, bar with index finger and play them how to be sound well. Next, add middle finger and so on. If paint, let change another bar chord.
How do you keep the joints in your index finger from muting the 2nd and 4th strings?! My finger bends right at those points and there's no way to make it press hard enough to get those two strings to sound out properly. I'm about ready to throw this stupid instrument off a damn cliff.
For people struggling with playing a B, the thing that was holding me back was placement of the thumb. Your thumb should be parallel with your middle finger and not your pointer finger in order to allow you to reach further. Hope this helps any other people struggling.
@@jdun1 Just practice. I thought it was impossible. I started playing guitar 2 months ago and I can pretty much play any barre chord easily no problem and quickly change between them. It will feel really good when you can do them just don't give up lol.
@@FabyArtz have you tried major 7th chords? I can do the simple barre ones but I'm finding its hard to be smooth with the 7th chords. Dudes be doing it effortlessly smh
@@jordinn5544 wow five months since i was having so much trouble. It comes eventually, but im still not good at making the shape fast enough. Im gonna find a vid that really helped me and post the link here
I have been playing guitar off and on for years and NO ONE has ever just said that the F chord, which is the bane of my existence, is just an E chord scooted down. I just played an F chord successfully for the first time. No shame. I’m excited about it! 😅🥳
This guy is BY FAR the best guitar instructor on UA-cam. The way he patiently explains is easy and concise. Been with him for years now, his lessons are STILL rock solid and helpful for people trying to learn!!
This guy explained the power of the position of the thumb. I think this makes sense. I thought I couldn't get Barr chords because my fingers were not long enough. Thank you
Thank you so much! I was in shock when I actually played a clean bar chord! It was such a pleasant surprise! I had just avoided them completely after failing at every attempt. I look forward to learning much more from your videos. BTW, I am a 61 year old beginner. The more I learn, the more I want to learn!
Put your fingers closer to the higher fret. so like | ^| this is the fret board. The Vertical lines are the metal frets and the arrow is your finger at a top down first person view. This is basic but helped me out so much
You will get it but it takes strengthening your grip between the thumb and index finger, that tip of placing your thumb lower on the neck worked really well for me, but the wrist hurts after a while.
The thumb position trick brought this into the realm of possibility for me. I'm going to need to practice this one a lot. Edit: you're the first one I've watched who mentioned that you can get every major chord with this shape and where the root note is.
So after surfing hundreds of UA-cam videos and several hours of fruitless attempts to play barre chords, here you are! This is a great lesson and my barre chords finally ring sweetly. Thank you so much!
Wrist and forearm strength is key. I've taken many breaks from playing guitar these past few years but recently I have been improving at barre chords rapidly since I worked a job stacking rocks all summer!
Thank you so much!! For the life of me, I couldn't play a barre chord and when I tried to bring it up to my guitar teacher, they just said I had to practice on my own time, now because of your video I know my thumb position was all out of whack and I can play them now like magic! Thank you thank you thank you, you saved my life! 😊 I literally spent hours of practicing and thought my finger was just shaped weird and I thought I would never get it but you proved otherwise I could kiss you 😭😭
OMG THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER GETTING A BAR CHORD! I've watched so many videos and this is the first one that allowed me to play one cleanly! Thank you so much!
just want you to know that this video is still helping out beginners like me nearly a decade later after this tutorial was released! I would do anything to not play a bar chord, and every video I watched to try to help just never clicked with me. It wasn't until you mentioned the thumb position that turned the buzzing strings into a beautiful chord! Thank you so much, I am so thankful for your teaching method! Because of you I can take my playing to a new level and continue to spread smiles through music. I want you to know you have made a difference to smiles all around the world :)
Hello friends, thanks so much for making this one of the UA-cam's most popular bar chord tutorials. I have some great lessons and resources planned for 2016, and can't wait to unveil them. If you have enjoy my work thus far, and want to help me expand into creating gear reviews, backing tracks, DVD's and more comprehensive lessons, please consider contributing $1 a month at Patreon.com/Swiftlessons. This will provide you access to exclusive lessons, corresponding tabs, and worksheets. I look forward to another great year of progress together. Thanks so much! -Rob
THANK YOU. I’ve been struggling with bar chords for a while. For some reason, no one ever told me thumb placement was important. I think that was what I was missing.
I struggled with barre chords in the early days also. A great tip I received was to use a capo on (say) 3rd fret and play the chords as you would with no capo…there is less tension on the strings with a capo so they are easier to push down. Try the F chord with a capo on 3rd or 5th fret, it will be easier and will keep you motivated to keep trying.
I've always played in open tuning because I just didn't understand how anything worked passed the open chords in standard, you explained it perfectly and I can't thank you enough. Excellent lesson, earned a sub.
