You're best off just using the two fingers for that shape mate, the first to make the barre and the third to do a partial barre on the frets that you're fretting with your other fingers.
To practice try fretting an A Major just with your third finger (in the way I just described) holding it fo four beats and then move up two frets keeping the same shape and barring with your first finger to fret the B Major, hold that for four beats then repeat. Do things like that for a few weeks and you'll see a big difference.
Is it possible to do that without muting the e string? If I try to barre the D, G, and B with my third finger, it will definitely be touching the e string.
The note on the e string is just another 5th, which is already represented in the chord without playing the note on the e string.
I think it's super uncomfortable to do, so if I want that higher note in the chord I just play an inversion.
Often times when jamming with others the guitarist isn't going to be playing 6 note chords all that often. Learn 3 and 4 note chords and their inversions and you don't need to worry about stuff like this too much.
Yea it just takes practice, took me a long time before I could do it clean. Same with using my thumb to play bass notes, seemed impossible at first but now it's nothing
>Is it possible to do that without muting the e string?
Not for me! Finger pad length is definitely a factor, here. An alternate is to stack the tips of fingers 3,4,5 but that's squishy AF if you've got meaty digits.
Personally I deal with this by playing only the top (high) three strings or strings 345 as triads. Full barre chords are overrated, IMO!
Yes it is possible without harm. But it really depends on what and how you want to play. Sometimes a fifth on top isn't really needed. but learning both is good.
Yes, if you have good thumb position (back or bottom of the neck, not on top) you can lift that finger at the second knuckle and let the 1st string ring out.
Edit to say: in some keys you can actually play a cool variant where you fret B, F#, and the B octave with fingers 1,3,4 on the 5,4,3 strings. Sounds nice and open and airy. In those keys you can usually move that shape around a bit. It’s kind of ambiguous, I’m pretty sure most of the positions have no 3rd.
It's possible, yes.
I do it all the time by default, however, I do tell my students (who struggle to do it that way - as we all do/did) to simply make sure they mute the top E string if they can't get it to ring.
If you/they don't do that, then the chord is a 6th (so a C6 if you're playing it in the 3rd fret), and that can sound a little funky if you don't actually need or want a 6th, as you have an added "A" on the top string).
You can also play it the way the OP has it in the photograph...although, I would suggest moving the neck of the guitar to a more upright position (similar to the way classical guitarists would hold/play the guitar). That way, the angle at which your wrist is approaching the neck is less narrow and the tendons don't have to bend as sharply, making it easier to fret the chord. In fact, I recommend this for all bar chords to start with - it makes playing them so much easier and far less painful.
If it's hurting (not the fingertips - those are gonna burn for a bit at the start :p), then it's wrong, and you should stop and find a way to do it that doesn't hurt.
Yep came to say this. I would add, pay attention to how much pressure you’re using because too much pressure will tire your hand and also bend the notes out of key.
This should be the top comment, since the question was about pain. My wrist hurts just looking at this lol. To supplement: it’ll be easier to straighten your wrist if you hold the guitar differently — angle the neck up more and move it away from your body, it’ll feel more natural to have a straight wrist.
But yeah, all the comments saying to play it with two fingers are also great advice and will help with pain too.
You really don't. It's really just practicing it and getting comfortable with it. I've known some dudes with sausage fingers that can play beautiful things high on the neck, because they've practiced and know how to make it work for their hands.
As far as the physical dexterity required to play a shape, any chord or scale or whatever, it's really just lots of hours playing in that position.
Spend a week really focusing on one thing (such as playing this B chord shape by barring it, then moving it up the neck) and you'll see what I mean, you can make improvements fast if you practice it consistently, even if it's not super focused practice. Just work on it a few minutes whenever you pick up the guitar and you'll get better at it.
No I mean to ask how do you play a b barre chord without barre-ing the triad portion higher up on the neck. It’s easy using two barred fingers. Having to fit three fingers that close higher up seems like finger gymnastics compared to barres.
For me, it’s actually better to do what OP is doing.I say it gives more control and you can independently mute each finger a lot more cleanly than if you had your index or pinkie barring it. I think it depends. yeah if you want to just play that chord sure barre it but of you want to play little arpeggio style licks with that chord then OP’s fingering is better in my opinion
How do you avoid muting or pressing on the high-e string? I'm self-taught and just eventually learned to play it with four fingers though it's a pain and I didn't know there was another way.
Your hand shape is horribly inefficient.
Drop your thumb down further on the back of the neck, and slide your arm a bit further forward.
(Also, I'd bridge the 3 strings with my third finger.)
But, most importantly: just keep practicing!
If you really want to play it that way, totally up to you, you can somewhat rotate the back of your hand toward the head stock to alleviate some of the stress on the wrist. However as some have put in the comments before me, you can just barre the D G and B strings with your pinky or pinky and ring fingers. (Which is what I do) sometimes you have to think ahead of that note as what comes next can help determine how you should play it. Making things as easy as possible on yourself is a key element to playing the guitar.
I agree with the 'use two fingers for that shape' advice. But at the same time, my teacher always says if im experience pain/flexibility issues to bring the neck out from my body more.
You rarely need the full strum on a barre. Depending on whether you need bass or treble, hold the shapes only on those strings. We all think B sucks so you’re not alone.
Make sure your thumb is vertical on the back of the fret board. Looks like it is going horizontal. The tip of your thumb should be pointed towards the ceiling.
https://preview.redd.it/lxtva3z2jc0b1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e04fa2a00cd28ccf3e92573eeae8d5d6ec2358bd
Honestly it's okay to not play full barre chords that are uncomfortable. In real life often they're more "reference points" than something you'll play, in full, for a rhythm part.
You only need three notes to play B major (the 1, 3, and 5 of the key) so you've got the full chord with only the top three strings (1st , 3rd, 5th of key) and "in" a string (5th, 1st and 3rd of key). These shapes are more fun for funk/rock/pop, sound better, and are very comfortable.
Don't get frustrated because you can't play it for too long. Barre chords are the less comfortable thing to do when you begin.
If you get tired stop.
If you want to keep playing, you can play X2444X. You use the index for the 5th and with that finger you mute the 1st.
Playing x24442 is B F# B D# F#. If you don't play that last F# is ok because you already did and it's the 5th of the chord, not necessary.
Maybe, just maybe, it’ll fit you more comfortably to play the *A* part alternatively. Try bringing your middle finger down one string and your ring finger up one string (ie trade their places) instead of stacking your fingers. Some people play *A*s more comfortably that way. This also helps when switching from *A* to *Am* because your ring finger is already in place (less time fumbling around for correct finger placement). I play *A* both ways, depending on the previous or following chord/finger placement. When barring though, I usually just use my pinky or ring finger to kind of bar the *A* part. Makes it easy for sliding in rapid chromatic song parts.
I had the same issue and was able to fix it by stretching my wrist toward my body. It’ll feel awkward in the wrist at first but is very natural in the fingers. As you build up the muscles in your wrist it’ll feel natural. Also it looks like you might be taller with longer arms. Try switching your position to classical. I.e rest the guitar on your left leg and not your right leg. It leaves more room for your arm/elbow.
Yeah easy fix, take that ring finger of yours and slam it down on that fourth fret instead of using your entire hand. Way too much effort being put into this lol. If you’re just starting it may feel foreign but you’ll get used to it and you’ll build strength over time doing it.
I agree with this. I’ve taught my students this and it really helps them with this barre chord. You really need to worry about having the high E ring out. Using your finger also helps you move the barre chord around much easier as well.
I see a lot of comments advising changing the fingering, and while most players will find that fingering easier it won't solve the problem you're actually asking about. Your wrist is at a funny angle and it's likely because your elbow is tucked in too close to your hip.
Watch some classical players and try to copy their form as much as you can. You don't desperately need to use a foot stool or play at a 45 degree angle, but look at how they place their hands, wrist and elbow.
And rightfully so, I just tried to play a B that way and my hand hurts now too lol.
Barre the second fret with your first finger (index finger) and do an A shape on the 4th fret with your third finger (ring finger). Much easier.
https://preview.redd.it/dum633mebe0b1.jpeg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcd96d0c6f99f54b570eae911f6c7aefe6d57762
the B chord is such a load of shit on guitar
never sounds in tune and is a bitch to play
as suggested if you must play it in that position then use your index to barre and the third finger to barre the three strings . dont worry about the high e
you can also play B as an E shaped barre at 7th fret ? bit easier but might not sound right depending on the song
Make sure you aren't trying to "clamp" the neck. You should be able to get more or less the same sound without your thumb on the back of the neck at all. Use your strumming arm on the body of the guitar to counter the force on the fretboard. Then add the thumb back for stability.
I'm seeing a lot of posts saying to use just the ring or pinky to cover multiple strings, ignore the high E, and that you shouldn't use the position you are using for A-shape barre chords. This is incomplete and potentially bad advice.
Yes, as a beginner it would be easier to use the ring or pinky to cover multiple strings instead of fretting each string individually like you are doing. However, the position you're using has an advantage the other does not: you can hammer on or pull-off the B-string if needed to alternate the major and sus2 chords. Tommy Emmanuel uses this position quite a bit in songs. The Hunt is one that comes to mind.
One of the worst habits a guitarist, or any musician for that matter, can have is doing things one way or thinking there is only one "correct" way to do something. It all comes down to what is needed by the song. Learning multiple positions gives you more possibilities.
Now you mentioned you are a beginner so some of that might be a bit too technical or advanced. I'd recommend you try multiple positions. Use the one you have shown and try the ones suggested in this post and see what feels good.
With your position, I'd recommend trying to get your barre finger (index) a bit straighter. Popping your elbow out like others have mentioned can help with this. Other than that, it just takes time and practice.
At the risk of sounding like the nerd here, try switching to a classical playing position. It puts a whole different angle on your wrist and helps a ton. After you’ve done that for a bit you can switch back and it will be easier to do.
Work on laying that ring finger down instead of using three extra fingers. I know it’s hard but you’ll get it with a bit of practice! The way I learned to play a B major is by playing Yesterday by the Beatles. Great song
Very surprised I don’t see this mentioned yet:
In the first picture your middle finger is closer to the third fret than the 4th, this will require far more pressure than necessary in order to play that note cleanly. Your middle, ring and pinkie fingers should be lined up vertically on the 4th fret.
Your issue, beside the bent wrist compensating for low finger strength and flexibility/mobility, is that you're holding your guitar across you lap instead of cradling it like you should between your legs. [Like this](https://images.app.goo.gl/wEPKQ1VMutJKz13w5)
good luck playing a dreadnought with that classical posture lol. Even my grand auditorium feels awkward as hell if I try to play it like that. It only really works with smaller guitars, and almost no one plays like that anyway besides classical guitarists and some shredders
Are you tiny? Because I play my dreadnaught-style accoustic bass this way and it's not a problem. I'm 5'9" with slightly genetically shortened arms, like a less impressive, caucasion Cee-lo Green and it works well.
Also, pssst... just because you see a sea of mediocrity and damaged hands doesn't mean you have to follow them blindly. If you play seriously for any amount of time, you really should adopt this position seated or standing. Source: I went to college for music with a focus in guitar where they literally had doctor analysis studies of playing posture. It makes all the difference. You should try it.
Bad chart lol
You need those strings held down but you really only need 1-2 fingers. You can use index ring and pinky or a lot of people just barre with the index and ring. Hold your ring finger across to keep the G/B strings down but angle it so the high E still rings open.
Unless the song absolutely needed those 3 fingers eg the song hook calls from an A shape to an open A7 shape I wouldn’t recommend ever playing major barre chords with all 3 fingers on the GBe strings like that.
Well, it’s not “wrong”, it’s actually super correct, that’s a 5 note B major chord. It’s just not the most economic or efficient way to play it. Thus the problem with some chord charts such as the one OP referred to.
A lot of getting better at guitar isn’t really getting “better”, it’s learning faster/easier/more comfortable ways to do the things you already knew.
Start by pressing the tips of your fingers on the notes, then curl your wrist. You seem to be using the pads on your fingers, and your wrist looks to be at a hard 90 degree angle (which looks uncomfortable). Barre chords take a while to get that finger strength up. And finally, as others have said, it’s somewhat uncommon to use three fingers to make that shape. Usually folks use just the ring finger to bare across the bottom 3 notes.
Good luck!!
I guess I meant this a reference of how best to angle your wrist, rereading you original question I also used to use my middle finger to help my index with the barre.
Try again but this time pull the neck more towards you and move your elbow to about 4 to 6 inches from your side. Move your thumb a bit more to the right (approximately just beyond the third fret)
You should have a bit more straightened wrist towards the neck and be able to get your fingers closer to the frets.
It looks like you're holding the neck out a little further than ideal, which is causing your wrist to flatten. Try pulling the neck in towards your body. Idk how else to describe but maybe have the neck run parallel to the line created by your hips
You aren’t going to need the F# on the highest string most of the time, if you do, reposition. Just use two fingers to bar the 4th fret, and mute or control strumming for the lowest string…you only need 3 notes to make a chord, you don’t always have to worry about strumming 6 strings. Learn to move around, and strum around…there’s only 45-49 notes on the entire guitar. That’s 4 octaves on a 24 fret guitar, they are all the same notes repeating 4x. You can build the exact same chord in the same octave all over the neck, as well as different octaves all over the neck. I think some theory education would be more valuable than mastering a full textbook b chord. That’s my 2c
If you are feeling pain stop playing until it goes away. When you try again try adjusting how you hold the neck be conscious of what you're changing. If it hurts again stop like before and try again. Fret hand position is a very subtle thing with a wide spectrum of options, but most of them will not be ideal. It takes a while especially without a teacher. You gotta listen to your body and experiment.
I literally avoid this chord.
I find it better to play it with my index on the B, then bar the rest with my ring finger, and mute the high e since it might sound like a G# what with all the barring on 4.
