Barre chord problem

Hi,

I've been training switching to barre chords, mainly to Bm a lot. About half a year. Almost every day. I just can't make the switch fast enough. I made progress of course at the beginning, but last months none. I've trained with metronome, 1 minute changes, pressed and hold the shape down. Done drills slowly and fast. Nothing seems to work anymore.

I form the chord like this: first the Am shape with middle, ring and pinky. Then barre with index. I try to barre as simultaneously as possible, but still my barre is little late.

If I try to barre first and then form the rest of the chord it feels unnatural.

Any tips? Yes, I know, train more. Problem is that I train, but there seems to be no development at all anymore. Frustration is kicking in. I've been playing 16 months.

What tempo -approximately, does the issue start to present at? i.e. 130bpm and above, or?

Is there a chord, progression, or chords in particular you changing from which presents this problem, or is it any change?

What guitar are you using? solid body electric, steel stringed acoustic, wide necked classical?

In the case of the first two, what gauge strings (relative to tension), and is your action set to spec or lower, or, if you can't answer the last question, when did you last have your guitar checked or serviced.

I play Bm almost every day in songs, using multiple voicings. Some songs entirely barre chords others a mix of both, others all open. I may be able to help/ have a solution for you once I know more about the circumstances where you're encountering this issue.

P.S. ...a few minutes later. Having just dragged out my acoustic for confirmational self analysis of my own fretting to be certain, I already have one suggestion where I can see a potential obstacle you appear to be creating for yourself, but will save further mention of it until I have more info about [u]your[/u] specific circumstances.

Hi, I'm keen to hear how this goes. I've been playing 2 yrs and have been working on barre chords a fair bit lately. I can play them fine but struggle with the changes. I usually practice them on my electric to try and get the technique right and sometimes on my acoustic to build up my finger strength.

Hi RM64

Wait until JP149 answers, and I'll give you my take on things which might help you both.

I've only been back at it for 18 months after a 45 year hiatus during which I'd lost all tactile guitar skills and forgotten most everything previously learned in youth. But being retired, and with both the time and temperament to totally immerse myself in all things guitar, I do play a lot, almost every day.

With a previous professional background performing and instructing in high pressure dynamic environments and test flying, both involving introspective analysis and critical objective assessment etc, I apply that to learning guitar where I find it just as applicable and useful.

In any case, it's helped me, as in that time, I'm playing barre chords, any chords really musically in songs now without any issues even in learning a new song that can't be overcome within a few hours practise at most. Currently I play both electric solid bodies and steel stringed acoustics, with differing neck and fingerboard profiles, string spacings which can affect instinctive positioning requiring adaptability as one changes about, and scale lengths, bridge types and gauge strings all of which can affect string tension and frettability, notably speed required in fast tempo songs exacerbated if the action is higher than it should be ref spec. Then there are the applied mental agility factors of anticipation, liftoff timing, and "no mind" which I'll elaborate upon in discussion after JP149 answers. Perhaps my own experience in overcoming obstacles which presented might be of use to you both.

Cheers 😎

I have an acoustic with .012 strings. Seagull s6.

I can form the chord fine so there is no issues with barre power. The problem is accuracy when I have to do a fast change. I've been mainly changing from A to Bm and G to Bm but the issue is from all chords to Bm or any barre chord.

My max change speed with metronome has been about 80bpm.

It's strange when I play a song it makes my change slower or more inaccurate. In a good day I may be able to make couple of good changes on that 80bpm speed. Maybe the strumming somehow mess things up. I think my strumming is mainly effortless or I don't think that while I play too much. Or maybe this is somekind of mental issue. I try to visualize the Bm chord everytime before the change.

I'm at a stage where I still have to look on the fretboard when I form chords. Well not always but most of the time. Few easy chords are "no look" level stuff.

Just tried a simple exercise with metronome between a and bm. Just 4 down strums and change. It is still clean at 90bpm most of the changes.

Thanks for your replies.

It's a hard one to nail down thats for sure. I watched Caren Armstrongs' tutorial on practice and she reminds us to slow down and get the technique/accuracy correct. I do this and like yourself don't seem to be able to transition to changing smoothly when I try to go faster than snail pace. Definitely harder from open chords to barre. I'm focusing on bm at the moment as well.

With other techniques e.g. open chord changes, picking melodies, blues riff etc this works well for me and I achieve actual results.

For some reason I'm getting tangled up with changes at barre chord time. I will keep at it at a slow pace and maybe one day it will all fall into place. I'm in my mid 50's so maybe it takes longer to obtain the muscle memory on some stuff 😉

I'm here guys and haven't forgotten your questions.

Be along with a response directly, hopefully helpful to you both. I have to put it together trying to remain sufficiently diplomatic, not a particular strength of mine, to keep it all not only accurate, but palatable and meaningful so you can recognise and relate to it from where you are right now. The unforseen delay was due a realitively poor (physical health) day yesterday, a function of age pushing the envelope over a lifetime as I have. But, on the positive note, it's been one heck of an adventurous ride!

[br]Be back with you shortly.

Originally Posted by: manXcat

I'm here guys and haven't forgotten your questions.

Be along with a response directly, hopefully helpful to you both. I have to put it together trying to remain sufficiently diplomatic, not a particular strength of mine, to keep it all not only accurate, but palatable and meaningful so you can recognise and relate to it from where you are right now. The unforseen delay was due a realitively poor (physical health) day yesterday, a function of age pushing the envelope over a lifetime as I have. But, on the positive note, it's been one heck of an adventurous ride!

[br]Be back with you shortly.

Take your time. We can wait. 🙂

I've been trying to solve the problem and somehow my chord change is syncronized with my strumming hand. When I lower the tempo let's say from 80bpm to 60bpm my fretting hand is still late. So somehow my fretting hand doesn't initiate the change as soon as possible. Weird problem.

When I think about it the same problem is with other chords sometimes.

I trained 1 minute changes a lot in the beginning and maybe that is somehow the problem. You strum a chord, change and strum as fast as possible. Maybe it somehow messes my playing.

I have to slow it down and work with metronome and hope this issue goes away.