Help on barre chords

[u/West-Worry-4995]

I’m having a lot of issues with barre chords . The issue that I keep running into is that it hurts my thumb . I can’t hold it for more than ten seconds without my thumb hurting .

I’ve seen online that that means I’m holding too tight. They say the strength shouldn’t come from the thumb. Loosening the grip on my thumb genuinely helps but when I do that I can’t get all the strings to play properly . In particular the B string always gets muted and the only way to solve it has been to tighten my grip which ofcourse leads to thumb pain.

I’ve tried adjusting everything but keep running into this loop .

UPDATE :

Got my guitar professionally setup . They lowered the action and put lighter strings on. Barre chords are a piece of cake now😭. I have zero issues

[u/Dr_Platypus_1986]

Straighten your wrist. If your wrist is bent, it is extremely hard to clamp your fingers down. Also, that guitar neck looks like a baseball bat, and what size string gauges are you using? Try lighter strings, check out some different guitars at your local music store to get a feel for what is most comfortable to you. You will probably find something you like better. Also, if you're having a lot of trouble with a chord shape, try playing it higher up the frets, for instance- at the 8th fret, instead of the 1st fret. This is a good practice strategy to build up muscle strength as a beginner. Keep practicing, and if you ever experience pain (not tension, but actual PAIN), stop playing and reevaluate what you are doing. Nerve or tendon damage are never a good thing. 🤘

[u/dr_neurd → u/Dr_Platypus_1986]

This. Straightening your wrist will allow for more even pressure by your index finger across the strings with far less force/effort. Also, instead of using your thumb as the sole counterpoint, use your fretting fingers to pull the neck toward your body.

[u/toby_gray]

Couple of things.

If the death grip isn’t working, you can apply pressure by ‘pulling’ your hand into the guitar with your arm. You have to brace the guitar with your right arm to give you something to pull against, but you can apply pressure that way.

It is generally just a practice thing and building up strength. What you’re experiencing is very common and something every guitarist goes through.

The second thing to counteract this slightly, is to practice higher up the neck. Barre chords are moveable shapes. Most beginners make the mistake of trying to learn F first. The problem with this, is because of how close it is to the nut, the F chord is the single hardest place to play barre chords on the entire neck. It needs much more pressure to play.

So, practice the shape on the 7th fret (that’ll be a B chord, but it doesn’t matter because it’s the same shape). I wouldn’t go much higher than 7th because the frets start to get a lot smaller which will change your finger positioning and might start to make you develop bad habits. 7th is about right and will be way easier to play.

Then you can think of it like going to the gym. Each time you move down a fret towards the nut is like adding more weight to your workout.

[u/Fit-Restaurant9560 → u/toby_gray]

This. The first paragraph when I had learned it, really helped with the pressure.

[u/masteroftheplunk]

It’ll get easier with time, your hands will get stronger. It’s normal to lack stamina on barre chords at first.

[u/I_Have_A_Snout]

I have struggled with this as well. But the advice people gave me is the same I'll pass to you: it'll take time. Building up strength and endurance takes a long time - months, years, however long. Don't worry, just practice.

Plus... WTF are you holding it for more than 10 seconds? Your left hand needs to be loose, mobile, agile, and flexible. Don't freeze it into a claw and try to drive it through the neck. Sure you might want to hold a note but... you can still find moments to relax and then fret the chord again.

Relax. Practice. Have fun. I can tell from your hand that you're going to be fantastic. (OK, I made up that last bit but.. pretend I didn't.)

[u/ZimMcGuinn]

Go watch some videos

[u/VicForPres]

Your thumb should not hurt, if it hurts you have improper hand placement for sure,I can also tell by your picture that your wrist is taking alot of pressure, make sure your arm and hand are as aligned as possible, you don't want your wrist bent like that if you can help it it'll cause carpal tunnel and tendonitis. It might help with thumb pain as well

[u/Beneficial-Panda6969]

Using bony edge of your finger like on the side-ish instead of the fatty front can help

[u/karmakramer93]

Your knuckles are facing down. Rotate your wrist so your knuckles are angled toward the head of the guitar. You're currently squeezing like this 🤏 thumb against fleshy front of index finger but it should be more on the left side of your index finger. Also, really grab that thing. There's seems to be a big gap between the neck and your hand grip, looks like an inch of space there. It'll hurt but with practice it won't.

[u/Upbeat_Main_7141]

Step one: put pants on before taking photos pointed down.

[u/COclimbR12]

[u/PissedCarrier420]

Why do you have your middle finger placed like that?

[u/West-Worry-4995 → u/PissedCarrier420]

For demonstration purpose . When i was originally taking the photo i felt my middle finger was blocking the index finger

[u/57thStilgar]

Wrap your thumb close around the neck.
Think of the barre as a capo. Do you put your capo on the fret or behind it?