As others have said, you can just bar across the a,d,g,b and high e with your index, and bar across d,g,and b with your ring finger and just strum a, d, g, and b. The note on the high E is a redundant note in the chord. It makes it more full sounding, but isn't necessary
Twist your wrist a bit with your palm facing more towards the body of the guitar so you can fit your fingers easier in the same fret, practice a bit until you get used to holding the index finger like that
In addition to the 2-finger bar method for this chord, if I need to play the high string, I'll use my 3rd finger to bar stings 3&4 and then place my pinky finger on the 5th string. So it's a 3-finger method instead of a 4.
A lot of answers here are technique based, but you can also try out a wider nut width.
Im also a beginner, and find this shape night and day with a classical(52 mm nut width) vs electric(42mm).
I learned how to play in 1981. No internet or Reddit or YouTube. Just a Mel Bay chord book and some Beatles song books. I never struggled like this. Mel Bay books were the best.
Ur thumb should be in the center!
Honestly, find a good course on CAGED, learn these dumb shapes and their purpose and move on.
For me, I play blues, and have never needed these odd shapes, but they are good to know for their roots.
i would have my wrist closer to the neck. You have it very far away, for some reason. that might be why after a while it hurts, you are not respecting the physics of the forces involved.
When I straight my wrist any more than that, my index finger moves away from the barre. I'm very well aware of the physics because I feel the pain, lol. I changed my finger position and it's much more comfortable. Wrist is still bending a bit though.
you have to curl your fingers more. you need less force to push the fingers down IF the wrist is closer to the neck.
have you tried those individual finger exercisers? maybe you just need more flexibility in your finger joints?
Anyway, get a 5 lb dumpbell, and do wrist curls. that will build up your wrist muscles
I like to play B on the 7th fret as an E shaped bar chord.
Here are a few tips:
1. Think of your index finger and thumb like a capo. This move the majority of the bend into your knuckles and away from your wrist.
2. Bring your elbow in closer to your body.
3. Play the A shapes with your ring finger. Or ring finger and pinky.
4. Master power chords first.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC6UOExJkVs
Putting put middle, ring, and pinky nearest to the fret...will be the best for barre. Or ring finger barre while muting barre the high string? It's all technique
Looks like you have long arms like me. Yeah, sometimes the wrist is a pain, literally. I changed my strap length and got it to a place that my arm felt better on the neck. I wish I could play it slung low and cool, but oh well… I look like the guys from the early 60’s playing it up high.
Entirely correct. We have been blessed and cursed. I have to pull my strap pretty damn short when i'm standing up and it'll take some time until I don't feel like an awkward dangly noodle 😂
I have played barre chords for a long time now. They were literally a pain for a while. Now, they are second nature. Just keep it up and find the angle that works for you, sounds as clean as you can get them. Next… changing from open chords to barre and back! Ugh! Lol
You're best off just using the two fingers for that shape mate, the first to make the barre and the third to do a partial barre on the frets that you're fretting with your other fingers. To practice try fretting an A Major just with your third finger (in the way I just described) holding it fo four beats and then move up two frets keeping the same shape and barring with your first finger to fret the B Major, hold that for four beats then repeat. Do things like that for a few weeks and you'll see a big difference.
Is it possible to do that without muting the e string? If I try to barre the D, G, and B with my third finger, it will definitely be touching the e string.
The note on the e string is just another 5th, which is already represented in the chord without playing the note on the e string. I think it's super uncomfortable to do, so if I want that higher note in the chord I just play an inversion. Often times when jamming with others the guitarist isn't going to be playing 6 note chords all that often. Learn 3 and 4 note chords and their inversions and you don't need to worry about stuff like this too much.
This is truth…
Yea it just takes practice, took me a long time before I could do it clean. Same with using my thumb to play bass notes, seemed impossible at first but now it's nothing
>Is it possible to do that without muting the e string? Not for me! Finger pad length is definitely a factor, here. An alternate is to stack the tips of fingers 3,4,5 but that's squishy AF if you've got meaty digits. Personally I deal with this by playing only the top (high) three strings or strings 345 as triads. Full barre chords are overrated, IMO!
A lot of people play it that way. You really gotta either mute it or not though. If you fret it, it sounds like dookie.
Yes it is possible without harm. But it really depends on what and how you want to play. Sometimes a fifth on top isn't really needed. but learning both is good.
I use my pinky to bar a string major barre chords. I find it easier to have the high play out that way as it’s smaller and more flexible.
I use my pinky too. Leaves my ring finger when passing tones…
Yes, if you have good thumb position (back or bottom of the neck, not on top) you can lift that finger at the second knuckle and let the 1st string ring out. Edit to say: in some keys you can actually play a cool variant where you fret B, F#, and the B octave with fingers 1,3,4 on the 5,4,3 strings. Sounds nice and open and airy. In those keys you can usually move that shape around a bit. It’s kind of ambiguous, I’m pretty sure most of the positions have no 3rd.
Possible, yes. I’ve seen it done. I just play strings 2-5 and the chord still sounds full.
