Tips for Better Sounding Barre Chords

Many of my guitar students are at the point of learning barre chords (yes--that's the proper spelling!), and I can clearly remember how difficult the task is.  It will try your last drop of patience, and tax muscles and tendons that you may have never used before.

But there is a GREAT payoff to a student's persistence--and that reward is a great sounding chord that utilizes all six strings of your guitar to their fullest potential!

Playing a full barre chord involves using the index finger across all six strings--but what makes this difficult is the tension of the strings and the dexterity needed to hold them all down at once to produce a chord that sounds clean and clear. So check out these tips below:

1. Practice + Patience = Perfection. Don't expect your barres to sound great right out of the gate. The ability to play barre chords is an acquired skill. Your fingers not only need to build strength, they also have to get comfortable with the chord shapes. Just like you learned to play notes and simple chords, learning to play barre chords is a process. 

2. Index finger placement. It's tempting to place the index finger at a slight diagonal so that it's further from the fret on the first string. But this will make the chord sound fuzzy! Make sure your index finger is straight and close to the fret. 

3. Proper pressure. While it's important to press your finger firmly down on the strings to make them sound, you don't want to push too hard and risk straining your hand. Keep the pressure as even as possible across all the strings, and experiment to see how much pressure you need to clear the chord without overtaxing your hand. Find the right balance. 

4. Don't be a wimp. Yes, learning to play barre chords might hurt a bit, just as learning to fret notes did before you built calluses. The important thing is to work through it. You will build the strength to play almost any barre chord. If your hand cramps up, by all means take a break! - but do come back later. 

5. Buzzes and muffled strings. Alter the positioning of your index finger slightly up or down to see if you can fix any buzzing or muffled strings. Try rolling your index finger backwards to the more bony side (not the fleshy underside of your finger). Make sure your thumb is right behind the neck to give the finger enough support. Keep a close eye on your fingers and hand position.

6. Commit to making it happen. Dedicate a portion of your practice session to barre chords. Make it a habit to practice every song with them. Start by replacing an open chord for a barre, then gradually add more barres to the song. Learn to switch from one barre chord to the next. 

7. Break down the process into pieces. Approach the barre like you would any task that seems overwhelming: break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Start with your index finger on the first fret, first string. Play the note four times. Next, barre the first two strings in the first fret. Strum those strings four times. Press hard enough so that each note sounds. Next, barre the first three strings in the first fret and strum. And so on. Once you play through the entire exercise, move to the second fret and repeat, then to the third, the fourth, making your way up to the twelfth fret and then back down again. Do this exercise daily to strengthen your fingers. Remember to shoot for quality, not speed. 

8. The ultimate barre workout. Stand with your hands hanging relaxed. Extend the fingers of both hands all the way out then close the fingers to a fist. Easy enough, yes? Now work your way up to doing it 100 times, as fast as you can, making sure you snap the fingers open and closed all the way each time. If your hands aren't developed, you'll start to feel it in your forearms after about 20-30 repetitions. 

9. Start higher up the neck. If your fingers are really weak, try barring on the fifth fret. It can be much easier than starting on the first fret as the tension isn't as great. Try different places along the fretboard and see where you're most comfortable, moving closer and closer to the first fret. 

10. Have a professional lower your guitar's action. A lot of guitars have high action, which makes it really hard to sound barre chords. If you suspect poor action, go to your local guitar shop and see if they can adjust it to help improve comfort and playability. Also check string gauge. Heavy strings will make barring more difficult. 

Good Luck--and Happy Pickin'!  Below are a few videos to also help:

Barre Chord Tips

Easy, Major Barre Chords

"Why Do I Need Music Lessons?"

As a guitar instructor, I am always pitching my services to prospective students, as well as to the parents of prospective students.  And as a parent, I am also aware that for many people and families, music lessons can represent a major investment of time, money, and commitment.

Many times I hear from budding musicians that "they will just learn to play off of the Internet."  Which is all well and good--except that while there is a lot of good training to be had on the Internet, there is also a lot of bad technique and incorrect music teaching charts out there. 

Other students buy a guitar book, and attempt to teach themselves--which is also good, but can take a LONG time because there is no accountability and time structure in place to motivate a student to set goals and to rehearse (and progress!!).

