JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Musician Message Forum Need help with barre chords

Congratulations for getting past the first three frets and graduating to barre chords. That's an accomplishment.

There is a thread on the guitar forum that may help.

This may sound weird, but one exercise that I did early on was to learn how to do the "Spock Vulcan salute" with my chord hand. That is to learn how to make a V by spreading out your four fingers, two on each side without letting any fingers stray or fall out of line. I can do it with either hand. After you get used to that, do it one finger at a time. The point is to make each finger individual without the others following.

Hold your hand up with the thumb in your palm, like you're reciting an oath. Move your pinkie away from the other fingers without the other three fingers moving, then do the same with the ring finger and pinkie together, then do it again with the middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie.