No Squeeze Bar Chords: Play Bar Chords With Ease

[@redmetalpanda9051]

Hey thanks, learned a cool new tip even though i watched a lot of barre chord videos. (Placing your finger in a way that hard parts of your fingers are on the strings you wanna play and the soft parts on the rest)

[@AdamsMusicandFun]

Also, it's hard for beginners to shape their fingers on the low E and then only worry about the B and high E. I honestly think that a lesson on how to focus on ensuring the B and high E string are properly pressured (a beginner's biggest hurdle?) would be a great thing. Awesome video, as always. Super helpful.

[@oferholtzman7385]

These might just be the best tips I ever got, thanks man!

[@seionne85]

This blew my mind, it's so easy and useful I can't believe I'd never heard of this.

[@thelooch7002]

Hey man - been playing for nearly a decade and this has always been a stumbling block for me. Thanks for helping to reframe, I think it'll be a big help moving forward. You're the best in the biz!

[@KayakCampingOffGrid]

Nice job explaining this! Cheers RossKo!

[@marthaworc7873]

Thanks, that was helpful

[@livefromthepsy-op1170]

Legend.

[@AnotherproblemOn]

thank you so much

[@Ejb5154]

Wouldn't this create tension in the left arm and shoulder? That's the way I feel when I do this.

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

If you do it too hard, yes. However, most of the time, just the weight of your arm is enough. Keep in mind, you don't need THAT MUCH pressure to get things to ring out.

[@manuelgonzales6483]

🎉🥇

[@c.r.sherman1795]

I've been playing wrong for 30 years! I wish someone would've told me this in the beginning.

[@AdamsMusicandFun]

As a beginner, I was confused by (or surprised to learn) that one does not need to press the strings down to the wood of the neck to actually make a barre chord ring out. Can you expound upon that? In my mind, even when I do all the other tips you've suggested, I still can't do them in a way that sounds correct. And unfortunately, my guitar instructor (who is otherwise awesome -- he believes in "play the song, try to land the chords, it will sound bad for awhile, and you'll get there eventually" -- which I understand and like) does not show me actual technique.

[@JustinTrudeau1971]

The string sounds the pitch when it’s bent over the fret. All you need to do is make sure the string is bent by the fret. Think metal against metal and not metal against wood. You don’t need to crush the string into the fretboard. You’ll exhaust your hand.

[@mateuszkosinski6817]

Do you not afraid that you break the guitar neck doing it that way???

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

Well, you don't need that amount of pressure. The pressure needed is actually pretty small. Usually when people can't get their barres to work, its more of a finger placement issue.

[@RapiBurrito]

oh my god it was that simple... I feel like a dummy

[@jonr191]

You're actually slightly pulling with both arms

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

Correct. A kind of fulcrum effect.

[@newmanfertig886]

Here is what most people won’t tell you. It’s like your fingers have a brain all their own. When you first start playing your fingers are like, what do you want me to do? what? Huh? But after you play for a while, all of a sudden your fingers just know what to do. It’s hard to explain, and to be honest, it takes about a year of playing every day for this to occur. I’m not sure about this lesson. The opposing thumb plays a vital role in barre chords. It’s true you don’t have to squeeze it so hard but until your fingers figure that out not sure it’s helpful. Do you want to be able to do this? Learn to play the song, Abilene. F, A7, Bb, F, G, C7, F, Bb, F. To the one person in 300 that actually does this. Congratulations. You learned how to play the guitar. 6 months to a year.

[@rossthemusicandguitarteacher]

Sure, if you want your bar chords to be out of tune, and to have huge weaknesses and holes in your playing, you can just go this route. :) For those that want solid technique and musicianship.... well you gotta learn how to do things properly, learn your musical fundamentals, etc etc. For example, I am learning to sing now. 4 months into the process. I hired a teacher, who knows technique quite well. I have progressed probably 10x what I would have otherwise because I learned how to do things. Now, I am no master as of yet, but I am WAY further along.

[@newmanfertig886]

@@JustinTrudeau1971 Oh look at you, trying to show off to beginners. My advice was to the beginner who wanted to move up to intermediate. You're advice is just to make yourself look impressive. Er, it didn't work.

[@newmanfertig886]

We have no idea what you're talking about, or to whom your comments are being addressed. Thx if you can clarify.

[@JustinTrudeau1971]

@@newmanfertig886 yep, you’re right