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Posts: 169
Joined: Apr. 5 2005
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
Not the strenght of the arm, but rather the weight of the arm. If you lay you index finger lightly over the strings and then let your arm 'fall' with its own weight you'll see how it pushes the strings into the fingerboard. You should be able to play a barre without your thumb. This assumes that you have a proper position when holding the guitar and that your left are is properly freed up.
Also, try rolling your index a bit toward the edge closest to your thumb. The finger is more rigid this way since the knuckles don't flex in that direction. This is a subtle change and should not throw your basic postition out of wack.
Finally, you may need to move your index finger up or down a bit to make sure that a string does not fall under the crease below your knuckle since there is less flesh there to depress the string. Let me know how it works out.
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
Its strange for me that so many beginners are scared of barre chords.. I had never thought just one second about how to do it.. Maybe coz I bagan with early age when all technics were hard coz my hands were so small.. But if you just use the barre chords you will get the strenght only by using them. You dont need special exercises. Just use them.
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
My former teacher also gave me that advice with the arm. I looked at him strangely:"Are you kidding!?" He said: "Usually the people buy it" It may help if you believe in it, but, really, just do it; just practice it, try out different angles etc... that's enough.
Posts: 103
Joined: Mar. 15 2005
From: Toronto, Canada
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to seanm)
quote:
you lay you index finger lightly over the strings and then let your arm 'fall' with its own weight
Sean, I've heard this before, but I find it difficult to visualize this position. Am I correct in assuming that in this position the barred strings would be slightly pulled down if the guitar face is perpendicular to the floor? Thanks!
Ramin
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RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
quote:
Sean, I've heard this before, but I find it difficult to visualize this position. Am I correct in assuming that in this position the barred strings would be slightly pulled down if the guitar face is perpendicular to the floor? Thanks!
We need to go one step further with this technique and breakdown the mechanics. First you need to think in terms of a "heavy hand (arm)" and the "light hand (arm)". OK, here is what you do (and this is very important). Hold your arm in front of you. Now release all muscle tension and let it fall via gravity. It's a lot harder than you may think. If at any time in its fall, you feel muscle tension breaking the fall of the arm at all, you are not doing it correctly. The arm must literally fall totally unimpeded. This is known as the "heavy arm". Do this several times until you internalize the feeling.
The opposite is the "light arm". This is the felling we have when we hold our arm in front of us. The interesting thing is our mind perceives the weight of the arm as zero, but in fact is being supported by muscle tension.
Again hold your arm in front of you with the elbow bent at about a ninety-degree angle. Now release the muscle tension from your shoulder allowing the arm to drop (holding the bend at the elbow). Notice as the arm drops, the hand doesn't fall straight down, rather articulates back toward our body. Using these mechanics, you can see by using this method (heavy arm) with a barr, you see that the tension is directed into the fret board rather than down.
Trust me it really does work. After you work with it for a while, you will constantly be shifting from a “heavy arm” to a “light arm” position without putting any thought into it. Doing barr’s doesn’t have to be torturous. Just apply a bit of physics.
Posts: 169
Joined: Apr. 5 2005
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
Ramin,
Actually the weight of the arm is more in the elbow and bicep .. the forearm is quite light. This part ofthe arm is behind the neck (ussually :) ) so the pulling effect actually draws the hand back (as, yes down a bit but very very slightly). I mean if you have a 1" action you will see some string defection. It's not a major technical change .. some would explain it as simply relaxing while you play (i.e. not squeezing with your thumb) but to get that feeling it is ussualy explained in the manner I have previously .. as weight.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to seanm)
Hmm, I just tried the heavy arm, no thumb, and my finger slid right down off the fret board. Actually, for a second it was pressing the treble strings, but not the basses for sure. I dont' get it.
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Womble)
quote:
Hmm, I just tried the heavy arm, no thumb, and my finger slid right down off the fret board. Actually, for a second it was pressing the treble strings, but not the basses for sure. I dont' get it.
I have to use my thumb to make it work, but I have to apply hardly any pressure (with the thumb). The hand kind of hangs on the neck by the index finger and the thumb. In my case, I think it is a combination of pressure and the weight of the arm that makes it work. All I can say is, it definitely improved by barres. I can't say they are effortless, but I sure don't fight them anymore.
I learned the method from Eborneo classical site a year or two ago. The guy wrote about ten pages on how to do it. That's "classical guitar" speak at its finest. To us "flamenco players", it’s, "just let your arm hang on the neck."
RE: Barre Chords - any advice? (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
ORIGINAL: Ricardo Hmm, I just tried the heavy arm, no thumb, and my finger slid right down off the fret board. Actually, for a second it was pressing the treble strings, but not the basses for sure. I dont' get it.
Hi Ricardo - see Pumping Nylon Page 22. It sums up this principle neatly.
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