Learn To Play Guitar: Intro To Barre Part 1

Intro to the Barre
Tutorial: Part 1


So we are going to take a decidedly beginners approach too. We are going to start with barring just two notes. I am going to do on a fourth interval. Then we are going to work our way up to a minor triad, which is barring three notes, but we are just going to focus on the barre, we are not going to add any other fingers just yet.

So a barre is where you take your finger and you press down on two notes simultaneously, two or more notes simultaneously. Barres are done with all four fingers in guitar, in modern guitar technique. But right now we will be focusing on just doing it with your strongest, which is your first finger.

It's important to mention that barring is one of those things that you should practice all the time. Even if your notes are a little stiff, a little stale, sometimes you get one that's a little out there, a little dead; you keep doing it as your fingers get stronger and more coordinated.

Another important thing to mention is you don't want your instrument to get in the way. So if you have bad action, which is you strings are too high off the fret board and it's hard to press down, or you have old strings or thick strings, anything that makes it difficult, you want to take a trip down to the music store and see what you can do to make your instrument a little bit easier to play.

So we are going to try, instead of the F shape that's thrown at you, where you are barring here on the first fret, we are going to barre further on up, here at fifth fret. We are going to take our first finger and place it here on the fifth fret of the second string, and at the same time you are going to place it here on the fifth fret of the first string at the same time.

So I have my thumb about midway on the neck, midway behind the fret board, on the fattest part of it, and then I have got my first finger barred across the fifth fret here on the second and the first string. I am just going to hit those two, those two strings.

So with the third finger here on the fifth fret of the fourth string, pick that and slide up to the seventh fret. Then with your first finger you are going to bar the fifth fret on the third one.

Place your third finger on the seventh fret here on the third and the second string, and you are going to bend both of those notes.


Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services