Between moving my thumb down the neck and pressing it to my chest has helped IMMENSELY in creating a better sound. Still hurts cause I’m new, but holy crap, that helps so much!
I have been trying to learn bar chords for SO long and could not get a good sound. This video was so helpful-I can’t wait to learn new songs. Thank you so much!!!
I remember watching this video when i was first learning guitar. Now I came back to the same video a year later and i can say playing barre chords is pretty easy if you can master the technique and placement of your fingers! Dont lose hope guys if i can do it y’all can as well
Back when I was just starting to learn guitar, I struggled with bar chords so much, and this video was what helped me figure it out, this was so helpful!
I feel your pain. I struggled with barre chords in the early days also. A great tip I received was to use a capo on (say) 3rd fret and play the chords as you would with no capo…there is less tension on the strings with a capo so they are easier to push down. Try the F chord with a capo on 3rd or 5th fret, it will be easier and will keep you motivated to keep trying.
This was a light-bulb moment. Most teach barre cords with the thumb in the center of the neck (the vice-grip.) Moving my thumb to the bottom of the neck I can now finally make the cords ring out. Thank you!
Thanks for this lesson, you're a very good teacher! Sometimes I get a little disappointed and discouraged after trying a lot to play any bar chord and these happen: a) I can't play them clearly no matter what b) a few times I can play them clearly and most of the times I can't c) I get fatigued easily I guess :/ but I'm really trying to master those chords!! My favorite songs have bar chords and I want to learn to play the guitar for fun at least, so this is my motivation!
I started playing acoustic for the first time January 2020 I just recently in April can do bar chords, still will need a couple more months of practice to do seamless transitions with all these chords, if you're a beginner and can't reach or can't get it to ring out, try it out everyday, it'll work.
@@gemmafink5922 Same, if you want to do bar chords the finger you use to bar should be on it's side, that's the one thing I realized that got me to do it.
Don't you just love it when the light bulb above your head finally comes on? I just received this video suggestion from YT and glad I did. Although it's been around for almost six years, it's exactly what I needed to figure out what has been a complete mystery since I began trying to play barre chords a couple of years ago. It finally all came together because of this one video. Thank you!
Thanks. This is a very thorough lesson. It's a lot of info very quickly but the beauty of it is that the viewer can pause when needed, back up, play it over and over, and... it's free!
I was watching some other videos to learn about the Pentatonic scales and I was mostly confused as to why they are called E Minor or A Minor Pentatonic, but it is after watching this video especially at 2:12, things cleared up for me! Thanks for the names of the notes on the low E String!
I used to be on the circuit playing gigs. Had a couple of injuries (to left hand and right shoulder, of course) and it really demoralized me as far as my progress as a musician. COVID hampered my ability to play out further. Mid-"what am I gonna do with my life now??", I found these videos and it clicked to me. Of course! Guitar lessons. Taking it back to basics. And your videos have helped me get my hand PT in, Barre chords, finger stretches... and changed my outlook from stagnant to "just bringing it back to fundamentals and learning again." and thank you for that.
The tip about thumb placement helps a lot! I've always struggled with bar chords and it's really prohibited my ability to learn chord based songs compared to power chord based
For example...on the fifth fret, instead if trying to make the entire barre chord, start with just placing your index finger down across all the strings on the fifth fret, and pick/pluck each string one at a time. If any are muting, then re-adjust your index finger up or down. Also, place your index finger ON the fifth fret, and roll it back so that the meaty edge of your index finger is across all six strings, and pick/pluck each string, and if any are muting, adjust your index finger up, or down accordingly until there are no strings muting. When you have success with that, THEN start placing your other fingers down to make the entire barre chord. Just keep practicing, it will happen eventually. Hope this helps. Cheers! :)
1) use both hands 2) grab the guitar on the upper frets right around the nut area 3) lift the guitar high above your head 4) proceed to slam it on ground with full force 5) repeat step four as many times as you like thank me later
@@mmccartney6579 Ok I know this comment was not addressed to me and is a year old but JESUS CHRIST THANK YOU SO MUCH the advice to put your finger on the fret and to roll it back was more or less all I was missing besides practice.
I learned backwards, the Barre chords took me only 2 months to get them right,I struggled for 5 months with the c chord 😮💨after finally 7 months I can switch pretty easy from chords,I was stubborn and put in easily 4 hours at day ,consistency and stubbornness was the key for me.
thank you so much for this video, i've been playing barre chords for two years and the muting of the last 2 strings always confused me AND YOUR TIP WITH THE 50% LOWER HELPED SO MUCH thanks :)
Very helpful for a bass player trying to pick up guitar for fun. The thumb position and arm and chest pressure are things that really help! Thanks for the great vid.
you are sooooooo helpful, i seriously thought i wasnt going to be able to learn bar chords untill i found your video, thank you sooooooo much! keep up the good work! \m/
I am 70 and bought a guitar (Tanglewood, black) and started learning. I must say this lesson is uperb, and his advanced one on barr chords. I have just practiced a few (hundred) times and its really working....
