Hey, everybody-listen up! See it, learn it, live it. I dreamed of playing guitar every day for hours in retirement. But I was born way too early to learn what is taught here. I did it wrong for more than 50 years, and wound up with painful arthritis in the thumb of my fretting hand. Now, I can’t button a shirt without sharp pain-much less play a stringed instrument. A lifetime collection of guitars, mandolins, banjos and ukuleles was hauled away to dealers in used instruments, and at 75 years of age, surgery is the only alternative. Do it right, guys. It shouldn’t hurt.

@danthatguy9686

Жыл бұрын

So are all chords intended to be played this way with the arm pulling method or just barre chords?

@Jesse-cn2hn

Жыл бұрын

​@@danthatguy9686 I personally give the guitar a pull whenever I find it necessary. It's overall a useful tip.

@yusnotyus

Жыл бұрын

I bought my first guitar when I was 18 and only now realize 15 years later at 33 that I’ve been playing it wrong this whole time… I hope these tips help me adjust my playing so I can keep playing for the rest of my life. I hope your hand feels better and that maybe one day you can pick up a stringed instrument again

@__.Music.__

10 ай бұрын

My good man, I believe it is quite impossible to give yourself arthritis (in the thumb only no less!) from fretting a guitar in the ‘wrong’ way! As far as I am aware, arthritis is systemic and stems from lifestyle and diet choices first and foremost and is one hundred percent reversible! Look after yourself by eating the things you believe are healthy and keep all joints in the body moving by exercising their range of motion daily. Increasing the alkalinity of your diet and doing range of motion exercises with your thumbs (and all fingers really) will all be of great benefit too! All the very best!

Notes: Be mindful of tension Fingers close to the frets Finger tips used for non barre notes - don't allow knuckles to flatten (middle) Don't squeeze with finger strength - pull with the weight of the arm - no bending of the strings Shoulder should be relaxed (check it) Elbow should be relaxed (able to wiggle) Focus on adjusting specifics - not just mindless repetition Great lesson! 😁

@thetxicbeast3005

7 ай бұрын

Thank u so much!

@user-zx6vn6bf6k

5 ай бұрын

Man I’m thankful

The tip at 5:11 on rather pulling on the strings with the weight of the arm is diamonds and pearls! Amazing how a shift in thinking can change the whole game!

@goshu7009

Жыл бұрын

Indeed....

@NUKE-W.E.F.

Жыл бұрын

Diamonds and pearls, indeed, you nailed it.

@lilvince9647

Жыл бұрын

It can also change the whole PITCH

@willtogs

Жыл бұрын

tbh i just dont get the "pulling"? im so confused what he means tbh

@HarryGuit

Жыл бұрын

Pulling isn‘t quite the right word. Maybe you can understand it better if put this way: hang your arm to the guitar’s neck so it’s weight presses down the strings.

You just tought me how to play a clean bar chord in under 9 minutes.I've been struggling with these for months! Great video, great teacher!

@suehardingsongs5734

Жыл бұрын

me too

I play guitar for seven years but still strugle with pain in my wrist and thumb. Just realized I've been doing everyting wrong you mentioned on this video. It was very helpful for me. Thank you!

@videofunk_1

Жыл бұрын

I have the same problem

This video was made for people like me. My electric is in the shop so I am using an acoustic to perform callous building and finger strength. Unfortunately, an acoustic guitar enhances my suck exponentially and barre chords are avoided for this reason. If I can get all six strings to ring correctly, my thumb is screaming like an Ibanez. The B string just doesn't want to sound no matter what technique I am using.

@lacymacdougall9660

3 жыл бұрын

Very relatable

@fth171

2 жыл бұрын

The B string always buzzing😭

@floydsmithjr7999

2 жыл бұрын

Im about ready to put my hand in a vice. The other day I was so frustrated I was looking around the house for something I could maybe wrap around my barre finger as a an indentable callous

@ponternal

2 жыл бұрын

that b string is stupid

@caralho5237

2 жыл бұрын

For me its the G

Your point about fretting as close to the actual fret is right on the money. I've actually seen very advanced guitar players struggle with this concept throughout my own teaching experience. Great video, Mike!

Pulling the strings with the weight of my arm. Oh my god. For the first time, All my notes of the F Major chord rung out crystal clear! You're a wizard! Thank you. Now I know what to work on while I practice.

There are lots of people struggle with this including me and lots of guitar tutors tell you to do things to over come the difficulty all linked to adding more pressure on the hand .. For me this guy gives the best advice on the net ...Why? because he teaches you how to play a barr chord in a more relaxed way - others show how to get more pressure to the finger to barr... Result being like he said this leads to other problems - when changing chords and hand fatigue - I remember giving up guitar years ago because i thought my hands could never do this it was too painful etc And yeah we all get that moment when you play the F barr chord once perfectly for first time everything rings out right and you dont wanna move lol... Anyway gave up cos of this years ago... I decided to try again over covid out of bordom ...Again I was either just sticking to open chords or using capo .. I kept trying my hand hurt was about to give up again ...then I just came across this advice This guy gives the best advice i have ever heard on the subject - totally got in in under a two minutes or right away basically i relaxed and found i could play F G A barr chords etc and transition all down the neck without pain. Very very good advice and teacher this guy....subscribed ...A whole world just opened up .. thanks - my only regret is i never heard this years ago.

@jazsimone26

2 жыл бұрын

Yay thats good to hear

@ItsaDaPope-a

2 жыл бұрын

... .... .. ...

Just discovered this video and I have to say, thanks a million for this small but so important hints and tips. Great job!