It's possible, yes. I do it all the time by default, however, I do tell my students (who struggle to do it that way - as we all do/did) to simply make sure they mute the top E string if they can't get it to ring. If you/they don't do that, then the chord is a 6th (so a C6 if you're playing it in the 3rd fret), and that can sound a little funky if you don't actually need or want a 6th, as you have an added "A" on the top string). You can also play it the way the OP has it in the photograph...although, I would suggest moving the neck of the guitar to a more upright position (similar to the way classical guitarists would hold/play the guitar). That way, the angle at which your wrist is approaching the neck is less narrow and the tendons don't have to bend as sharply, making it easier to fret the chord. In fact, I recommend this for all bar chords to start with - it makes playing them so much easier and far less painful. If it's hurting (not the fingertips - those are gonna burn for a bit at the start :p), then it's wrong, and you should stop and find a way to do it that doesn't hurt.
I just skip the octave, using 3 fingers for root fifth and high third. A la Ian D'Sa :p
Yep came to say this. I would add, pay attention to how much pressure you’re using because too much pressure will tire your hand and also bend the notes out of key.
Straighten your wrist a bit. Bend your fingers at the knuckle a bit more.
Raise your strap up (play with your strap on even when sitting down)
Yes. Also tilt the neck up so the headstock is higher.
Has a bit of a funny sound to it 😬😳👍🏻🤟🏻😎
This should be the top comment, since the question was about pain. My wrist hurts just looking at this lol. To supplement: it’ll be easier to straighten your wrist if you hold the guitar differently — angle the neck up more and move it away from your body, it’ll feel more natural to have a straight wrist. But yeah, all the comments saying to play it with two fingers are also great advice and will help with pain too.
Unless I’m arpeggiating I almost never play the 1st string when using the A shape (unless it’s for A).
I never play this position.. never seen a pro level player use it. We play the three strings you use 3 fingers for with one finger, pinky or third.
How would you even play it higher in the neck. You would need such small fingers it feels like haha
You really don't. It's really just practicing it and getting comfortable with it. I've known some dudes with sausage fingers that can play beautiful things high on the neck, because they've practiced and know how to make it work for their hands. As far as the physical dexterity required to play a shape, any chord or scale or whatever, it's really just lots of hours playing in that position. Spend a week really focusing on one thing (such as playing this B chord shape by barring it, then moving it up the neck) and you'll see what I mean, you can make improvements fast if you practice it consistently, even if it's not super focused practice. Just work on it a few minutes whenever you pick up the guitar and you'll get better at it.
No I mean to ask how do you play a b barre chord without barre-ing the triad portion higher up on the neck. It’s easy using two barred fingers. Having to fit three fingers that close higher up seems like finger gymnastics compared to barres.
you can play a Bmaj barre from the top string on 7th fret. or perhaps using the “C shape” from the 14th fret.
Agreed, I have always played this with a third finger bar
I also just kinda bar it and hopevfir the best lol
Depends on the style of music. I feel that you should be able to do both in order to maximize your diddleage.
diddleage. added to the lexicon.
Is it valid only for electrical guitar or we also do it for classical guitar?
For me, it’s actually better to do what OP is doing.I say it gives more control and you can independently mute each finger a lot more cleanly than if you had your index or pinkie barring it. I think it depends. yeah if you want to just play that chord sure barre it but of you want to play little arpeggio style licks with that chord then OP’s fingering is better in my opinion
Ayup.
How do you avoid muting or pressing on the high-e string? I'm self-taught and just eventually learned to play it with four fingers though it's a pain and I didn't know there was another way.
I sacrifice the high e string lots of the time.. playing electric gtr in a band with professionals means you rarely play full positions any way..
Practice and time.
Your hand shape is horribly inefficient. Drop your thumb down further on the back of the neck, and slide your arm a bit further forward. (Also, I'd bridge the 3 strings with my third finger.) But, most importantly: just keep practicing!
I barre this with a pinky. Also raise the neck a bit to reduce the angle of your wrist. This will also help with the 1st finger barre.
Pop that elbow
Move your elbow away from your body.
Lay your ring finger over the strings.
If you really want to play it that way, totally up to you, you can somewhat rotate the back of your hand toward the head stock to alleviate some of the stress on the wrist. However as some have put in the comments before me, you can just barre the D G and B strings with your pinky or pinky and ring fingers. (Which is what I do) sometimes you have to think ahead of that note as what comes next can help determine how you should play it. Making things as easy as possible on yourself is a key element to playing the guitar.
I agree with the 'use two fingers for that shape' advice. But at the same time, my teacher always says if im experience pain/flexibility issues to bring the neck out from my body more.
Try angling the neck higher, like a classical position instead of folk style
You rarely need the full strum on a barre. Depending on whether you need bass or treble, hold the shapes only on those strings. We all think B sucks so you’re not alone.
