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Guitar Barre Chords - 7 Top Tips For Ending Your Barre Chord Nightmare

Don't Do So Much

Guitar Barre Chords are hard enough as it is without you doing even more work. Remember to only lift your fingers just enough to change chords and only hold down the strings just enough to make a clean sound.

Roll With It

Try rolling your index finger toward the head.

Doing this guarantees that the hardest part of your finger is holding the barre and not the soft fleshy bit.

Exercise Your Fingers

Get yourself a Gripmaster or try squeezing a tennis ball for a few minutes every day. It'll do wonders for you finger strength.

Get a Decent Guitar

If you're trying to learn on a bad you will probably find barre chords next to impossible. If the action of the

is too high, holding a barre will be extremely difficult. On the other hand if the action is too low, you'll never escape the 'buzzes' and 'clicks'.

Try Lighter Strings

The heavier the string gauge the harder it is to hold a barre. If you're just starting out it is a good idea to learn barre chords on lighter gauge strings first. If your is rubbish this step is essential.

Start at the Top and Work Down

Most people begin by learning the dreaded F barre chord. But you can be smarter then that. Try practicing barre chords by learning further up the neck and slowly moving downwards to the F chord position.

Take Breaks

Just like any exercise, if you don't take regular breaks your muscles can't recover and grow stronger.