How to flatten index finger for partial barre chords

[Jim R]

Is there an exercise to help flatten the index finger when playing a barre chord using the top 4 strings. My index finger will not assume the position I see Brian use when he plays partial barre chords in many of his lessons. His flattens from the 2nd knuckle, mine won’t. Any thoughts…suggestions, exercises?

[San Luis Rey]

Jim, When I play barre chords my index finger either barres across the whole neck or just the first two strings, not the top 4. As I got older, across the neck was easier for me. You can try just fretting the top 2 strings with your index finger and playing them clearly up the neck. Your second knuckle may bend up slightly but not down towards your palm. Once that’s easy, add the middle and ring finger. remember to just strike the top 4 strings and let the tip of your ring finger mute the 5th string just in case. The little finger is now free to add some spice.
Hope this helps,
Mike

Mike

[Mark H]

I agree with Mike, partial barres are max four- or three strings but just start with two. Fret the lowest pitch string with your finger and let the finger collapse at the first joint down onto the adjacent higher pitch string(s), creating a concave finger shape covering multiple strings.

I remember practicing this without a guitar while working on getting the joint loosened up. Just make an ‘O’ with your thumb and finger tips touching, and flatten your finger at the first joint toward the center of that circle. You can practice this anywhere, any time.

I was fairly useless at it at first but quickly learned to do it without any strain or thinking. My theory is that initially it feels unnatural for us primates since mostly our hand muscles learn to bend our fingers inwards toward the palm to grasp things. In this case we need to learn to “let go” of the muscle at the first joint and let it collapse to achieve the goal.

I prefer using the middle finger but use the index sometimes, depending on what works best for the musical narrative pass.

[Jean-Michel G]

When playing barre chords involving 3 to 6 strings, you typically don’t want to stretch the index finger!
Here is how you do it:
1. place your index finger across the strings (3, 4, 5 or 6)
2. place the other fingers as per the chord you want to play
3. press down gently all the fingers until the strings are in contact with the neck
4. now roll your index towards the nut while keeping the other fingers in place; the idea is to make contact with the bone of the finger, not the flesh (yes, that hurts a bit in the beginning). Your index finger will “arch” when you do tis, and that’s ok.
5. play the chord and adjust the pressure and the position of the index until everything sounds clear

You should need much less pressure and energy to play barre chords this way.
But this technique is not appropriate when you only barre across two strings. But for those you only need the first phalanx anyway.

[charjo]

Hi Jim,
Everybody’s fingers are unique and many of us have to find adjustments to compensate. My fingers have zero backward extension at any knuckle. Brian doesn’t have the most flexible finger joints from what I observe either.
Part of the puzzle is where your thumb is in relation to the back of the neck. For a four string bar, if my thumb is directly behind the neck, I tend to roll my index finger toward the headstock so more of the boney part of my index finger is in contact. If my thumb is over the top of the neck I am forced to use the fleshier part of my finger. I can make all the strings ring clearly in spite of my lack of flexibility. Keep experimenting, you will find what works for you.
John

[Jim R]

Wow! Thanks for all of your quick responses. They all seem helpful and I will try them.

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