Been playing a long time...always had problems with barre chords...your suggestion about moving the thumb below the halfway point on the neck has been a game changer! Thank you! It's weird how the little things can make all the difference....
I used to wake up every day and get inspired to finally lick bar chords. Then I would start practicing and quickly want to throw my guitar across the room. Same thing, every day, wash, rinse, repeat!!! Your video solved that problem immediately. I had watched a ton of videos about the subject and yours was the best by far! Thank you.
I've tried for weeks and there's no way I can do it. y fingers are just too short, I can't effectively cover all the strings and apply enough pressure for them to all to ring out.
Kyle Whitehead Every single guitar player has struggled with Barre chords. And one day, you got it. If you are struggling with the A form barre chord, with root on fifth string, use your ring finger to barre across the 2nd, 3rd and 4th string instead of using middle, ring, pinky as he shows in the video.
My left hand, from tip of thumb to tip of pinky barely stretches across the screen of this tablet I'm using (7 inches). I couldn't hold down a barre chord for ages, at least two years, but I did get there in the end. Keep going - practice works, honest!
Kyle Whitehead There are also finger stretching and strength exercises that help I bought a little Fender hand exerciser it helps and practice it does work be patient and keep trying don't let it defeat you adversity makes us stringer...
I am still learning but found that lowering the action on the strings and getting a smaller guitar has helped a TON. I can play barre chords, but not every string rings out yet. Before getting a better set up, though, all strings were muted.
The height of the strings plays a role with barre chords, as well. The lower the height is, the easier it is to execute a barre chord. The higher it is, the more difficult it gets. I just noticed it after playing my Davis and Fender guitar respectively. I was able to execute a good barre chord with the Fender, yet it sounds muffled on my Davis one. So long story short, try and pick a guitar where doing chords don't need extra effort to perform. :)
What’s the point of this comment? How is this suppose to help you get better at the guitar? As an instructor I’m just lost on how this comment was constructive in any way...
@@swiftlessons It was a joke. I saw other jokes similar to this in the comments but I don't see you getting defensive with those people, so why are you so annoyed at this one in particular?
This really helped I cried tears of joy because I thought I'd never be able to play barre chords! Today was the day that I did it! Finally! Thank you so much for this lesson. God bless
Been trying to work on my barre chords and the "Pressing the guitar into my chest" was the ahha moment that has helped me a lot! Thank you! Another one was using the index finger's angle and not its flat part that JustinGuitar's tutorial helped with. Cheers!
Such an easy video to understand. I always learn so much from your videos compared to watching other people who talk for 20 minutes before playing anything or simply don’t know effective ways to break down their class. Cheers friend. Thanks for helping us all out.
I have given guitar lessons the majority of my life. I love your clear and concise approach. I have shared your videos with my new students. Nice work!
![How To Easily Play Barre Chords Without Pain & Buzzing - [Complete Guide]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EcOF6mZYez0/mqdefault.jpg)
E is for Easy
F is for Forget about it
lmfao
Lol
F is for fuck the f chord
Seal of Approval F sucks but it’s one of the easiest bar chords
Alea Matusse you must suck then
"I invite you here to join me on the 5th fret" you sir really know how to warm welcome me into this lesson
Bob Ross would be so proud...
Connor Ryan i would travel the world just to get to his birthday celebration 😂
Bob Ross is proud
Max mamguitereat
The mans amazing 🤷♂️
Me : great song,let me check the chords
F chord : are you sure you want play the song
You can play the F chord (XX3321) basically by eliminating the bar and starting from the 4th string. It doesn't sound as good as the real thing but it works
What about B's? xD
This is my exact feelings about Shinedown's Amaryllis, which is why I looked up this video.
😂
Me too but 4 of the 5 chords were bar chords.
He says “I’m using arm strength, I’m pressing my chest into the guitar.” I didn’t know I had to be the freaking hulk to play barre chords
😂 playing barre chords can make you say: “Hulk smash guitar!!!”
Synthia Miller I’ve been playing for nearly 3 months now, and I still can’t get them down perfectly
Be the hulk to play guitar XD guitarists must have freakin strong arms, wrists, and fingers
Update: I’m 6 months into playing guitar, and I’m still terrible at barre chords...
o gosh...
