Lesson: Barre Exercise for Beginner/Intermediate Classical Guitar

[@MrGuitar50]

This is by far the best tutorial I’ve seen on barre chords. And I’ve been struggling with this for YEARS!! I’ve been “capoing” my first finger and double fingering to get enough pressure on all the strings at one time. Thanks so much!!

[@plunderclat221]

people (such as myself) underestimate how much consideration needs to be given to the barre after transitioning from years of playing metal strings to then only playing classical/nylon. who'd have thought I'd need advice for barring all these years on ha. One of many misguided and naive assumptions I made when deciding only to play Nylon. That being said you've helped me no-end with my teething issues which is fortunate because where I'm from, there are no classical guitar teachers. Maybe I'll become that teacher one day and fill the gap but I have a long long way to go yet hehe. Thanks for your help as always man.

[@joshuajaimes121]

Man thank you so much! I looked all over KZbin, and I finally found this video.

[@kookythecat.]

Thank u thank u thank u AND thank u 😁😁😁 Those valuable tips really improved a nasty barre chord I’ve been suffering with for months. Was watching this vid at midnight in bed last night and this afternoon, I grabbed my guitar and BOOM 💥 the magic happened ✨🤗✨ I can now play the entire piece that I have been practicing flawlessly. God Bless You 🙏🏻🌺🥰🎸

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Good to know, glad it helped.

[@vincentmaloney5835]

I did not know you can apply the pressure to specific areas. When I play Spanish Romance, I always stumble in the beginning of the second part. I should practice more barring technique. Thank you so much for this lesson.

[@MAZiese]

Bradford, several days ago in another of your posted lessons, I believe it was the one on exercises and fingerboard knowledge, I wrote and asked about how to strengthen my left hand to perform barres. Well tonight I came across this lesson. I had googled and even used the "youtube" search feature and this particular posting never came up in the list. Glad I found it. I also found another one of your postings from seven months ago on this same topic. Tonight I was looking at a totally different posting from another source and by accident the luck of the "Guitar Gods" I found both your 2015 and 2020 barre lessons...Go figure... But I am so glad I found them... Take it from a life long student of classical guitar "YOU ROCK DUDE"

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Thanks so much, glad you found it. Did you check out all the barre lessons on my lesson page: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lessons/

[@MAZiese]

@@Thisisclassicalguitar Bradford, I noticed that in your one paperback technique book starting on page 108 you have barre exercises. Are these the same exercises that are in your downloadable 20 lessons PDF? And are those 20 or so lessons in that PDF also in the paperback technique books I own?

[@MK-sc8md]

Brilliant. I'm going to unlearn and relearn how to barre and hope to recover from left thumb issues. Too bad I missed these priceless tips. So much going on with selective pressure! Thank you

[@haleydaye7246]

Super helpful and encouraging!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@schuler4905]

Yes, selective pressure is a great idea. I also like Cees Hartog's idea of putting the index behind the nut. Of course not for strength but for the right stretching position.

[@a-maize-zing]

A friend of mine had this idea(vihuela player) and when I finally tried it I had to admit he was right

[@copsarebastards]

What do you mean by putting the index behind the nut?

[@FilmFlam]

Always impressed by your great advice.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad to hear it!

[@Potaters12]

i finally found the video that addresses exactly my barre chord problem. Thank you!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it helped!

[@giselamferreira]

Thanks for making barring clearer and easier! The tips were very helpful.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@pumq1138]

There is always one string which is always muted in the middle of my finger and it bothered me for 2 years.

[@lenientliu6080]

Have you figured out it through this video?

[@dylanschweitzer18]

YOU ARE GREAT. This is a great and very informative video

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful.

[@hausofone]

Simple things no other KZbinr could explain.

[@musiea]

thanks for the great explanation, will try this method.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gavrinmahaffey3656]

Thank you,this was really helpful 👍

[@epipen22]

Exactly what I need now

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Glad it was helpful.

[@priteshugrankar6815]

excellent method to teach Barre chords. I play a steel stringed guitar..may be the same method can be used for it too..

[@2134yanto]

Bradford please help! I’ve come from playing steel string acoustic guitars. I’m basically having to start from the beginning and learning correct sitting position, right and left hand position etc. My barre chords are improving but an F barred at the first fret is proving almost impossible. I always mute the high E. And I agree that I try to solve it by applying more pressure. Can you explain why I have this issue and how to solve it please? It’s so frustrating! Thanks Ian

[@helenjohnson6385]

My first finger is bent at the top joint due to arthritis. Will I ever be able to barre successfully? The third and/or fourth strings almost always buzz unless I press really hard.

[@alexandre8598]

Thank you!

