Barre chords higher up the fretboard – help!

[David S]

I’m normally OK doing barre chords higher up the fretboard – but this one has defeated me so far.

In ‘EP057 – Chet Atkins Finger Style Blues’, at 1.27min you barre the fifth fret with an E shape, but with no pinkie.

I can get all the strings to ring – except the B string. Trying all different ways, I just can’t get enough pressure on it.

Any suggestions?

[JoeD1]

Hello David. I think that is an A7 chord. You might try rolling your index finger juuuust a little so you’re pressing a little more with the side of the finger. Hope this helps.

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[sunjamr]

So, here’s what happens to me: Each finger has two creases on the bottom where your joints are. If a string fits into one of those creases, it’s not pressed down tight enough and you just get a dull “thunk” when you pick it. I’ve often tried rolling my finger a bit like Joe suggested, but it didn’t solve it for me. The only solution I’ve come up with is just don’t do it. Abandon the barre. Figure out a different way to play it.

Sunjamr Steve

[David S]

Thank you, on that basis a possibility is to hold low E with the thumb and the others with the ‘pointer’ finger and go from there…

[Richard G]

Hi David, as Joe said, the chord is an A7 with the melody being played by the pinkie on 2nd string, 7th, 8th and 7th frets, then as Brian says resolves to the 3 rd string. Holding the A7 chord throughout. Apply pressure with the thumb at the back of the fretboard, it will help.

Richard

[David S]

Thanks Richard, that and simultaneously applying inward pressure on the guitar body is something I have tried. Oh to have Robert Johnston’s long fingers. But sometimes a solution presents itself.

[Michael L]

Sharing a few tips on barre chords I picked up somewhere…
While practicing:

1) put your fingers down first, with good position, then put the barre down last
2) relax and just pose in these positions. Let your hand get used to the feel of it
3) try adjusting the barre finger upward (toward the ceiling) or downward (toward the floor) to get the fatty part of your finger over the strings you need to hold down
4) realize that most of the time the barre only needs to hold a few strings, not all 6. Sometimes an easy adjustment gets the job done.
5) grip the chord and let the weight of your relaxed arm hang from the neck. The weight of your arm can help apply pressure to the strings and allow you to not grip so hard. Only grip hard enough to keep your hand from pulling off the neck due to its own weight.

Try these ideas while practicing and let your fingers, arm, and brain get trained. This should carry over into your playing as you work with it. Hope something here is helpful!

[Mark P]

I’ve always had difficulty with full bar chords. One thing that made a difference for me was guitar position. I’m a right handed player. If I rest the guitar on my left knee, it is easier for me to roll my index finger so that I’m fretting more with the side of the finger. This position provides more space for left arm movement which I seem to need when rolling my finger. As a bonus, my right arm isn’t as high which helps with my shoulder issues. But, it takes some time to get used to playing like this.

[Author]

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