5 Barre Chord Tips - Ukulele and Guitar

In this video, Katie DeNure from One Music School will break down 5 ways that will help you master the barre chord on the ukulele and the guitar. This video also includes some exercises that will help strengthen your hands and smooth out your chord transitions.

[@Chimpie666]

This was exactly the tutorial I needed. The pesky barre chords are what I struggle with most! So thanks a bunch for this video :D!

[@Chimpie666]

PS: I did not think you'd be 5 feet. I always thought you had such ease with certain chords because of long fingers and somehow I combined that with thinking you were a tall woman 🙈

[@OneMusicSchool]

I'm so glad that this video encouraged you, and thanks for watching. Isn't it funny how sometimes the camera makes a person look taller, smaller, etc. I think you are the first one to ever think that I was tall besides the time when I taught 1st grade :). I love it :).

[@Chimpie666]

Haha yeah, I actually kinda know the feeling. Im "only" 5'8'' myself, which is quite tiny for a Dutch guy. Can't recall the last time someone called me tall ^^

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

Robin vdb aw lol

[@djcurly475]

I just started playing ukulele yesterday, it's really fun I'm really enjoying it. Im interested how I'm gonna be with barre cords

[@OneMusicSchool]

Just take it slow. Try mastering the open chords first and that will build the muscles in your hands :). You can do it :).

[@philomenapeterson1790]

DJ Curly. She's very encouraging

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

DJ Curly yeahhh :)

[@twins4everyay943]

Hi Katie! During the spring, I started to play the guitar. Recently, I decided to start to learn barre chords. I couldn't figure them out, but then this video popped into my recommended. Yesterday, I got my first barre chord. Thank you for your help!!!

[@sjq69]

Thank you Katie, this has really helped me with my bar chords on the Ukulele. I have been practicing and practicing and it’s really paying off.

[@caelyn8698]

Thank you so much for these tips! I've been trying to master b minor for ages and these are really helping!

[@vjgaming1853]

Great quality! thank you

[@rjp63vip]

Very helpful ! Thank you lady K! 🙏🙏🙏

[@yuxin2344]

Thank you Katie, I tried practicing the finger rolling technique and it really helped reduce the muted sounds that I make when playing a barde cord

[@OneMusicSchool]

That's awesome!!!!!!!! I'm so happy that it helped!

[@ruskreeder2434]

That was really good.

[@juliavarchuk2478]

Thanks a lot for your lessons. You answering lot of questions of the newbie. Special thank for hints And this on how to move between chords fast and for feedback on others progress, this allowed me to stop self-criticism And focus on the daily progress

[@OldMrBoston1949]

Thank you Katie you are a natural at teaching. Your advice and tips are right on the money. Bless You

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thank you so much, and I'm so glad that these videos are helping you :). Thank you for taking the time to watch and for leaving such an encouraging comment.

[@ukuukulele1056]

Great tutorial Katie, I'm learning so much from you, many thanks

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thanks for watching, and I'm happy that this is helping you :). Have a great day!

[@ragamuffinukes2779]

Thank you, Miss K... Rolling to the side is GENIUS! After 5 months, I can finally barr an F on baritone & Bb on soprano! 😃 Love love your teaching style! The Holy Spirit just oozes from you...

[@nuijaiyai9706]

I love this video because I have short fingers and you understand how I feel. I almost gave up but now its a good time to try again with you.

[@baronurarth5174]

This was so helpful, thanks !

[@lovelyotter8390]

You’re so supportive, and your tips are amazing. Thank you!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thank you so much for watching :). I really appreciate it.

[@lovelyotter8390]

@@OneMusicSchool No problem! :D

[@subscriberswithnovideosc-ic7zx]

Thank you so much Katie!!! I've been watching you for about 2 weeks and I haven't subscribed yet. Now, I subscribed!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Aww! Thank you and welcome to the family 😀.

[@milkteabobaplus3894]

So amazing like always!! Keep up the good work!!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thanks so much for watching. You are a sweetheart!

[@danno4631]

Thanks for the help with this Katie. I've really been struggling with barre cords. These tips should help. I really need to work on it. I'm having a very hard time rolling my finger onto it's side. It just doesn't want to flex this way. But with daily practice I will get there!

[@LilHeavenlyTreasures]

A tip that was told to me that is helping me is to notice your thumb placement and make sure that thumb is lower down on the neck. That way it will help you add the needed pressure.

[@psiencesense]

You're an amazing instructor!