[@kevinmaillet4712]

Thank you so much for this! Of all the aspects of guitar playing, this is the one with which I struggle with most. If I have to hold one finger over all six strings, half sound like duds. Ugh!

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Well, hopefully my lesson helps. I'll have another barre lesson coming up in a week or two.

[@colynbarrett5905]

Very, very helpful indeed .Many thanks.

[@airsetsuna1162]

great,great lesson

[@CC-yq5bw]

I am now hitting the end of the first Sagreras book and it has become clear that unless I master the barre (last 10 or so lessons introduce the barre) it will will be the end of my journey in playing classical guitar. In looking at classical music that goes beyond this point and how often and sophisticated the barre is used, it seems there is no other choice but to master it or be left behind. I didn't anticipate this being so difficult and transitioning between other chords is yet another challenge to master since it takes more time to set up a barre chord.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

How long have you been playing? It might take some time. Also, studying with a good teacher might solve the problem as it can be difficult to self-teach if something is off.

[@alexbraun2189]

With a Nylon string guitar do you have to put your thumb on the low e string for chords where it shouldn't be played?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

No, that is generally not done on the classical guitar due to the wider neck and focus on finger curvature and ergonomics. 19th Century players used their thumb a bit but their instruments and technique were very different.

[@richardsrensen4219]

thanks a lot you instructions is just great i am a fan !

[@robertfranken7543]

I quit when I was 20 because I thought I couldn't barre..I thought I had to get much stronger hands. Twenty years later I find out I had exactly the wrong idea.

[@imanramezani9291]

tnx bro

[@davidmuls2743]

Having started playing the classical guitar about two years ago, one of the more challenging barres I have encountered at my level is the 16th measure of Carcassi’s Etude no.3. I have found it challenging, because it is high up in the 9th position and one has to sustain the D on the sixth string during two beats while playing the G sharp on the second string. Not easy to get it to sound clean and with feeling at the right tempo!!!! It will take me months and months of practice to get it to sound half decent.

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Yup, some barre are challenging for sure. Just make sure to practice barre every day as it's something that needs to be maintained. I also made a recent video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6eqo2CKib6Ye9k

[@davidmuls2743]

Many thanks for the response, Brad. I’ll look at the more recent video with great interest. I should like to congratulate you on your videos. I find them thorough, very sound technically, to the point and not at all pompous. It is really a pleasure to consult them. One additional point on the barre perhaps. To practice the barre, I have found it important to select the right pieces to play, and my guitar teacher at the conservatory in Geneva has been extremely helpful in this regard. I remember asking whether I could try Satie’s Gymnopedie (a colleage told me it was relatively easy technically on the piano). His reaction was « ooooh there are a lot of barres, but why don’t you try it . » After a few weeks, I realized it was just too ambitious at that stage of my development. Then he suggested Sor’s Study in B minor and Carcassi’s Etude no. 3, which I found within reach to play musically and at the same time a great basis for developing the barre technique. In sum, the pieces have to be difficult enough but not too difficult. And if you’re not experienced enough, sound advice here is quite important.

[@Dr.JesseLiang]

that was nice.thanks sharing

[@Chris-rr9ud]

Genius

[@tonyfrey6812]

Helped alot

[@Salehalanazi-7]

Genius!!!

[@beatrizteixeira4220]

Hey!! You talked about my struggle, my real real struggle. But when I try to "apply the strength" to each chord the damned 3rd or 4th string stills doesn't make any sound. How can I practice? I feel so desperate. I quitted playing the guitar for 2 months for this exact reason it feels impossible for me. I try so hard! I want to be able to do this! I feel so sad :(

[@tragile9108]

Are you strill struggling?

[@AlanMcCarthyguitar]

Extremely helpful and informative, thank you

[@adon9990]

Problem ihave is that when fingerstye on barre chords the base on e or a open note fade in like 1sec or less how to solve 😡😡😡😡

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

Usually this is caused by the finger not being straight and right next to the fret.

[@ytramnnecm6702]

what guitar did you use? and is that a sound port?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

+Ytram Nnecm It's a Marcus Dominelli guitar. Yes, there is a sound port on top that has a magnetic cover when wanted...

[@ytramnnecm6702]

+This is Classical Guitar okay thanks for the information. thank you sir!

[@justchillin4109]

What guitar are you using?

[@Thisisclassicalguitar]

A Marcus Dominelli guitar, I just sold it though. I have Douglass Scott coming this month.

[@justchillin4109]

This is Classical Guitar I’m playing valse venezonala no 2 by Lauro and when I switch to a barre position, it is difficult to play that part because my neck is so wide. Any tips?

[@wotiop237]

Is that actually Edward Snowden teaching classic guitar?

[@g3ntrix]

Is it me or is he Joseph Gordon's twin brother?