I'm almost 70. My left hand isn't strong, but I'm starting to master bar chords with your help and a lot of practice. Thanks so much for recording lessons like this one! You're a talented teacher. 🍎
I can relate. I am 74 (you young puppy, you!) and am coming back to the guitar...which I never played well, btw,...after 40 years or so. I was never, ever able to play barre chords! What is helping me here is the focus on elbow down, pressing guitar into body, sliding thumb further down to enable me to get a flatter index finger. Another idea I picked up is to imagine you are pressing the middle of the index finger down...impossible by itself but helps to get the two top phalanges straight. Also I’m finding that I was trying to use WAY too much pressure and proper technique and position means more than strength to me...a good thing as I don’t have anywhere near as much hand=strength. Thanks so much for an excellent lesson and I’m gonna go off now and work on it some more!
keep going you two you can make it!!
I'm 10 and I wonder what being a 70 year old kid is like?
@@eliteevildarkness5830 It's very cool! Look forward to it, but enjoy being 10 and every age in between.
@@sallywengrover3131 aw this conversation is so sweet! ppl from all ages! I'm learning barre chords as well, and I'm 15! God bless! and stay safe! ❤
The explanation on how the chords are named is one of the most useful things I’ve ever learnt about guitar. Thank you.
My thoughts exactly.
@@skintslots @swiftlessons and mine, i wish you put the scale of major chords you play on the amaj shape going down the neck like you did for the e if that makes sense lol
💯
I totally agree!
same
“i can easily slide up one fret”
“okay cool cool”
“and drop my first finger across all of the strings”
“oh *n o* “
k xena 😂😂😂ikr
I can’t slide back down ohnoes
k xena LMAOOO
its just sounding all muted and bad for me lmao
To make this work for beginners is to have a good setup on your guitar. Low strings in the proper height makes this happen a lot easier.
Him: "all bar chords are based off the open position chords that you already know"
Me: *Sweats in beginner*
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 been at it 30 days and im like wtf is going on
“Sweats in beginner” 🤣😭
Don’t worry I’ve been playing for six years and realized today that my teacher taught me almost nothing, I learned TWO CHORDS and it was right before I stopped lessons. You’re doing a lot better than me.
this guy also made a vid abt how to do chords and how to switch between chords faster. i forgot the title but srsly its soo useful like hacks
@@infallible_8343 Whahaahha that's (sorry) hilarious. I learned like about 5 chords and my teacher tried to teach me some theory of the more advanced stuff but I really suck at power and bar chords lmao
Barre chords are a huge reason i stopped practicing guitar last year. I got frustrated with not being able to learn any of the songs i liked bc all the ones i wanted to learn had barre chords. I know that a lot of these could be gotten around, but i didn’t WANT to get around them. I wanted to learn! And i’m hoping that finally I can learn from you and it’ll help me get back into the swing of things :)
Honestly it’s enough to make me through the whole damn guitar out the window
when I opened tabs for the song I liked my first question was: "how tf am I supposed to hold 6 strings if I have only 5 fingers and one of them is not doing anything?"
So have you managed to play barre chords by now?
You have to be patient and continuous with bar chords. First, bar with index finger and play them how to be sound well. Next, add middle finger and so on. If paint, let change another bar chord.
How do you keep the joints in your index finger from muting the 2nd and 4th strings?! My finger bends right at those points and there's no way to make it press hard enough to get those two strings to sound out properly. I'm about ready to throw this stupid instrument off a damn cliff.
i have an exam and here i am practicing barre chords
+Taha Faruqi This is so me right now.
Same goes for me lol
Meeee hahahah My final exam is Tomorrow n then I was like ,, Oh wait .. I need to practice barre chords lol
Is this like a common thing to do before exams?
hahaha To run away from revising .. yeah
My finger looks like a baguette with 6 lines on it
i never felt so relatable right now
CaJoel same
It hurts
I got the hang of it it’s that you have to practice the bar only to get the hang of it
My finger doesn’t have any feeling left
For people struggling with playing a B, the thing that was holding me back was placement of the thumb. Your thumb should be parallel with your middle finger and not your pointer finger in order to allow you to reach further. Hope this helps any other people struggling.
Damn you read my mind, thanks for solving my problem single-handedly lmao
thank you.
you are helping me learn b major.
What a legend thanks for the tip helped me out
Thanks alottt
Just feels like my thumb is too long idk. I cant have it on the lower half behind the neck without it feeling super uncomfortable
his voice makes me wanna hear him say "bruh" or "duuuuude"
radical.
Well, I am from a surfing community, so I get it and am willing to say duuuuude, radical or knarley if it makes you happy. haha!
swiftlessons aww that's amazing! You kinda sound like duff man from the Simpsons which I love!
LMAOO.
asmr skater/surfer
How does it look like you aren’t even pressing. I have to press so hard with my index and it still sounds muffled
This is my problem too and why I'm here.