[@anderola]

I keep on coming back to see her videos, and not only for the information or lessons...wow!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Oh, you're so sweet! Thank you!

[@anderola]

One Music School No, its you....you are amazing.....😝

[@arc1105]

☝🎶🏡 Hi Katie. I'm happy to find this tutorial in your musical library. Glad you mentioned at the end of your videos to check for other tutorials. You should definitely mention this video in the future. Big help. Big thanks, Katie. Focus on my improvement not on perfection. Ya, like this. Wonderful weekend to you all. 😀

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thanks for watching :). I really appreciate your feedback.

[@elskanebuleux2778]

The first tip saved me ! I wasn't even able to do it slowly but now I know I can at least do Bm alone, so I can work for really getting it and do some chord transitions ( very slowly ) thank you a lot !

[@OneMusicSchool]

+Elska Nébuleux Yeah! I'm so glad that this helped you. Don't give up. I know you can do it 😀❤️.

[@lazerautodetailing]

I finally got it! YES!! Thank you so much!

[@OneMusicSchool]

+J Kremer Yeah!!!!! I'm so happy this helped you 😀. Thanks for watching.

[@jericafrancis6635]

Thank you so much mam for this tutorial..This helped me a lot..

[@LaughingMonsteX]

Thank you very much! It was very useful :)

[@kasiakroczek5118]

Hi katie! I have been a subscriber for 6 months now i love you soooo much! You are Amazing and keep following your dreams

[@OneMusicSchool]

+Kasia Missok Oh thank you for your constant support. I really appreciate you 😁. Lots of love!

[@davemack7740]

great video

[@colson8327]

Thank you!

[@evelynmurillo3540]

it really helps a lot, thank you

[@OneMusicSchool]

Oh good! I';m so happy that this helped you. Have a great day, and thanks for watching.

[@insane_mad701]

Yayyyyy know I can play my favorite song thank you sooooo much♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@OneMusicSchool]

YESSSSS! I'm so glad that you liked it and found the video helpful :). I totally know where you're coming from because barre chord were not my favorite when I first started. Thanks for watching, and I hope you have a great day!

[@JoLeng205000]

You are the best pretty teachess I had ever seen! Keep it up!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Oh! Thank you!!!! Thank you for your kind words, and thank you so much for watching. I hope you have a great day.

[@InkAirplane]

Thank you so much! I've needed a video to actually give some tips on how to do this outside of just "press ur finger on all of the strings". I'm still struggling but I can feel like i've made a bit of an improvement. I can play the barre on its own, i just struggle when the other fingers try to press on stuff.

[@utkarshtiwari7738]

Gotcha! Thank you 🙏🏻

[@OneMusicSchool]

I hope it helped :). Thanks for watching.

[@gugubearr]

wow! i noticed you are already have 18k subs! congratulations. been here since 11k subs 😂💚

[@OneMusicSchool]

Oh thank you for subbing :). I appreciate you so much!

[@maribelmatchado5719]

I have a video suggestion How to master the E Chord

[@OneMusicSchool]

Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion :).

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

Maribel Matchado oooo

[@philomenapeterson1790]

Thank you

[@Matt-mj5eb]

Hi Katie! Thank you so much for your tips! Been a subscriber for long months now and I really enjoy your cozy one-on-one tutorials! I also appreciate that you engage us on a personal friendly approach. Having big and long fingers myself, that inspirational talk really motivated me to pursue playing the ukulele. Thank you so much and more power to the channel! P.S. I don't know if you watch cartoon tv shows, but please please do Steven Universe song tutorials! The Steven Universe songs are lovely! My favorite are "It's Over, Isn't It?" and "Need a Little Change". I know this might be too far from your usual tutorials but there's no harm in asking. Thank you!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Oh that made my day!!! Thank you for being so kind, and I'm overjoyed that you like the videos. You can do it, so just keep playing and practicing. Many of my students love Steven Universe, so thanks for leaving the song suggestions. My favorite it "Giant Woman".

[@Matt-mj5eb]

One Music School I'm happy it did. It's the least I can do to repay the help you've personally given me. Thank you so much! More power to your channel. I love Giant Woman too! Can't wait to see Steven Universe song tutorials on your channel (so that I can also share it to my friends)! More power!

[@ameliagl04]

i like your shirt

[@OneMusicSchool]

+Amelia Lloyd Oh thank you, and thanks for watching 😁.

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

amelia :)))

[@DumbleBee-lz9uq]

witch one?

