This Is Why You Suck at Guitar: Your Barres and Barre Chords Suck

Check out my Patreon page here: / benellerguitars
Twitter/Instagram @BenEllerGuitars
Interested in Skype lessons with Uncle Ben? [e-mail] , drop me a message!
SUCKAMANIACS!!!! It's time for a brand new episode of This is Why You Suck at Guitar, with your good pal, Uncle Ben Eller!!!
So you've mastered sweep picking, tapping, power chords, reverse cowgirl, and even pinch harmonics, but when its time to play the FM chord in Freebird, you fall apart faster than a boxcar made by Buckwheat and the Little Rascals.... that's just not gonna cut it, Susanne.
I can't help but notice that your barres and barre chords are an abysmal pile of shit. They're driving a wedge between you and your stepdad, and making your mom so very ashamed of you. But there's good news: Uncle Ben has some tips and tricks to turn you from stud to dud in no time flat.
Whether you're playing the simple 2 string barres of classic stepdad rock tunes like Smoke on the Water or Bad to the Bone, or trying to pin down the lethal barre chords of songs like Night Moves, Under the Bridge, or Stray Cat Strut, i've got a solution for you. We're going to take a look at the proper hand positions you need to crush all those brutal barres into submission, which in return will earn you chicks, money, and experience points. You're going to be leveling up like fucking crazy, kid. It's like strapping a goddamn Game Genie onto your guitar. Kids still use Game Genie, right????
contents:
2 string barres (the flattened circle): 1:55
3 string barres (the pinch barre): 7:50
4, 5, and 6 string barres (The Roseanne Barre): 11:50
Life-saving tricks for ultimate barre brutality: 19:34
Cute puppy dog: 26:53
Thank you guys again so much for watching!!! Be sure to like this video and subscribe to my channel, and please drop me a comment letting me know what YOU suck at, so i can get to cooking up a lethal lesson on it in the near future.
Cheers!

[@vanweapon]

"F stands for Fuck that" - me for the first 5 years of playing

[@timmyaucoin]

+Luke Van Epen Love your shirt mate

[@brodlegay1924]

+Kyle J Tan pretty much

[@memori694]

only 5? almost 6 now i guess.... im 14 and have been playing for 8 years. do the math. oh yea.

[@arturbond1106]

Holy shit, it's that hard?

[@frank_west.]

Really?

[@davidwittman2839]

I like how he assumes every family is broken and uses it for teaching devices. Very amusing

[@BenEller]

Go with what you know, right???

[@user-ec6yk1fz3k]

They arent?

[@dalenwinkleman]

The saltiness of the jokes in this video is why I'm subscribing.

[@dalenwinkleman]

Also, guitar stuff.

[@soulspirit86]

same here

[@jnnyg65]

I'll teach you to serenade my step mom!

[@seacprogrammer8455]

Its the wrought almost sublime skill with the wry wit that keeps me subscribed.

[@aubreyt2043]

This is my first time watching a Ben eller video. have to say i learned a lot and had a good laugh as well. Can't wait to see more

[@BenEller]

Hey cheers, thanks a ton for watching!!!

[@Add_Account485]

Ben Eller hey uncle Ben , do you think I really could take my barres from shit to hit and really be the next "FRANCIS BUBBLE TROUSERS?!"

[@Zimx02]

I know all this shit, but I'm still watching because this guy is funny.

[@VastCNC]

***** most definitely. Handy to steal some tips for teaching others as well.

[@BenEller]

Hey man, thanks a lot!

[@DVincentW]

yes kinda. sorta.. kinda; maybe - kinda Tommy La sorta funny...

[@reggaefan2700]

Man you talk too much. Just play and shut your mouth.

[@keithwoods7724]

I'm a guitar teacher, and I watch these kinds of videos to see/hear how others explain things. Sometimes even if you're doing things right, you don't really know exactly why until you slow down what you're doing. You don't really know what you're "not doing wrong" is a way to put it, I guess. Also, even though I've been playing for 50 years, there are still people who can show me something about even the most rudimentary things, as well as the stuff I'm still trying to learn.