Me2
@@jdun1 Just practice. I thought it was impossible. I started playing guitar 2 months ago and I can pretty much play any barre chord easily no problem and quickly change between them. It will feel really good when you can do them just don't give up lol.
maybe your string gauge is big
@@FabyArtz have you tried major 7th chords? I can do the simple barre ones but I'm finding its hard to be smooth with the 7th chords. Dudes be doing it effortlessly smh
I'm at the point where I'm wondering if I have to push hard enough to snap this guitar just to not mute any strings
I don’t know how hard I’m supposed to push, it mutes if I don’t push hard enough but when I push really hard my finger hurts so bad 😭
@@ryanrosssfringe26 i have gotten a little better at it, you dont have to keep your finger completely sideways, and the thumb thing really helped
This comment made me almost fall out of my chair
LMFAOOO SAME
@@jordinn5544 wow five months since i was having so much trouble. It comes eventually, but im still not good at making the shape fast enough. Im gonna find a vid that really helped me and post the link here
My thumb was THE problem, thanks for the video extremely helpful!
9 times out of 10, that's the quick fix. So glad this was helpful!
ME TOOO !!!
open.spotify.com/album/3L0BfH8o9gzbWLBu7ssIjN?si=DlPsh8YJScaspE3dEph7tA&nd=1
Same here!
That thumb trick was IT!!!
My… fingers… don't… reach
Try lowering your thumb on the back of the neck of the guitar
+Casey Daniel Thanks Casey!
+Erika Puhakka Whats the update? Have you made progress?! -Rob
I have quite a bit yes
+Casey Daniel I don't even touch the neck anymore atm...
“Mr. stark... I don’t feel my thumb”
I have been playing guitar off and on for years and NO ONE has ever just said that the F chord, which is the bane of my existence, is just an E chord scooted down.
I just played an F chord successfully for the first time. No shame. I’m excited about it! 😅🥳
Same!!
Yeah barring is basically a capo
This guy is BY FAR the best guitar instructor on UA-cam. The way he patiently explains is easy and concise. Been with him for years now, his lessons are STILL rock solid and helpful for people trying to learn!!
This guy explained the power of the position of the thumb. I think this makes sense. I thought I couldn't get Barr chords because my fingers were not long enough. Thank you
Thank you so much! I was in shock when I actually played a clean bar chord! It was such a pleasant surprise! I had just avoided them completely after failing at every attempt. I look forward to learning much more from your videos. BTW, I am a 61 year old beginner. The more I learn, the more I want to learn!
YOu're kinda like the Bob Ross for guitar. Kudos mate!
That is the ultimate compliment haha. Thank you!
I was thinking the same thing lol.
whenever I try to play a cord it gets muted...
The Wolf Practice. every guitar player must do.
same
me too :'(
Put your fingers closer to the higher fret. so like | ^| this is the fret board. The Vertical lines are the metal frets and the arrow is your finger at a top down first person view. This is basic but helped me out so much
You will get it but it takes strengthening your grip between the thumb and index finger, that tip of placing your thumb lower on the neck worked really well for me, but the wrist hurts after a while.
The thumb position trick brought this into the realm of possibility for me. I'm going to need to practice this one a lot. Edit: you're the first one I've watched who mentioned that you can get every major chord with this shape and where the root note is.
So after surfing hundreds of UA-cam videos and several hours of fruitless attempts to play barre chords, here you are! This is a great lesson and my barre chords finally ring sweetly. Thank you so much!
Wrist and forearm strength is key. I've taken many breaks from playing guitar these past few years but recently I have been improving at barre chords rapidly since I worked a job stacking rocks all summer!
Thank you so much!! For the life of me, I couldn't play a barre chord and when I tried to bring it up to my guitar teacher, they just said I had to practice on my own time, now because of your video I know my thumb position was all out of whack and I can play them now like magic! Thank you thank you thank you, you saved my life! 😊 I literally spent hours of practicing and thought my finger was just shaped weird and I thought I would never get it but you proved otherwise I could kiss you 😭😭
OMG THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER GETTING A BAR CHORD! I've watched so many videos and this is the first one that allowed me to play one cleanly! Thank you so much!
Omfg moving my thumb down was all I had to do
😂😂
Litterally, I’ve been trying for so long hahah
No way me too literally rang out F like a charm once I moved my thumb
...Imma try this
Finally I learned the F chord
just want you to know that this video is still helping out beginners like me nearly a decade later after this tutorial was released! I would do anything to not play a bar chord, and every video I watched to try to help just never clicked with me. It wasn't until you mentioned the thumb position that turned the buzzing strings into a beautiful chord! Thank you so much, I am so thankful for your teaching method! Because of you I can take my playing to a new level and continue to spread smiles through music. I want you to know you have made a difference to smiles all around the world :)
Hello friends, thanks so much for making this one of the UA-cam's most popular bar chord tutorials. I have some great lessons and resources planned for 2016, and can't wait to unveil them. If you have enjoy my work thus far, and want to help me expand into creating gear reviews, backing tracks, DVD's and more comprehensive lessons, please consider contributing $1 a month at Patreon.com/Swiftlessons. This will provide you access to exclusive lessons, corresponding tabs, and worksheets. I look forward to another great year of progress together. Thanks so much! -Rob
+swiftlessons
MAN U MADE MY DAY BY TEACHING ME BAR
Thank you so much for the Advices. :) Lovelots! Godbless
+Ruffa Obispado it's a pleasure, so glad to help so many getting pass one of the toughest task for every beginner. Thanks for reaching out.
brother o have just a single question that what is bar chord and what do we need to use it
question how do you do pull offs
I have tried everything but when I try to play a bar chord, all the strings become mute.