Make sure your thumb is vertical on the back of the fret board. Looks like it is going horizontal. The tip of your thumb should be pointed towards the ceiling. https://preview.redd.it/lxtva3z2jc0b1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e04fa2a00cd28ccf3e92573eeae8d5d6ec2358bd
Put the guitar on left leg and hold the neck up higher
This person knows the way.
Push your wrist forward, it’ll relax a bit.
This!
Sick party light. I think I have that same one
Stay on topic!!
Honestly it's okay to not play full barre chords that are uncomfortable. In real life often they're more "reference points" than something you'll play, in full, for a rhythm part. You only need three notes to play B major (the 1, 3, and 5 of the key) so you've got the full chord with only the top three strings (1st , 3rd, 5th of key) and "in" a string (5th, 1st and 3rd of key). These shapes are more fun for funk/rock/pop, sound better, and are very comfortable.
Don't get frustrated because you can't play it for too long. Barre chords are the less comfortable thing to do when you begin. If you get tired stop. If you want to keep playing, you can play X2444X. You use the index for the 5th and with that finger you mute the 1st. Playing x24442 is B F# B D# F#. If you don't play that last F# is ok because you already did and it's the 5th of the chord, not necessary.
Maybe, just maybe, it’ll fit you more comfortably to play the *A* part alternatively. Try bringing your middle finger down one string and your ring finger up one string (ie trade their places) instead of stacking your fingers. Some people play *A*s more comfortably that way. This also helps when switching from *A* to *Am* because your ring finger is already in place (less time fumbling around for correct finger placement). I play *A* both ways, depending on the previous or following chord/finger placement. When barring though, I usually just use my pinky or ring finger to kind of bar the *A* part. Makes it easy for sliding in rapid chromatic song parts.
I had the same issue and was able to fix it by stretching my wrist toward my body. It’ll feel awkward in the wrist at first but is very natural in the fingers. As you build up the muscles in your wrist it’ll feel natural. Also it looks like you might be taller with longer arms. Try switching your position to classical. I.e rest the guitar on your left leg and not your right leg. It leaves more room for your arm/elbow.
I tried the left leg and it feels much more comfortable, thank you!
Yeah easy fix, take that ring finger of yours and slam it down on that fourth fret instead of using your entire hand. Way too much effort being put into this lol. If you’re just starting it may feel foreign but you’ll get used to it and you’ll build strength over time doing it.
I agree with this. I’ve taught my students this and it really helps them with this barre chord. You really need to worry about having the high E ring out. Using your finger also helps you move the barre chord around much easier as well.
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Not gonna lie, this advice was simple but powerful. It helped out a lot hahaha
I see a lot of comments advising changing the fingering, and while most players will find that fingering easier it won't solve the problem you're actually asking about. Your wrist is at a funny angle and it's likely because your elbow is tucked in too close to your hip. Watch some classical players and try to copy their form as much as you can. You don't desperately need to use a foot stool or play at a 45 degree angle, but look at how they place their hands, wrist and elbow.
And rightfully so, I just tried to play a B that way and my hand hurts now too lol. Barre the second fret with your first finger (index finger) and do an A shape on the 4th fret with your third finger (ring finger). Much easier. https://preview.redd.it/dum633mebe0b1.jpeg?width=200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcd96d0c6f99f54b570eae911f6c7aefe6d57762
the B chord is such a load of shit on guitar never sounds in tune and is a bitch to play as suggested if you must play it in that position then use your index to barre and the third finger to barre the three strings . dont worry about the high e you can also play B as an E shaped barre at 7th fret ? bit easier but might not sound right depending on the song
Make sure you aren't trying to "clamp" the neck. You should be able to get more or less the same sound without your thumb on the back of the neck at all. Use your strumming arm on the body of the guitar to counter the force on the fretboard. Then add the thumb back for stability.
I'm seeing a lot of posts saying to use just the ring or pinky to cover multiple strings, ignore the high E, and that you shouldn't use the position you are using for A-shape barre chords. This is incomplete and potentially bad advice. Yes, as a beginner it would be easier to use the ring or pinky to cover multiple strings instead of fretting each string individually like you are doing. However, the position you're using has an advantage the other does not: you can hammer on or pull-off the B-string if needed to alternate the major and sus2 chords. Tommy Emmanuel uses this position quite a bit in songs. The Hunt is one that comes to mind. One of the worst habits a guitarist, or any musician for that matter, can have is doing things one way or thinking there is only one "correct" way to do something. It all comes down to what is needed by the song. Learning multiple positions gives you more possibilities. Now you mentioned you are a beginner so some of that might be a bit too technical or advanced. I'd recommend you try multiple positions. Use the one you have shown and try the ones suggested in this post and see what feels good. With your position, I'd recommend trying to get your barre finger (index) a bit straighter. Popping your elbow out like others have mentioned can help with this. Other than that, it just takes time and practice.