[@rachelgomes6470]

thank you so much for your motivation..alos I'm struggling with the Bm.. I reallly wanna play night changes by 1D

[@spaztekwarrior]

So glad I saw this video. I struggle quite a bit with bar chords. And it’s preventing me from playing Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling In Love. I hope it gets easier.

[@OneMusicSchool]

I know what you mean. Once you master one barre chord, you can master so much more. I actually did a Barre Chord Boot Camp on my Patreon Page where I went through a 10 video series all containing barre chord exercises and tips and tricks to help. It was really fun for me to lay it all out there, so maybe I'll try one for guitar.

[@spaztekwarrior]

I need to try your boot camp!!:) My other fingers want to do exactly what my pointer finger is doing. I can’t seem to keep one flat and on its side and the others curved. In the meantime, I am following your advice in this awesome video. :)

[@tgvf5]

WOW! You are right on. #1 Roll your finger = night and day difference for me... I'm attempting to learn to play the Ukulele. Originally I was extending my index finger above the G string to avoid hitting a crease in my finger on the A string not allowing the string to ring out correctly... I find by the roll, little to no pressure is required, previously I was holding the uke a bit higher on my chest to literally pull back on the fingerboard while holding the body back with my right arm as a sort of prying/leverage technique then attempting to learn to play from that position so I can successfully play the barre chords. Given your size and success, I wonder if you can imagine how stressful/exhausting that technique would be to successfully play a barre chord, think of the impression the uke was leaving on my strumming forearm, OUCH!. Since rolling my finger, I'm not nearly as physically spent, don't have to re-adjust to finger pick or strum holding the uke that high up on my chest. I've since run my 3 (index, middle, ring) finger barre chord up to the tenth fret and I'm able to simply play the barre chord. I don't have a cut away body so I'm not going to push it beyond fret 10... If I find I have to play barre chords regularly beyond fret 10, I'll look into another body style for now your tip is gold :-) My whole body and I Thank you! I now ENJOY playing barre chords... I've only been playing since March of this year and thanks to you, my chord vocabulary has exponentially expanded. Thanks again! I was exhausted after attempting barre chords, now anything barred from fret 1 to 10 is no longer an issue :-) I find playing the D7 with my middle finger and ring finger better executed now, too.

[@kknight339]

Cool

[@katb5891]

great I learned a lot

[@OneMusicSchool]

Thank you for watching, and I'm so glad that you liked it! I hope you have a great day!

[@alyespo1377]

Hi Katie! My ukulele is very demanding and to play a chord, such as a C, I need to push down very hard. Barre chords always buzz and even with most of your tips, they still buzz. I love your tips though, they help a little. ❤️ you Katie

[@angeloctavo8077]

Hello! I wanted to know if you can make a tutorial on Dodie Clarks Song 'Would You Be So Kind?" Thanks, Katie!😀😀😀

[@annasim3236]

When I switched chords especially the more “difficult” barred chords, my ukulele tends to slipped off my hand or body ... am I holding my ukulele wrongly ? By the way, your tutorial on tips are awesome for newbies like me. 👍🏻

[@OneMusicSchool]

+aNNA Sim I'm so glad this is helping you! It means a lot that you would write to tell me that. Try keeping the majority of the weight of the neck of the instrument right where at the base of the index finger when sliding from chord to chord. If that doesn't help, try using a strap. I hope that helps 😀.

[@annasim3236]

One Music School thanks so much for the quick reply ! I will take your advice and practise with that ... thanks again !

[@kellymanas6133]

I had the same problem and a strap stopped that problem

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

Kelly Manas yeahhh

[@GodsOath_com]

Thanks for saying you are tiny, it makes me have hope. I’m 6’but have frustratingly small hands for this as a woman. Helps

[@OneMusicSchool]

You can do it!!! I believe in you!

[@GodsOath_com]

One Music School there is a book on Amazon about stretches and strengthening for ukulele. Do you recommend any stretches?

[@The-Blind-Teacher]

For me with bar chords here is how I approach it with my students. 1 I get them use to playing E A D and Em Am Dm with fingers 2 3 and 4. I do not have them do the C or G chord that way yet. That will come later. Just as I would with learning them with the normal fingering i ask them when ready to finger the chord shape lift it off the neck shake it place it back on the neck. 2 When I begin the learning to bar phase I do what you do. I get them comfortable with baring the neck with their finger laying sideways across the six strings. Again like with the chord fingering I have them place the bar down lift and shake then place it down again. What else do you think I can do to help my students with bar chords? Thanks joe

[@allenthingsen3037]

Thanks for these tips. On the ukulele, is it OK to avoid barre chords by using extra fingers? I realize this isn't possible for all chords, but there are several chords (like Bb, C7sus4, Gm7) where it seems easier to refinger rather than barring. Will avoiding barres now cause any problems for me as I progress in my ability?