It might be because you are not pressing your strings hard enough
Try add some force into it, find your inner Hulk!
Maybe also because of the action on the guitar is too high, try lowering it down its helps with the finger pain.
lower your thumb
Move your thumb below half way on the back of the neck. Practice like this until you get it
@@petrasurminova3999 my inner Hulk would say "guitar smash!"
THANK YOU. I’ve been struggling with bar chords for a while. For some reason, no one ever told me thumb placement was important. I think that was what I was missing.
I struggled with barre chords in the early days also. A great tip I received was to use a capo on (say) 3rd fret and play the chords as you would with no capo…there is less tension on the strings with a capo so they are easier to push down. Try the F chord with a capo on 3rd or 5th fret, it will be easier and will keep you motivated to keep trying.
I've always played in open tuning because I just didn't understand how anything worked passed the open chords in standard, you explained it perfectly and I can't thank you enough. Excellent lesson, earned a sub.
Between moving my thumb down the neck and pressing it to my chest has helped IMMENSELY in creating a better sound. Still hurts cause I’m new, but holy crap, that helps so much!
The worst part is the strings that you need to play after the chord are exactly the ones that get muted.
So I been struggling This whole time because I had my thumb in the wrong place🤦♀️ thank you so much
I have been trying to learn bar chords for SO long and could not get a good sound. This video was so helpful-I can’t wait to learn new songs. Thank you so much!!!
I remember watching this video when i was first learning guitar. Now I came back to the same video a year later and i can say playing barre chords is pretty easy if you can master the technique and placement of your fingers!
Dont lose hope guys if i can do it y’all can as well
Back when I was just starting to learn guitar, I struggled with bar chords so much, and this video was what helped me figure it out, this was so helpful!
I feel your pain. I struggled with barre chords in the early days also. A great tip I received was to use a capo on (say) 3rd fret and play the chords as you would with no capo…there is less tension on the strings with a capo so they are easier to push down. Try the F chord with a capo on 3rd or 5th fret, it will be easier and will keep you motivated to keep trying.
This was sooo helpful I’m a beginner and I know a most open chords and I didn’t understand what a bar chord was. Most helpful video I’ve seen 😊
That thumb info has just changed my life. Thank you so much!
You are a great teacher and you also have a fabulous groove in your performances. I wish you all the best. Thanks for the great vids.
Just started playing guitar and I was having a bit of trouble with barre chords, this is super helpful. Thank you!
+HannahIsRad so glad this did the trick, thanks for checking in!
How's your progress sir?
Notes: Thumb down low (bottom half) = Straightens fingers - good arches for other fingers
Pull with arm
Great lesson! 😁
This was a light-bulb moment. Most teach barre cords with the thumb in the center of the neck (the vice-grip.) Moving my thumb to the bottom of the neck I can now finally make the cords ring out. Thank you!
"...is playing the A newooot" 2:48
MrPhish21 node
Nude
Lol
Hahahahahaha
Damn Canadians
Thanks for this lesson, you're a very good teacher! Sometimes I get a little disappointed and discouraged after trying a lot to play any bar chord and these happen: a) I can't play them clearly no matter what b) a few times I can play them clearly and most of the times I can't c) I get fatigued easily I guess :/ but I'm really trying to master those chords!! My favorite songs have bar chords and I want to learn to play the guitar for fun at least, so this is my motivation!
This is a perfect explanation of bar chords. I really recommend this to others all
I started playing acoustic for the first time January 2020 I just recently in April can do bar chords, still will need a couple more months of practice to do seamless transitions with all these chords, if you're a beginner and can't reach or can't get it to ring out, try it out everyday, it'll work.
Kamilla Kandaharian dude i started 3 weeks ago and i’m already on bar chords it’s the quarantine that’s giving me the time to practice
It is my second week,I almost give up, now you gave me hope
@@gemmafink5922 Same, if you want to do bar chords the finger you use to bar should be on it's side, that's the one thing I realized that got me to do it.
Don't you just love it when the light bulb above your head finally comes on?
I just received this video suggestion from YT and glad I did. Although it's been around for almost six years, it's exactly what I needed to figure out what has been a complete mystery since I began trying to play barre chords a couple of years ago. It finally all came together because of this one video.
Thank you!