[@hiroshi138]

"...when I started playing guitar last year" Lol.

[@xisotopex]

demoralizing lol

[@unvisible805]

actually i suck at the guitar because i don't have any hands

[@felixgreenburg3373]

it's just a joke brah

[@kedbob2941]

I got better after I chopped my left index finger through the first knuckle off the palm. Barre chords are a bitch. Creativity makes for roundabouts.

[@CoffeeattheBeach]

don't be afraid to just use your tongue

[@DethronerX]

I cut off my hand. then i cut off the other whats wrong in this sentence

[@joncortezz]

DethronerX how did you cut your other hand off if you only have one hand?

[@sammajcher2778]

I did not need that 69 camaro image oh man hahaha

[@adamjazz1]

Ben Eller is hilarious!

[@danielh9252]

it's why dad hits the bars

[@sudhindrak]

At last, a guitar pro with a wicked sense of humor! Serenade with step mom.. hahaha

[@zzoulman]

'with a little bad to the bone!'

[@TheSummerDolls]

Just wanted to mention your title for this video is great. Like I wasn't gonna watch since I went to close the window as my computer autoplayed it from a different video, but I stayed just because of the name.

[@BenEller]

Haha cheers, that is great!!!

[@bipolarexpedition]

I play BOTH kinds of music - country, AND western, and I have to say that this idea of using barre chords is astounding. For the first time I can now venture past the third fret into previousy uncharted territory, and go boldly where no country musician has gone before. Thank you, Ben. . . .

[@jasonpitts8395]

bipolarexpedition props for the Blues Brothers reference

[@mrjosh92100]

When I first started playing my dad forced me to practice bar chords until they were perfect. At the time I hated it and thought they were pointless but it made a huge difference in my playing and I came to realize how important they were. Thanks dad!

[@lw1391]

Good thing you didn't learn to play with your stepdad. Evidently you'd be slow and have crappy technique.

[@leeholden13]

I wish I had seen this when I started...50 years ago. Of course, the internet, youtube and well, you were not around. Great lesson!

[@BenEller]

Thanks a lot for watching!

[@RicardoChapa1]

a 60 year olds man in youtube

[@malcolmjames9385]

Ben Eller

[@Big_Uncle_Randy]

Thanks for the belly laughs bro!.needed that today...great teaching!!!.....(F..translates I to FUCK THAT!!!...AWESOME!LOL

[@skelekiankurata713]

14:05, Best analogy.

[@Lerppasd7]

"Young shredi knight" I totally lost it there. Great tutorial you are the man!

[@nazznomad]

I'm an old fuck at 45 and this really helped me out. Thanks Ben !

[@jakubturlinski7159]

Hi Uncle Ben, I've got a suggestion on your next lesson - Improvisation. It would be great to make it sound musical, flashy, melodic. I realise it is a broad topic but you can certainly help us improve. Rock on \m/

[@jakubturlinski7159]

***** would he? As for the lesson it'd a very broad material to cover. However, memorising scales does not mean that your playing would sound any more interesting if you play a scale back and forth the whole time! Instead I would like an answer to a question: how to sound more interesting/attention-grabbing when improvising? If a lesson was too long Uncle Ben would make two-part series just like he did with sweep-picking.

[@MaroufMustafa90]

+Jakub Turliński +Rousseau Are you like his superduper fanclub?

[@jakubturlinski7159]

MaroufMustafa90​ :) funny, I didn't realise that.

[@bonnieprouty1300]

Thanks for a great lesson...but I'm a 65 yr old grandmother trying to get better on the guitar. I'm not looking for chicks! :)

[@BenEller]

Hey it's never to late start for guitar OR chicks!!!! ;)

[@kevinlambert3161]

Thanks from across the pond dude, I've been playing barres for years but got some valuable tips here :-)

[@DaddyMouse]

Same

[@quattro4468]

Kevin Lambert Are you from China?

[@markwaring2365]

I must say. I've never laughed so much at a tutorial. Best barre chord tutorial by far

[@mattpeters6224]

Loved every part of the video Brother! Keep them coming!