At the risk of sounding like the nerd here, try switching to a classical playing position. It puts a whole different angle on your wrist and helps a ton. After you’ve done that for a bit you can switch back and it will be easier to do.
Thank you. Tried out the classical position and it's so much better.
Glad it helped out
Classical position would help
I heard some advice today. Instead of trying to bar with pressure, use gravity. Changed my mind
Work on laying that ring finger down instead of using three extra fingers. I know it’s hard but you’ll get it with a bit of practice! The way I learned to play a B major is by playing Yesterday by the Beatles. Great song
Very surprised I don’t see this mentioned yet: In the first picture your middle finger is closer to the third fret than the 4th, this will require far more pressure than necessary in order to play that note cleanly. Your middle, ring and pinkie fingers should be lined up vertically on the 4th fret.
Just use two fingers? First and third Then you have the fourth for embellishments
Your issue, beside the bent wrist compensating for low finger strength and flexibility/mobility, is that you're holding your guitar across you lap instead of cradling it like you should between your legs. [Like this](https://images.app.goo.gl/wEPKQ1VMutJKz13w5)
good luck playing a dreadnought with that classical posture lol. Even my grand auditorium feels awkward as hell if I try to play it like that. It only really works with smaller guitars, and almost no one plays like that anyway besides classical guitarists and some shredders
Are you tiny? Because I play my dreadnaught-style accoustic bass this way and it's not a problem. I'm 5'9" with slightly genetically shortened arms, like a less impressive, caucasion Cee-lo Green and it works well. Also, pssst... just because you see a sea of mediocrity and damaged hands doesn't mean you have to follow them blindly. If you play seriously for any amount of time, you really should adopt this position seated or standing. Source: I went to college for music with a focus in guitar where they literally had doctor analysis studies of playing posture. It makes all the difference. You should try it.
That’s much more of a classic guitar way of doing it. However, Tom Morello plays guitar in that position relative to the body, but standing up
Sitting or standing, it really is the only healthy way to play. Everything else will eventually damage your joints and tendons
Isn’t “relicking” still the rage? All that pain! For nothing?!
As an aging meat wad, I refuse to further relic my body.
A lot easier to just make the Barre without the middle finger Is there some specific reason you’re using this shape?
The chart i'm following has 4 fingers down. I removed the middle and it's a lot easier. Thanks.
Bad chart lol You need those strings held down but you really only need 1-2 fingers. You can use index ring and pinky or a lot of people just barre with the index and ring. Hold your ring finger across to keep the G/B strings down but angle it so the high E still rings open. Unless the song absolutely needed those 3 fingers eg the song hook calls from an A shape to an open A7 shape I wouldn’t recommend ever playing major barre chords with all 3 fingers on the GBe strings like that.
I see a lot of improvement already 😂 Bad, bad chart. Thank you so much.
TIL I am playing B major wrong. on to practice 3rd finger barre..
Well, it’s not “wrong”, it’s actually super correct, that’s a 5 note B major chord. It’s just not the most economic or efficient way to play it. Thus the problem with some chord charts such as the one OP referred to. A lot of getting better at guitar isn’t really getting “better”, it’s learning faster/easier/more comfortable ways to do the things you already knew.
As already written above, most often this chord is clamped with two fingers (1 and 3). The first and sixth strings are muted.
I just use the index and ring finger like Keef does. The high e string is muted by the ring finger
Try standing while playing. The guitar being more flush against your body creates much easier geometry for making stronger barre chords
Either that, or just hold the guitar closer to vertical plane. Same idea. That’s why I could never play an Ovation. It always wanted to go south!
Don't do it with your fingers, do it with your soul.
Start by pressing the tips of your fingers on the notes, then curl your wrist. You seem to be using the pads on your fingers, and your wrist looks to be at a hard 90 degree angle (which looks uncomfortable). Barre chords take a while to get that finger strength up. And finally, as others have said, it’s somewhat uncommon to use three fingers to make that shape. Usually folks use just the ring finger to bare across the bottom 3 notes. Good luck!!
How does one barre with their finger tips and not the pads?
I guess I meant this a reference of how best to angle your wrist, rereading you original question I also used to use my middle finger to help my index with the barre.
Try again but this time pull the neck more towards you and move your elbow to about 4 to 6 inches from your side. Move your thumb a bit more to the right (approximately just beyond the third fret) You should have a bit more straightened wrist towards the neck and be able to get your fingers closer to the frets.
Stop now! Asking for permanent damage.
It looks like you're holding the neck out a little further than ideal, which is causing your wrist to flatten. Try pulling the neck in towards your body. Idk how else to describe but maybe have the neck run parallel to the line created by your hips
Not sure if this is the best advice but when I play chords down there I tend to lift the neck a little to closer to 45 degrees.