I'm expecting my bones to start cracking any minute.
8 minutes and 48 seconds just changed my entire guitar learning world. Thanks.
Also...this is the first video I have ever watched from you.
Thanks. This is a very thorough lesson. It's a lot of info very quickly but the beauty of it is that the viewer can pause when needed, back up, play it over and over, and... it's free!
I was watching some other videos to learn about the Pentatonic scales and I was mostly confused as to why they are called E Minor or A Minor Pentatonic, but it is after watching this video especially at 2:12, things cleared up for me! Thanks for the names of the notes on the low E String!
My thumb and index are dying how do you do this so effortlessly😂
the trick, you see, is to make it look easy.
Its practice man, no magic, he’s used to it, just practice every day, you’ll get stronger
Same here
Lina Tilija update after a year I can now do them pretty well lol
@@dylanjuneau2394 thank you 🤗🤗.
I will work hard.
I used to be on the circuit playing gigs. Had a couple of injuries (to left hand and right shoulder, of course) and it really demoralized me as far as my progress as a musician. COVID hampered my ability to play out further. Mid-"what am I gonna do with my life now??", I found these videos and it clicked to me. Of course! Guitar lessons. Taking it back to basics. And your videos have helped me get my hand PT in, Barre chords, finger stretches... and changed my outlook from stagnant to "just bringing it back to fundamentals and learning again." and thank you for that.
The tip about thumb placement helps a lot! I've always struggled with bar chords and it's really prohibited my ability to learn chord based songs compared to power chord based
You are an amazing instructor! I swear i wanted to throw my guitar in the garbage. Thank you!
Lol send it here xD
Great lesson Rob. Thumb placement makes all the difference in the world. More than the half way point behind the neck. Huge help. Thanks
It feels like my wrist is twisting the wrong way when I do this. It leaves me in great pain. I have my thumb about halfway down the neck
Omg. Here I was thinking I could never play barre chords, it was literally just my thumb. Thank you so much!
I'm almost 5000 years old and ive been playing guitar for 2000 years, this is the only video that has helped me to improve
And this, my friends, is exactly why I love my capo. Lol. 😂 But this was really helpful. I've been trying to learn barre chords. Thank you Rob.❤
I really struggle to get a clear sound, any tips u could give?? (Plus I think ur accent is great)
thank you so fucking much dude you just made my life easier by like a thousand
For example...on the fifth fret, instead if trying to make the entire barre chord, start with just placing your index finger down across all the strings on the fifth fret, and pick/pluck each string one at a time. If any are muting, then re-adjust your index finger up or down. Also, place your index finger ON the fifth fret, and roll it back so that the meaty edge of your index finger is across all six strings, and pick/pluck each string, and if any are muting, adjust your index finger up, or down accordingly until there are no strings muting. When you have success with that, THEN start placing your other fingers down to make the entire barre chord. Just keep practicing, it will happen eventually. Hope this helps. Cheers! :)
Just change instrument 😂
1) use both hands
2) grab the guitar on the upper frets right around the nut area
3) lift the guitar high above your head
4) proceed to slam it on ground with full force
5) repeat step four as many times as you like
thank me later
@@mmccartney6579 Ok I know this comment was not addressed to me and is a year old but JESUS CHRIST THANK YOU SO MUCH the advice to put your finger on the fret and to roll it back was more or less all I was missing besides practice.
Been trying all day, and watching your video i could do it it seconds!! Thankyou
You are the Bob Ross of Guitar 🙏🏼 just subscribed 🤘🏽😈🤘🏽 nice tutorial !!!
I learned backwards, the Barre chords took me only 2 months to get them right,I struggled for 5 months with the c chord 😮💨after finally 7 months I can switch pretty easy from chords,I was stubborn and put in easily 4 hours at day ,consistency and stubbornness was the key for me.
thank you so much for this video, i've been playing barre chords for two years and the muting of the last 2 strings always confused me AND YOUR TIP WITH THE 50% LOWER HELPED SO MUCH thanks :)
WOW!!! This was a PERFECT LESSON!!!!! Perfectly EXPLAINED😂😂😂. love it!!!! Thank you sooo much Rob!!!!!!
2:48 made me cry with laughter
+TheKekening me too hahahahahah
Ma ayy noot
Lol noot
only now that you mentioned it xD
I'll be honest I rewound that twice
Very helpful for a bass player trying to pick up guitar for fun. The thumb position and arm and chest pressure are things that really help! Thanks for the great vid.
What a great tutorial for beginner barre chords! Thank you so much!
you are sooooooo helpful, i seriously thought i wasnt going to be able to learn bar chords untill i found your video, thank you sooooooo much! keep up the good work! \m/
I am 70 and bought a guitar (Tanglewood, black) and started learning. I must say this lesson is uperb, and his advanced one on barr chords. I have just practiced a few (hundred) times and its really working....