[@netruuaemeon575]

hell yeah! always brightens my day when another one of these videos comes out. thanks for helping me suck less uncle ben

[@cali_swaki204]

great lesson i love how you take time to explain each part of chords since i followed your tips for power chords. I improved so much more thanks so much

[@demetriosjimmendonis1700]

Loved the barre chord lesson - great tips! Thank you! I also love your jokes - you are hysterical! Keep mashing!

[@yaranieuwenhuis9462]

Thank you so much! this helped me a lot with the stuff i didn't know yet ;) see, I have only been playing guitar for one year and never had any lessons. your video helped me a lot since I struggle with 6 string barchords. I am definatly going to check out more of your video's! thanks a lot :D

[@Waytooold848]

I learn better when someone is making fun of me...this is great. Thank you, Ben. I put the guitar down for about 10 years. You are the only person who ever made sense out of music theory to me.

[@GiltleyRage]

I discovered your channel yesterday, and I'm amazed how entertaining this tutorials are :D

[@218maryland]

I am learning SO much from these videos. Thank you for making these

[@wadepage7809]

Funny guy! And helpful. Good straight talk and usable stuff. I'm an old grandpa who's been practicing for about 40 years and still practicing. Yet I still learned something while being entertained in a perverse sort of way. ;)

[@TheMalikTwins]

I'm really feeling the spirit of Odin in these Barres. Really feeling it.

[@BenEller]

Open your heart to the power of one-eyed Odin Allfather!

[@vanjonesen]

Love your teaching style !! keep it coming

[@brianjackson693]

I love how you break things down into fine detail. I am revisiting my guitar playing and trying to correct with your tips. Thank you. Thanks for the many laughs too.

[@Caladras]

You earned yourself a subscriber with this video. This is amazing.

[@andrewludlam5686]

@ 4:01 " Lets say I was serenading your Stepmom " Fucking 'A' Dude ! Great Vid Buddy.

[@jorgefranciscogomes2251]

nicely done,Ben.... yer reverse cowgirl approach is apreciated and refreshing..... kinda like when yer mom n sister stop by to tag team me...... you earned another subscriber.... any lessons/tips on improving and devoloping lead solos? Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work!

[@primeparagon]

Loved this and it really helped. thanks for putting these videos together.

[@gggggghhhaaa]

love dudes like you who really make learning the guitar fun and relaxed

[@Teytuu]

12:27 "I've seen nosebleeds. I've seen kids forsake their own god and swear allegiance to the dark lord. I've even had this one kid who's testicles ascended..back into his body." HAHAH.

[@captinoftheobivous]

The perks of having insomnia. Get to see Ben eller videos as soon as they come out xD

[@BenEller]

OBIVOUSE hahaha silver linings to everything!

[@captinoftheobivous]

Ben Eller Thanks for these lessons man. they have really kicked my progress into high gear

[@BenEller]

OBIVOUSE great to hear man, thank you!!!

[@blacksileighty2]

This is a fantastic lesson man! Thank you so much!

[@freesk8]

Thank you so much for your help and humor! :)

[@ElCapitanGames]

"Your muting sucks"? Would help a lot of people

[@cesp93]

I think allot of the techniques that are used for muting were covered in the sweep picking lesson. It covers right and left hand technique and a "special" emptying and filling tequique. A video just for muting would be awesome though, but in the meanwhile definitely check the sweep picking lesson out PS:There may be muting tips on the other lessons too

[@BenEller]

No doubt, muting is the secret of the stars!!!

[@theSomeguyatwork]

Nonsense Poopypants You could also watch "This is Why You Suck at Guitar, Lesson 3: Your Power Chords Suck"

[@ElCapitanGames]

theSomeguyatwork​ Yeah. I've watched all his videos. And seen the muting techniques. I just thought it would be a good idea to put them all in one place. And see if uncle Ben had some other gems. Plus I think a proper palm mute lesson will help many starting suck-a-maniacs while also helping more advanced players "clean up". Although the latter can be found in various videos. 