[@jimwilson3878]

I too am struggling to master barre chords on ukulele & guitar. One tip I found useful is to concentrate on the A string (uke) pressure, as the tip of the finger is the stronger part of the finger and the portion closest to the hand is the weaker. Therefore, baring the top 3 strings is usually no problem for me. I have trouble with fingers muting adjacent strings. when my bar fingers are flat, my other fingers tend not to want to arch to come down straight on the strings. Another tip I heard is to start at about the 5th fret instead of near the nut to begin.

[@OneMusicSchool]

That's awesome advice :). I'm glad that you found something that works for you. Thanks for watching.

[@Voraexoxo]

Can i just say that i manage to successfully strum the bm barre chord after taking your advice into consideration omg you're my miracleee thank youuu😭😭❤ i took a 4 year break at playing guitar/ukulele and now im finally back on track!!

[@shannonbaines4609]

Hey, how do I keep my uke hydrated?

[@MjTink]

I have a soprano ukulele and I've experienced left thumb pain when playing barre chords, such as Bm. Is there a way I can fix this?

[@jadel1368]

You are a goddess thank you so much 💕

[@OneMusicSchool]

Yeah! I'm so glad you liked it :).

[@annacristobal2302]

Hey i have a question What if I know gow to do a bar chord (ukulele) but when i strum my ukulele it doesn't sound like what its suppose to sound like

[@aigululan5017]

Please, can you do the ukulele tutorial of "closer to home - nikolaj coster waldau"?

[@OneMusicSchool]

I've never heard of that song. Thanks for the suggestion :).

[@KoroiItami]

The first tip is soooo helpful! Now I just have to find out how to do it without my hand cramping up T_T

[@myaugustus7484]

Hi. Do you have tutorial for c #minor? 😊

[@monikasisovska3697]

Can you please do coffee by tori kelly???

[@OneMusicSchool]

I do love Tori Kelly :).

[@monikasisovska3697]

OMG YES JFKKAKWBFLAPHWBF

[@AutumnSunflower]

I’m about ‘4 ‘’10 and just learned the b minor chord…its difficult. I have very short fingers and pressing straight down doesn’t help BUT I found that if I slant my finger and press down I am successful or only get one muted string. Is that okay to do? If that’s wrong I don’t want it to start being a bad habit I cant break 😑.

[@the_letter_v]

What do i do if i cant press hard enough and when i do press the right ammount it hurts!?

[@OneMusicSchool]

If you're a beginner, you will need to build muscles and callouses, so that takes practice. It will hurt for a little bit, but it will get better with time and practice. Don't give up. You can do it :).

[@destinycheyenne9899]

Do you have any tips for a left hand person? I am having much trouble to play barre chords on the ukulele because I am left handed I can't apply enough pressure on the C chord. It is really hard and hurts my hand un-normal. Please help!

[@katiekoch6548]

I am wondering the same thing.

[@joseantonioperez9870]

Bendiciones me encanta saludos desde Marbella Málaga España genial guapa, 🙏😇😏❤️😜😉😊😮👏👏🤣🙏😊😉❤️😉❤️😏😏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@joseantonioperez9870]

Hola bendiciones me encanta genial ukulele bendiciones amiga cuídate mucho Dios te siga bendiciendo guapísima cantá genial Dios te amar 33333🌹🍂❤️🍂🍂😘🌹🌹🌷🍁👍❤️💕💜🍀❤️❤️❤️🍂🌿🌬️🌸🌻🌱🌷🍁👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤔🤔🍁👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️🍂🌴🌹😘🍂❤️❤️❤️🍁🌹😘🍂🍂❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🍂😘😘🍂❤️❤️❤️

[@LeilaDRalph]

Oooooooh. My Ukulele is a very cheap one from Amazon, I think. (My brother bought it for a game or so and then gave it to me afterwards.) And after listening to your No.5 I checked on Google how far apart the string should be at the last barre......yeah....mine is double the hight it should have....no wonder I need to push so hard. I tried to play "Hedwigs Theme" with your tutorial and just couldn´t do the "2-2-2-4" and "2-4-2-4" part, because I had to push down so hard with my indexfinger that the other ones didn´t reach the right strings anymore. But I found a way around it by changing my handposition. Just for those 2 strums I pushed the second barre down with the side of my indexfinger while pointing it down and not up. Like that I changed my whole handposition BUT now my other fingers could reach "4".