Been playing a long time...always had problems with barre chords...your suggestion about moving the thumb below the halfway point on the neck has been a game changer! Thank you!
It's weird how the little things can make all the difference....
That thumb trick is godly
I used to wake up every day and get inspired to finally lick bar chords. Then I would start practicing and quickly want to throw my guitar across the room. Same thing, every day, wash, rinse, repeat!!! Your video solved that problem immediately.
I had watched a ton of videos about the subject and yours was the best by far! Thank you.
I've tried for weeks and there's no way I can do it. y fingers are just too short, I can't effectively cover all the strings and apply enough pressure for them to all to ring out.
Kyle Whitehead Every single guitar player has struggled with Barre chords. And one day, you got it. If you are struggling with the A form barre chord, with root on fifth string, use your ring finger to barre across the 2nd, 3rd and 4th string instead of using middle, ring, pinky as he shows in the video.
My left hand, from tip of thumb to tip of pinky barely stretches across the screen of this tablet I'm using (7 inches). I couldn't hold down a barre chord for ages, at least two years, but I did get there in the end. Keep going - practice works, honest!
Kyle Whitehead There are also finger stretching and strength exercises that help I bought a little Fender hand exerciser it helps and practice it does work be patient and keep trying don't let it defeat you adversity makes us stringer...
I am still learning but found that lowering the action on the strings and getting a smaller guitar has helped a TON. I can play barre chords, but not every string rings out yet. Before getting a better set up, though, all strings were muted.
The height of the strings plays a role with barre chords, as well. The lower the height is, the easier it is to execute a barre chord. The higher it is, the more difficult it gets. I just noticed it after playing my Davis and Fender guitar respectively. I was able to execute a good barre chord with the Fender, yet it sounds muffled on my Davis one.
So long story short, try and pick a guitar where doing chords don't need extra effort to perform. :)
You're awesome🥰
I could literally play Bar chords on my first trial
the advice about bringing the thumb towards the bottom half of the neck is an absolute game changer! tysm!
Thank god I finally found out whats wrong with my barre. Its actually my thumb placement
It's an excellent lesson and it sounds like I'm being taught guitar by that turtle out of finding Nemo :)
Apex Window Cleaning Services Dude, totally!
DUDE THANKS SO MUCH! I've seen so many UA-cam tutorials and still failed I was about to give up. Yours is way better than all of them!
3:50 "I get a lot of dead newts involved"
But I love newts, they're so cute : (
What’s the point of this comment? How is this suppose to help you get better at the guitar? As an instructor I’m just lost on how this comment was constructive in any way...
@@swiftlessons It was a joke. I saw other jokes similar to this in the comments but I don't see you getting defensive with those people, so why are you so annoyed at this one in particular?
you're really self conscious of the way you pronounce note huh
swiftlessons chill bro hahaha
@@swiftlessons respect for the lesson but dont be so defensive LOL
This guy has the craziest American accents, he pronounces his "o"s like a Scandinavian.
Canadian*
This really helped I cried tears of joy because I thought I'd never be able to play barre chords! Today was the day that I did it! Finally! Thank you so much for this lesson. God bless
You sound like Mordecai from the Regular Show
+Drew Sneed I've never seen this show, pretty funny!
It's so true
Drew Sneed LMAO
Lmao i couldnt hear it until i seen this comment... now i cant unhear it😂
Ooooooh xD
Been trying to work on my barre chords and the "Pressing the guitar into my chest" was the ahha moment that has helped me a lot! Thank you!
Another one was using the index finger's angle and not its flat part that JustinGuitar's tutorial helped with. Cheers!
that thumb placement makes all the difference! THANK YOU
My all Strings are muted except A...
Aadhithyan K47 same.
lol try something with your thumb as he said in the video
LMAO, YEs same. @ original poster.
Try pressing down with you 1st finger
Then it's technically not a chord since it's short of two more notes but it's already a good start
This non heinous tutorial was a most excellent adventure
I cant thank this dude enough.. all i had to do is use my arms, ive been struggling with barre chords for weeks now
Why does always sound like shit no matter what I do and I can't get my thumb to be below the 50% thing
He sounds like a surfer *duuuude*
Such an easy video to understand. I always learn so much from your videos compared to watching other people who talk for 20 minutes before playing anything or simply don’t know effective ways to break down their class. Cheers friend. Thanks for helping us all out.
Damn, this video made me learn barre chords in 10 minutes (at least improved my previous barre chords, which were muted)
nuuuuote
I'm definitely not putting a u in there haha!
I have given guitar lessons the majority of my life. I love your clear and concise approach. I have shared your videos with my new students. Nice work!
Me at the beginning of this video: I will NEVER be able to do this 😭
Me at the end of this video: OMG I actually played a barre chord! 😂