[@swimminlikeapig]

Best beginner instructional video I've watched so far. That was funny as shit too. Thanks man

[@chrisburr7038]

These videos are really great! Most videos show you what to do but not the howling things you are doing wrong which seems WAYYY more important!! Thank you!

[@barrykidd1977]

Watching this down the road in Nashville. Love your lessons. Funny as hell and informative.

[@drtyslzy]

I swear, you're saying "porno finger". No idea what the fuck it means, nor if you're actually saying that instead of "pointer finger"...but from now on, my pointer finger shall always be referred to as my porno finger. God damn, you are sculpting my life for the better. Teach me, teacher!!

[@Evan-tt5kk]

thumbs up for good laughs and good content

[@BenEller]

cheers dude, thank you !

[@Cukpoint]

You are the man. For the first time in my life I heard a clean barre chord come out from my guitar. Thank you so much. Definitely subscribed.

[@fjonesjones2]

Thanks Ben mate, love your style, certainly helped me with my Barre room chords.

[@Blakcened]

"I wanna give you a good reverse cowgirl angle on this too" LMFAO

[@nilay155]

hi,buddy,,,,,,thanks for ur excellent instruction....i watched 50 videos in utube,,,,,to be honest...trust me ..... u r the best instructor i have ever found in u tube,the way u teach is really ....nice.....wish u best my friend

[@BenEller]

Hey buddy thank you so much!!!! Glad you like what I'm up to :)

[@BenEller]

+kitty kat wow! Thanks a ton!

[@buckzx12r]

Really enjoying your guitar lessons,and your humor.Just learning now,very helpful stuff

[@johnbakertunes2341]

I've struggled with barre chords for many years, and this vid is full of the best advice EVER! Plus, you've got a great sense of humor so it was easy to watch the whole thing. Thanks, Uncle Ben.

[@Prince_Oli]

"Most people won't have a problem with that...unless you have little teeny tiny carny hands." Dud you are hilarious

[@BleepingRelics]

Yeah it's hilarious... unless you have little teeny tiny carny hands T.T

[@IslamFalmi]

The first time I dealt with barre chords was when learning My Curse by Killswitch Engage haha.

[@BenEller]

Never heard of them, they a local band???

[@IslamFalmi]

Ben Eller I'm Singaporean haha, but yeah they're from the US. And really? They are one of the bigger names in metalcore. You should give them a listen and trust me, it's not that typical angsty whiny metalcore stuff that you hear these days! Btw, thanks for the tips!

[@x0scimy0x]

DemiUrge _ Woooosh

[@BenEller]

Hahaha I'm just kidding with you buddy. Been a KSE fan for a long time, killer band!

[@rocketblackrabbit]

extremely helpful video...your explanation of the Barre technique is very helpful. ...thanks for helping me to the next level

[@TheUrbanmeister]

What a quality lesson! It takes great skill to make stuff 'simple'. Incredibly helpful. Thank you.

[@EversonBernardes]

Lmao, lost it @ "looks like a shrimp or something on the neck". Too damn good.

[@jaredwillebeek-lemair5298]

Loved the Gail the Snail reference

[@BenEller]

Hahaha just MASHIN

[@brooklynspo]

Solid tips I can use. Thanks, Ben!

[@drewhofmann4251]

Funny, quick witted, informative. Loved it.

[@harlequingurls879]

ok i already made a request today but youve opened my eyes to all the things i suck at. can we have a your pull offs/hammer ons suck? your sliding sucks? your entire knowledge of music theory sucks? your entire knowledge of music theory doesnt really exist? turns out youre one of the few good guitar teachers on youtube. can you handle the pressure?

[@harlequingurls879]

harlequingurls ALSO your positioning/posture/thumb placement sucks? uncle ben your saving my life here

[@BenEller]

Haha all this and more on the way! And definitely hit me up on some Skype lessons and we can knock all the theory stuff out!!

[@harlequingurls879]

Ben Eller do those cost money?? im a mere teenager

[@Solaxer]

Good stuff! I've been watching a lot of your videos lately and I notice you say frequently you figure things out by ear. Perhaps in the future a video could come out addressing ear usage?

[@BenEller]

Totally! Good idea!