Taking private lessons with a qualified teacher, however, can help you in so many ways.  For example, a good teacher who meets with you in person can:

**Watch your technique for signs of problems--and correct those issues early on!

**Help you pick songs to play that fit your level of expertise

**Give you exercises for the specific challenges you’re facing

**Help you make appropriate adaptations, such as key changes, to music you want to learn

**Give you an opportunity to play with an experienced musician every week

**Hold you to a high standard and put a little positive pressure on you

**Work with you to achieve YOUR musical goals.

**Guide you in writing and performing your own original material.

So what are you waiting for?  Do you want to be a "good" player?  Or a GREAT player?

WATCH MY VIDEO!

Clean Chord Techniques, Part Deux!

Happy New Year, Everyone!  Now that we have survived the Holidays, it's time to get back to the business of being great guitarists!

I have several students who are starting to learn basic chord shapes, and most of them are experiencing the same issues that all guitarists face when trying to play clean chords:  1) buzzing or muted strings, 2) quicker transitions between chords, and 3) fretting-hand fatigue or aching hands.

I really want to hone in again on issues 1 and 3 because they are relevant and related.  And at the same time, I want to assure you that EVERY guitarist has struggled to make clean chords--with time and practice, you will conquer and master these chords.

They say that a picture is often worth a thousand words, and the pic above does just that.  I want you to notice a few things:  first of all, notice that the guitarist's fingers are almost perpendicular to the fretboard.  That is one thing to really shoot for, as you want as little as possible of your fingertip to be pressing on the string.  This is how you AVOID muting other strings in the chord.

Secondly, notice that the guitarist's thumb and palm are positioned in such a way that his fingertips can be as perpendicular as possible. As I often tell my students, everyone's hand is a little different, but YOU have control over your thumb position as well as the pivoting of your wrist to allow for clean chords and for having a "relaxed" grip that will not fatigue your hand.

Finally, notice that the guitarist has positioned his fingers so that he is using that small part of his fingertips just below the nail.  This is where you will eventually develop calluses as you play, but is also a way from keeping the more fleshy parts of your finger from making contact with the other strings.  Notice also that sometimes, you have to "rake" your fingers back a bit toward the headstock of the guitar in order to access that small part of your fingertip that allows for clean chords.

One little p.s.:  Learning chords can be a frustrating process--but if you put the time in, you will get the results out.  If you find yourself getting upset, just walk away from the guitar for a while--clear your head, let your fingers rest a bit, and then try again later.  You WILL get there!

In the video below, I expound upon these tips a little bit.  So enjoy--and Happy Pickin'!

Video on Clean Chords, Part Deux!

Four Good Reasons to Write Your Own Songs

As one who teaches both guitar and songwriting, I am always encouraging my students to start writing their own songs.  Every great songwriter has to start somewhere, and you will find that the more you write, the better your songs will get--and the easier they will come to you!Here's four very good reasons to write your own material:

1 – You Already Have The Ability To Turn YOUR Thoughts Into Actual Songs!Each one of us experiences, people, places, thoughts, feelings, and situations--no matter our age.  As they say “A good writer can portray a beautiful story out of the most everyday experiences.” Well, for us guitar players, with the guitar in our hands helping us through our way – this is easier to achieve and stay motivated than it is for anyone else who is not currently in the world of playing music.  Write about what you know--even the ordinary and mundane--and you will find that songs come easily. A rhyming dictionary app and notebook or iPad is all that you will need. And your guitar, of course!

2 – Writing Songs Develops Your Overall Comprehension Of Music To New Levels:Every great songwriter started somewhere--they threw out words, melodies and harmonies that, in some cases, have come to inspire and uplift millions of human beings. But sitting with yourself and trying to come up with your own words and music will slowly give you the ARTIST'S point of view on music. From this point of view, you will see a lot more, and I can definitely say that all of my enjoyment and appreciation from music has moved forward by leaps and bounds since I started writing songs myself.  Write constantly--you may only use 10% of what you write down, but that's enough to make some great songs!

3 – Writing Music To Your Lyrics Dramatically Develops Your EAR and your grasp of music theory.Suddenly you will start getting the feeling of how a transition from a V (the “fifth” chord of a certain key) chord to a I (1st – Root) Sounds like. You will start noticing the unique feeling of a VI chord and the sense of a IV chord that is building the tension before the V and so on. You will start literally hearing and seeing things that you have never heard or knew existed in ALL the music you will listen to, and it will all come back ten-fold in a very practical way.  And remember: a LOT of really great songs have been written around three chords.

