Hi - David Taub here from Next Level Guitar with some free videos and tips on playing bar chords. We receive hundreds of emails from players all over the world here at Next Level Guitar and many have to do withthe challenges of playing bar chords. So I thought I'd suggest some quick bar chord tips and two lessons to help you in your bar chord guitar journey.
First of all I want to say that everyone...and I mean EVERYONE struggles with bar chords along their guitar journey. No one just walks up to a guitar and plays the dreaded F bar chord first time. It just does not work like that. It takes the right technique as well as patience and practice to chip away at them and eventually they come. So don't beat yourself up and don't feel alone if you are struggling with bar chords - we all feel your pain as we have been there too!
I suggest using 5th and power chords as a pre-curser to bar chords. These chords will get your fingers in bar chord mode so to speak, and for now you can use these chords to substitute for the full on bar chords. This will keep you practicing your favorite songs as you wont need to abolish songs you want to play just because they have bar chords in them. For now you can sub the power and 5th chords until you get the full on bar chords up to snuff. So there is dual purpose with the use of 5th and power chords - here we will use them as a kind of training device.
Here is a free 16-minute lesson on power and fifth chords - check this lesson out as I think it will really help:
A few tips on making your bar chord journey a bit easier is to remember that proper technique is critical. If you don't have that solid foundation then you are setting yourself up for needless frustration. Guitar is kind of like that - you need to have that solid foundation to keep building upon... the further and further you go on your guitar journey.
So as far as technique remember to keep that wrist down, fingers cupped - not flattened out, on your fingertips - don't get lazy on us, and have that first bar finger pressed right behind the fret, and pinky stays attached hitching a ride on that 3rd finger. These make forming that bar chord shape or fingering the easiest. Here is a free 14-minute lesson on easy techniques to play bar chords - check out the lesson right here:
You can do it - I know you can as we have taught thousands of students all over the world these techniques. It just takes time, patience, and the proper techniques. So keep chipping away at them and know that bar chords won't sound dead on perfect at first - it will be an evolution as you get all the strings to ring true - it takes time - but you will get it. Try to practice them a little each day. Just keep putting that guitar in your hands every day - just for 10-15 minutes and you will see big differences and your playing getting to the next level in the fastest and most efficient manner.
Take care and best of luck,
David Taub & Tim Gilberg
PS - we have found that students like to use popular songs as vehicles to practice and get their playing to the next level. Popular songs that motivate and empower you are great practice tools to work on your rhythms, strumming, timing, chord changing, and bar chords.
We have some song DVDs that you may want to consider for power and 5th chord practice and bar chord practice as well as other techniques you will learn along the course of the DVD. We purchase publishing rights to all the songs we teach on DVD and each DVD is packed with about two hours of song and technique lessons.
Songs with bar chords and power and 5th chord use include: Have You Ever Seen The Rain, Detroit Rock City, Living After Midnight, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Hey Joe, and more. Click on the song title and you can watch a DVD preview of the DVDs and read all the menu and lesson items so you will know exactly what you will be learning on each DVD.
We are still running a special so click on the link below and these DVDs and many more can be had for $9 each if you buy 5 or more - plus we throw in free shipping! For the $9 each special make sure and order through this page and not the individual song page with the preview movie:
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