How long did it take you to master barring?
As you maybe aware I am starting to play at a more “ advanced” age than most and am getting there, albeit I have am now taking lessons, which by the way have been invaluable in getting me past the obstacle I had.
Now it’s come to the dreaded F Major and barring. I KNOW it’s possible but is it a question of perseverance? I am using spring grips to improve my hand strength. Alas it’s a very slow process. I can barr 2 strings and even 5, but not 6. The moment I have barred and try to add another finger it goes Pear shaped.
So I would be interested to hear from others, is there a trick involved?
Comments
Are you angling your index finger so that the firmer side is barring rather than the soft fleshy underside?
As has been said try barring chords further up the neck, G at 3rd fret and A at fifth fret. Practise moving between the two, when you can do this comfortably go back to F.
When I started playing, I consciously avoided playing songs with F because I found it difficult, but all it took was perseverance.
When you crack it, you will be surprised how little pressure you have to apply to barre effectively.
Don't rush this, it'll become a chore rather than a joy. Go at your own pace and it'll come
On a higher level it also makes Legato playing a whole lot easier
A great test for your barring technique is to completely remove your left hand thumb from the neck. You'll then need to get the pressure on by pulling the barre chord "into" the neck with your left arm (at the same time stopping the guitar from turning with your right arm). Good practice is working out how you can get all the notes ringing true in this fashion.