I would bet you're struggling smashing the strings down hard enough with your index (bar) finger, right? Unless you have strong fingers to begin with, very few can handle bar chords without lots of practice and muscle work.I do but the barre chords...just cant do em..sadly its quite restraining
You gotta' twist your mouth rightMy mama taught me how to play the piano, guitar and violin, but I wasn’t any good at it.
I would bet you're struggling smashing the strings down hard enough with your index (bar) finger, right? Unless you have strong fingers to begin with, very few can handle bar chords without lots of practice and muscle work.
But, in case you're not aware, you can:
1) Switch to nylon strings on your acoustic. [Assumes you are on an acoustic.]
2) Have the string height adjusted on the neck. Even the best guitars will have far better action when a professional adjusts them closer to the fret bars.
3) Use electric. Electric guitars require less effort to squash. Though item 2 can still be very helpful.
There may be some ball-squeezing exercises you can find on-line to help build your bar finger's strength over time.
You will be glad you went to the trouble since bar chords will make playing easier, ironically.
My near-pro friend once told me that the more you put into a guitar, the more it gives back.![]()
Yikes! Helio is right, your guitar definitely needs an adjustment, and light gauge stringsI have a fender western guitar. I dunno why it doesnt work. I do have more strenght than most but somehow nothing worked. The strings can cut my fingers upen and the chords still dont work out. Watched aaall sorts of tips and tricks but these chords mess me up
If it is a matter of playing in a different key, have you tried using a capo?I have a fender western guitar. I dunno why it doesnt work. I do have more strenght than most but somehow nothing worked. The strings can cut my fingers upen and the chords still dont work out. Watched aaall sorts of tips and tricks but these chords mess me up
Yeah, Demi, try having a music store set it up, with lower action and lighter strings. Tell them the struggles that you're having.I have a fender western guitar. I dunno why it doesnt work. I do have more strenght than most but somehow nothing worked. The strings can cut my fingers upen and the chords still dont work out. Watched aaall sorts of tips and tricks but these chords mess me up
If it is a matter of playing in a different key, have you tried using a capo?
i will need to look for one as the one I got the gutar from closed down because of all the lockdowns and restrictions we had until recentlyYeah, Demi, try having a music store set it up, with lower action and lighter strings. Tell them the struggles that you're having.
You may have more luck if you look for a "luthier". Many work from homei will need to look for one as the one I got the gutar from closed down because of all the lockdowns and restrictions we had until recently![]()
Ug. My first guitar was a western guitar and the strings were more than 2x higher than normal above the fret. This is because the neck likely wasn't all that great, so moving the strings down to a comfortable level would cause too much rattle or buzz as the string's vibration would touch other unwanted fret bars. At the time, I didn't know enough to recognize this problem so I quit playing until many years later.I have a fender western guitar. I dunno why it doesnt work. I do have more strenght than most but somehow nothing worked. The strings can cut my fingers upen and the chords still dont work out. Watched aaall sorts of tips and tricks but these chords mess me up