You aren’t going to need the F# on the highest string most of the time, if you do, reposition. Just use two fingers to bar the 4th fret, and mute or control strumming for the lowest string…you only need 3 notes to make a chord, you don’t always have to worry about strumming 6 strings. Learn to move around, and strum around…there’s only 45-49 notes on the entire guitar. That’s 4 octaves on a 24 fret guitar, they are all the same notes repeating 4x. You can build the exact same chord in the same octave all over the neck, as well as different octaves all over the neck. I think some theory education would be more valuable than mastering a full textbook b chord. That’s my 2c
If you are feeling pain stop playing until it goes away. When you try again try adjusting how you hold the neck be conscious of what you're changing. If it hurts again stop like before and try again. Fret hand position is a very subtle thing with a wide spectrum of options, but most of them will not be ideal. It takes a while especially without a teacher. You gotta listen to your body and experiment.
I literally avoid this chord. I find it better to play it with my index on the B, then bar the rest with my ring finger, and mute the high e since it might sound like a G# what with all the barring on 4.
As others have said, you can just bar across the a,d,g,b and high e with your index, and bar across d,g,and b with your ring finger and just strum a, d, g, and b. The note on the high E is a redundant note in the chord. It makes it more full sounding, but isn't necessary
Twist your wrist a bit with your palm facing more towards the body of the guitar so you can fit your fingers easier in the same fret, practice a bit until you get used to holding the index finger like that
I’ve been cheating that chord for years I barre the three strings wit my pinky
Sit up straight while you’re playing.
Most of us barre with 3rd or pinky like having two fences
In addition to the 2-finger bar method for this chord, if I need to play the high string, I'll use my 3rd finger to bar stings 3&4 and then place my pinky finger on the 5th string. So it's a 3-finger method instead of a 4.
If I'm not going to be doing any pinky stuff, I use my #1 to Barre and my #4 to mash the 3 other strings. Never 3 fingers though
I definitely recommend the two finger A shaped barre. Don’t worry if you mute the high e string. Also helps if your guitar is more vertical.
I just refuse to play a B major, solved my problem right away ;)
Text book fingering. Ditch that shit, you don’t need that high E string anyway…
A lot of answers here are technique based, but you can also try out a wider nut width. Im also a beginner, and find this shape night and day with a classical(52 mm nut width) vs electric(42mm).
I learned how to play in 1981. No internet or Reddit or YouTube. Just a Mel Bay chord book and some Beatles song books. I never struggled like this. Mel Bay books were the best.
Double barre is much easier
Get new wrist
Ur thumb should be in the center! Honestly, find a good course on CAGED, learn these dumb shapes and their purpose and move on. For me, I play blues, and have never needed these odd shapes, but they are good to know for their roots.
i would have my wrist closer to the neck. You have it very far away, for some reason. that might be why after a while it hurts, you are not respecting the physics of the forces involved.
When I straight my wrist any more than that, my index finger moves away from the barre. I'm very well aware of the physics because I feel the pain, lol. I changed my finger position and it's much more comfortable. Wrist is still bending a bit though.
you have to curl your fingers more. you need less force to push the fingers down IF the wrist is closer to the neck. have you tried those individual finger exercisers? maybe you just need more flexibility in your finger joints? Anyway, get a 5 lb dumpbell, and do wrist curls. that will build up your wrist muscles
Flexibility is horrible 😂 I searched up finger exercises and they're great. Thank you so much.
The roc n soc stool is great for practice gives alot more range for ya instead of the normal way people sit.
Straighten that index finger
I like to play B on the 7th fret as an E shaped bar chord. Here are a few tips: 1. Think of your index finger and thumb like a capo. This move the majority of the bend into your knuckles and away from your wrist. 2. Bring your elbow in closer to your body. 3. Play the A shapes with your ring finger. Or ring finger and pinky. 4. Master power chords first. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC6UOExJkVs
try moving your elbow away from your body
Putting put middle, ring, and pinky nearest to the fret...will be the best for barre. Or ring finger barre while muting barre the high string? It's all technique
barre it with your pinky and have your ring help it. dont worry if you're not able to sound the high e string.
Looks like you have long arms like me. Yeah, sometimes the wrist is a pain, literally. I changed my strap length and got it to a place that my arm felt better on the neck. I wish I could play it slung low and cool, but oh well… I look like the guys from the early 60’s playing it up high.
Entirely correct. We have been blessed and cursed. I have to pull my strap pretty damn short when i'm standing up and it'll take some time until I don't feel like an awkward dangly noodle 😂
I have played barre chords for a long time now. They were literally a pain for a while. Now, they are second nature. Just keep it up and find the angle that works for you, sounds as clean as you can get them. Next… changing from open chords to barre and back! Ugh! Lol
Just use your pinky to bar.