[@SeanVplayer]

When I attended B.I.T., (part of Musician's Institute), I remember Tommy Tedesco telling everyone during a seminar that having "Big, Fat fingers was no excuse"... LOL... he said nobody had bigger fatter fingers than his and he was making a Fortune with his big, fat fingers... LOL.

[@andynguyen985]

"Just focus on where you are, right now, and don't focus on perfection, focus on improvement" Gee thanks ukulele teacher i really appreciate that 😀

[@jaghvi]

Where should we keep left-hand thumb, different people use it differently, I do not put it in the middle but it becomes harder for barring

[@sarahdominguez2483]

Please make some high school musical ukulele tutorial❤

[@OneMusicSchool]

Those songs are cute. Any suggestions?

[@sarahdominguez2483]

One Music School Hi! I'm so happy you answer! I love your tutorial, you are awsome! I love to learn how to play "I just want to be with you" and "You are the music in me" (I know the piano makes this song awesome, but I hope that in ukulele sounds beautiful too.

[@kamilletan4034]

Can you do Dear No One by Tori Kelly? Please... 🙏🙏🙏

[@mctx2020]

Kamille Tan that would be so good!

[@Avee_Itself]

Fingers are all double jointed(can bend more than a normal finger), and it's troublesome for me bcuz it leaves a space to the last string, so the last string is hard to barre

[@xtremeix1851]

I can’t get the last string to ring

[@craftycat902]

Press harder

[@leoki5545]

What's this? First comment again?! Anyways, great content as always and keep up the good work!!

[@OneMusicSchool]

Yeah! You win! Thanks so much for watching. I really appreciate you :).

[@Terry-hw1ws]

My finger just rolled naturally and I was like oh this sounds much better

[@jesusisthetruth4497]

terzizzas contortion aw

[@elydiaz7072]

I hope it works

[@josephtreeby5150]

When I try to play barre chords on a ukulele when I strum the strings they don’t sound out properly, I’ve tried pressing down as hard as I can and it still won’t work. I really feel like I’m getting nowhere.

[@OneMusicSchool]

I understand am where you’re coming from. I think you’re actually pressing too hard, which is very common. I have a couple if videos that I think will help and I also have an entire barre chord boot camp on my Patreon page. I’ll link the videos below, but please visit my Patreon page if you want more barre chord exercises from beginning to end. I hope this helps. Squeezing too hard - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJCblXZ8j9-Fj68 Bb tips - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXubkHSYr65obLM Counter weight - kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3fVdYBoh9-fgsk

[@josephtreeby5150]

@One Music School first of all thank you for replying, i was about to buy a new ukulele because i thought maybe that was the problem but I will watch these videos and hopefully see some improvement. Thanks! ;D

[@josephtreeby5150]

edit: now i am trying to do a Bbflat 😪 i’ve tried to do everything like position my ukulele right and do the process where you keep on plucking the strings but the pressure is to hard when doing a barre, lol i can’t even imagine doing a 4 string one

[@isabellauris556]

Yay I'm a bit early

[@fourth1885]

I learnt barre chords in 3 weeks REEEEEEEE.

[@elydiaz7072]

Hello

[@shrutivsec]

I find it easy to transition from a barre chord.. It's the transition to a barre chord that i find tricky..

[@ebonyfoley1038]

You are freaking beautiful!

[@OneMusicSchool]

You are a sweetheart! Thank you!

[@miriam4235]

2:06, why not high? That works perfect for me. 🤔

[@fluffyrawan7656]

Hi hi hi

[@OneMusicSchool]

Good morning :).

[@bereketofficial4753]

I am 5 “2 and I am ten

[@reesejiang4872]

I’m able to play barre chord on ukulele but not on guitar 😢

[@testingschoolwork2284]

One teeny weeny request! Could you please please please make a tutorial for Straberries and cigarettes? It's an amazing song by Troye Sivan for the movie " Love, Simon" [ puppy face ]

[@valerierowland6463]

Can you do "riptide" tutorial please

[@shinnidan]

😟I dont like bar chords/power chords on guitars...not that I dont onow how to...just dont like em...haha🤣

[@jjjohnson4699]

How am I supposed to learn anything when I can't take my eyes off of her and pay attention!

[@monarch9586]

ur so cute

[@pympton]

Please be single, please be single!

[@curtimongous]

I dont understand how does anyone have trouble with bar cords you just put your entire finger over all the strings