[@Solaxer]

+Ben Eller Wicked :D

[@bandit816]

Thank you so much, just made my day. I've been struggling for 2 weeks and I just watched you video and I can do them now. Your awesome and hilarious!!!

[@hdroadrunner44]

Well done, This video taught me some really useful things. Never to old to learn. Now I gotta go practice!

[@futhamucka]

I clicked on this video to malign you for being condescending in your video title. 6 seconds in and I liked and subscribed :)

[@BenEller]

Hahaha thanks a lot man!!

[@lettots]

Seriously, you remind me of a old friend of mine Ben. You have a sense of humor. Humor is good. Now tell me you like Zappa?

[@lettots]

Samuel Tyler How old was his sense of humor?

[@pietropsalm7177]

Samuel Tyler I had a friend once.

[@wesblewer5391]

Best video ever.... full of good info, relaxed flow, and you had me rolling the whole time

[@tdsnyder7]

great info here! you're a fantastic teacher, ben!

[@yorulaney8563]

f is fuck this and b is bitch please.. ur lessons are the best xD

[@gmanmanning277]

Excellent presentation , where the hell was Odin when I was learning Barre Chords. I sat in a bloody puddle of my own body waste while he ,Odin, was obviously hanging out with those hot Norwegian babe's, being that I am Norwegian, he left me to figure it out on my own. Yes it took me 3 years to figure out what you just explained in 30 minutes. Well I'm an old bastard now and play pretty dam good. But the chick's and money never showed. So my right forearm kept up with my left while I strengthened my left side by what you called mashing. On a cool note I can crush a melon with my fret hand now. Any tips for precision picking double stops, I can cross pick really well but miss or drag strings that don't belong more often than I like. If you have some good tips I can quit sacrificing virgins to the guitar gods for better precision. And use the virgins for other stuff. Like waxing my Van or mowing the lawn? Plus all the neiborhood virgins don't end up on the side of a milk carton. The cops are on to my antics. Plus the bonfires keep drawing the local volunteer fire brigade. I tell them another BBQ got out of hand. They really are idiots. So what about that picking precision that I Seek? Thanks for the vids I will start to look for the needed ingredients to be a 5 star shredder , like yourself, and rifle your library of vast knowledge and see what else I find. Rock on Garth...

[@dougsmith9679]

This comment deserves not only a like but a reply, too! :-D

[@KaiserBlaze]

Your humour is great. It does a fine job of keeping my attention when I might otherwise lose interest. Subbed!

[@pigpiglet6611]

Oh man. Absolutely fantastic. You really helped me. Thanks so much.

[@dantron7073]

If only someone made a compilation of all the jokes on this channel.

[@ianchriste1146]

That vid would only be a few seconds shorter than the originals-it’s wall to wall

[@frayedsanity29]

My barre chords suck... But i already knew that.

[@ThroughShadowIntoLight]

Great lesson dude, entertaining as well. Nice work!

[@elainewells76]

Thankyou Ben. This was well explained and very helpful.

[@billygoat126]

00:50 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@BenEller]

***** right in the ol' funny bone, huh???

[@alb673]

Nice lesson man. Are you sponsored by Ibanez, or just like them? ;)

[@BenEller]

I am just a huge fan of these dang things!

[@vinceklaas2202]

Dig the color of your guitar and that green one on the wall behind you is a beauty! :)

[@kyzorsosay9938]

I like your video and your art dude,fuck the haters,don't see them making videos for free and helping out people

[@tommybergquist5116]

@10:59 I'm supposed to do what with my elbow? Clearly inappropriate.

[@nko5130]

Very helpful information on barre chord holdings. Thanks!

[@louiscasa2804]

thank you so much you explained everything so well i look forward to watching more of your videos i think i can finally make progress in my new adventure

[@Fischize]

All the negative comments on this video. Yet, not one tard who trolled, and gave their expert advice, has an instructional video on how to "properly" barre a chord. Pretty much everything this cat pointed out, I'm guilty of. I enjoyed the video and will practice some of the options he hit on.

[@BenEller]

Fischize ECW ECW ECW ECW

[@BenEller]

Fischize you are my favorite.

