Guitar Tactics
Technique

3 Steps to Better Barre Chords: Listen and Adjust

Step 1: Line up your second finger and thumb on the fretboard

Key Takeaways

  • Step 1: Line up your second finger and thumb on the fretboard
  • Step 2: Lay down your first finger on the side (not fleshy part)
  • Step 3: Play and listen for dead notes
  • Isolate problem notes and push down until they ring clearly

Transcription

Three steps to better barre chords, and here is step three: playing the barre and listening to make fine adjustments.

Step one is lining up your second finger and your thumb on the fretboard. Step two is laying down your first finger on the side rather than on the fleshy part.

Then we're going to go ahead and play the barre. That sounds clean, but often I'll hear students do stuff where we actually have some dead notes that aren't being played.

What you want to do is listen and isolate the dead note, and push down until you get the sound and no more.

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