4 – Songwriting Develops Your Creativity This one is self-explanatory. I also believe that creativity is something that can be seen as a whole, and when you engage your right brain and work on it through songwriting, it takes all your ideas and thoughts in life to new heights. Not only in music, but in all other areas of life as well.I talk more about this in the video below; enjoy, and Happy Pickin'!

Video--Writing Your Own Songs

Ear Training--The Sound of Music

One of my favorite scenes in "The Sound Of Music" is when Maria (Julie Andrews) is teaching the von Trapp kids the song "Do-Re-Mi."  Not only is it a great Rodgers/Hammerstein song, but it is a great training exercise in what are referred to as MUSICAL INTERVALS (or the spaces between notes).

Learning to hear and being able to identify the different notes in a musical scale will not only help you be a better player, but it can help you be a better singer as well.  And it can also help you to figure out how to play songs by ear!

This sort of ear training becomes especially important when students are learning chords, because chords are made up of notes from musical scales.  So are melodies and solos!  Think to yourself, "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do!"

Major chords, for example, are made up of the 1st note of the scale, plus the third note, plus the fifth note--on other words, the "Do" plus the "Mi' plus the "So." Being able to hear that will ultimately help you to understand how chords are built, and why you finger them the way you do on your guitar's fret board.

Now--it does get a little more complex when you start talking about minor chords and minor seventh chords and so on--but knowing and being able to hear the intervals in a major scale is a GREAT place to start!

In the video below, I talk a little more about this--but in the meantime, thank you Maria, and Happy Pickin'!

Video on Scales and Intervals

Strengthening Your Fretting Hand

One of the things I hear most often from students--young and older alike--is that their fretting hand tires easily, and aches after playing a song.  And that's to be expected at first--there aren't many times in life besides guitar-playing where you will find your hand and fingers in some truly unusual positions!

But like anything else--running, playing sports, yoga, dancing, etc--with proper strengthening exercises and the passage of time, you will find that your fretting hand will become stronger and stronger, and you won't even feel tired after hours of playing!  You will also develop calluses on your fretting fingers that will serve you well as you progress in your playing.  (p.s. Wear those calluses as a badge of honor!  You're a guitarist!)

One simple warm-up you can do before you practice is simply to spend a few minutes gently squeezing a tennis ball, or a small piece of citrus fruit such as a Clementine orange in your hands for a few minutes.  This will warm up your fingers and joints as well as the tendons and muscles in your hand that control finger movement.

Another thing you can do to strengthen your weaker fingers (your ring finger and pinky) is simply to start with the first string of the guitar, and put your first finger on the first fret.  Play that "F" note.  Keeping your first finger in place, add your second finger to the second fret play the note, then add your third and fourth fingers to their frets.

I demonstrate this exercise in the video below, and you will find that by doing this exercise both forward and backward, you will not only strengthen those weaker fingers, but you will acquire accuracy and dexterity that will help you make cleaner chords, play better solos, and so on.

Please watch the video, try these exercises, and above all--enjoy the music you are sending out into the Universe!  Happy Pickin'!

Video on Strengthening Your Hand

Finger Pickin' Good!

Ha! The post title is a terrible pun, I know--but finger picking really is a great way to become a better guitarist, and a better "chord maker" on the guitar. Strumming with a pick is a wonderful thing--don't get me wrong!--but being able to finger pick adds a whole new dynamic method to your arsenal of guitar tricks!

I've had a previous post or two on finger picking, but I really want to just show you a very simple pattern today that will help you make better, cleaner chords. Because when you finger pick, there really is no way to hide buzzing strings or other fretting mistakes.

This "triplet pattern" in 4/4 time is one that is used and can be used in many songs.

Essentially, you will be using the thumb, index finger,middle finger, and ring finger on your "picking" hand to pluck the notes in a forward--backward sequence. Sometimes, you will see online that these fingers are referred to as PIMA, which is an abbreviation of their Spanish names ( thumb-Pulgar; index-Indice; middle-Medio; ring-Anular).


One important thing to remember about finger picking is that, generally speaking, you will always want to try to play the root note of the chord on one of the bottom three strings strings with your thumb.

In the video below, I will show you this pattern and demonstrate why it will make you a better guitarist in the long run.

So give it a shot, and Happy (Finger) Pickin'!

Link to Video on Finger Picking Exercise