[@ambedex]

Its not that he's not funny , smart , and entertaining , he is. Its just that for some folks( myself ) I would rather spend 27 minutes practicing than watching this video , but kudos to him and he is obviously helping lots of guitarists.

[@AgglomeratiProduzioni]

3:28 How to make more than 225000 people look into it.

[@PopeRobXXIII]

Above the waist doesn't count.

[@ooglemonster]

This was incredibly helpful to me! Thanks so much.

[@arthurweiss8523]

Great video. I’ve watched quite a few videos and until now haven’t been able to get the b string to ring out on my F bar chord. Just whilst watching this video I managed to do it pretty consistently. Thank you Ben.

[@zaneeltoro6412]

"SERIOUSNESS IS THE REFUGE OF THE MEDIOCRE" Oscar Wilde.....

[@AvianSavara]

Porno finger. Got it. I'm gonna be a guitar god in no time.

[@dannymorgenstern1654]

Enjoyed your humorous, but informative approach. Thanks, bro!

[@missusmel]

This is the best video I have ever watched on how to play barre chords. Thank you.

[@Ou8y2k2]

I think you're looking for the word _fatwa_ instead of "jihad".

[@BenEller]

(Team America joke ;) )

[@Ou8y2k2]

Ben Eller Ah. It's been awhile since I've seen that classic.

[@SpectacularName]

He's only been laing guitar for a year? This gives me hope that I can learn an instrument.

[@SpectacularName]

Well fuck.

[@username55ify]

Dude, that is insane.

[@gregpasq]

+SpectacularName -Don't give up. I started with basics and just added my own things. Just like this guy. The more you play, the better you will get.

[@bakkermaarten007]

+Peter I've been playing for about 10 months and have o problems with barre chords whatsoever. It's just what you choose to learn first. Barre chords (full barre) are only a matter of strengthening your fingers until they have no problem pushing all strings at a time.

[@noobpower96]

I've been playing for a few years now (about 5-6 i belive) with some downtime in between (which is really suprising/strange given how crazy i am about guitar...). But i've always had problems with chords, i guess since im self taught and have to this date not had "proper" lessons. On a sidenote though i'm a way better lead player than most of my friends who've had proper lessons while they are way way better with chords to this day. Playing with them helps a lot though and i guess that applies to both sides.

[@jessemccormick5623]

You have some of the best lesson videos. I came here to find out how to play my barr chord songs without my hand hurting for a week afterwards, and you did not disappoint.

[@3rdTrumpetAngel]

Thanks for the tips. Just starting out on barre chords, and this is good knowledge to have.

[@patrikkozjak-lesicki8669]

anyone else hating these kind of titles? "why you suck at " Actually it shouldn't piss me off cause I'm bitching about a fucking video title, but these kind of titles are everywhere now and it kinda really annoys me

[@patrikkozjak-lesicki8669]

Xx TheRealOG xX k...

[@johnjohntv1195]

+Patrik Kozjak-Lesički 😂

[@camatron1000]

+Patrik Kozjak-Lesički it's just a funny name for a lesson series

[@patrikkozjak-lesicki8669]

camatron1000 well it's kinda overused, isn't it?

[@salvadorfonseca7]

Strange this is the first video with a title like this that i've encountered. That's what drew me to it. haha

[@barbarabaldwin7120]

o4msentrum GREAT teaching at the latter part!!!! Drop the 4 letter words, and sexual references: TEACH! You're good at it!

[@AnthonyLewisCPT]

Excellent lesson, and you were cracking me up throughout the video.

[@talyehuda2829]

Great video, lots of fun to watch (and listen to you!)

[@razazoulay6985]

wow i've been trying for ages.. kinda got deperate. then started seeing your videos. you really showed me different ways that others didn't teach. you're awesome!! keep up!

[@aliaseldombensobarsmith4982]

Thanks, I was really having troubles with my g string buzzing but your help with the thumb fixed it.

[@lindawmn]

Excellent videos and great delivery.

[@kedbob2941]

I gain a lot from this teaching style. Thanks.