Holy crap, this is the first video that's actually been able to teach me how to play barre chords without the pain of arthritis, thank you

@nelsonobatarhe1677

Ай бұрын

Great 😊

Best tutorial ever. Got my first bar chord after months of struggle.

Great video! You addressed the exact issue that I've been having - tension and fatigue in thumb and wrist from squeezing too hard on barre chords. I am excited to implement those tips. Especially, thinking less about squeezing and more about using the weight to pull the strings to the neck. Really well articulated and demonstrated. Thank you!

How has this video been up for 5 years? I've had issues with Barre chords for years, tried searching for videos & websites for tips, and only now do I come across this gem! Thank you for this, good sir! I'll have to try these out when I get home

This feels like a cheat code!! The 'finger closer to the fret' tip is FANTASTIC thank you!

WOW! This was really a *revelation*. Thanks much Mike!

I've played guitar for over 20 years (self taught, not a great guitar player) and have always struggled with bar chords. I've always blamed it on my lack of hand strength. But I do every single one of the things he mentioned in this video. I can't wait to practice these tips and hopefully it will make my bar chords finally sound clear!! Thank you 😌

Excellent video, thanks. Good points made, good pace, well delivered. Been playing for 40 years and this has helped me. Never too old to learn........

Been playing for years (self taught) and I've always complained of how my whole palm hurts while pleying these chords, you just fixed it with one video, thank you, for real : )

wow. Bet it's the best explanation out here. U gave me a lot of help. Thanks

Thank you for this most valuable lesson. I've been playing wrongly for decades. ☺️🎸

Thank you very much for your tips. There are not that many barre chord tutorials oriented towards the classical Spanish guitars (most are for acoustic metallic strings). I would like to add my humble opinion and experience to this topic. I am at a beginner level, took some lesson when younger and then took the guitar again on my own during the "lock down". I used youtube tutorials and dominated open chords within a few months and basic rhythms as well. However managing the F Chord was extremely painful, frustrating and even depressing. I`ve pretty much looked up every youtube tutorial and blog regarding this matter and this is what helped me: all those techniques regarding using gravity and the weight of your hand, pulling with your biceps towards you or just using brute force with the "clamp" really don`t come in very handy if the action height and the height of the saddle/nut are not properly adjusted. I watched another ton of videos regarding this guitar set up procedure and by a lot of trial and error did it myself. I damaged a lot of saddles and nuts along the way (thank God they are cheap to replace), however I managed to set up the guitar as per the string heights recommended on google and without the guitar buzzing. After this, I was still having problems getting a clear ring on the high E and B strings and still felt very disappointed, my F chord was only being successful about an 80% of the time and I still had to apply too much pressure. My last resource was to very carefully file the nut grooves of these two strings just a little bit. Then, I tried my F chord and both strings rang perfectly and the guitar did not experience buzzing along the neck. I can now do the F chord with a minimum of effort at about a 95% success rate. I previously almost injured my thumb, index finger, left shoulder, right shoulder and lower back, attempting to apply all these techniques without success. I own two entry level guitars, the Yamaha C40 and the Valencia VC304 and both were adjusted this same way and now I feel it`s so easy to play the F Chord. As I mentioned before, I`m still at a beginners level and have only been learning guitar on my own via youtube for about a year and a half. I love the instrument and I don`t want anyone to go through such level of frustration as I did. Bottom line: take your instrument to a guitar specialist and have it properly set up and if you can buy an instrument of a premium level then do so as I have been told these are even easier to play with their default factory set up. This whole learning process made me quit the guitar several times until I finally found a solution that worked for me. I had been practicing consistently and after a year and a half I could not believe that I still had not developed enough strength to do a barre chord. So the next time you feel frustrated with the F chord, before thinking about quitting, take it to the Guitar Shop and have it set up. Good luck to everyone and please let me know about your thoughts.

Love this!..also do one for strumming techniques on acoustic guitar..something I have been struggling with for many years...your tips and explanation are spot-on! Thanks

This is a GREAT video. I remind my students of this all the time. A lot of it is being aware when playing and being efficient. I LOVE how you said "pulling". I can feel the difference by just thinking it that way. You pretty much said everything I tell my students about practice. Awesome.

Thank you! Super helpful video - I've been playing (amateur) with a sore thumb/hand/arm for over 20 years...over half my life now...you helped me fix that in less than 10 minutes 👏👏👏

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you! I knew all the wrist pain couldn't be right. Subscribed

Excellent explanation. Thanks Mike.

Thank you! These tips helped alleviate pain in my thumb.

The video explains guitar playing skills in a clear, simple and effective way. Very HELPFUL! Thanks a lot!

Thank you buddy very much. I’m in my gray hairs and am concerned about being able to continue playing until I leave this world. With arthritis and pain in my hands along with joint deformity and all. I don’t want to get tendinitis. Your kind showing has helped this old boy. Keep those strings ringing!❤️🎸

Incredible explanation. The idea of pulling against the neck with your entire arm instead of clamping with the hand is perfect. Learned how to play an F chord in 1 day with this tip. Thank you

The pulling thing is exploding my brain! THANK YOU!!!

Great video. I got rid of the tension in my arm and the pain in my thumb 😀 Thanks a lot for sharing.

bro you are so awesome ive been playing guitar self taught for 14 years and i learned so much from this video. thanks for this!

I've struggled for years playing bar chords and hated them due to the pain in my index finger. I would always squeeze it so hard to get all the strings to sound clear. You have taught me how to bar in 5 minutes that does not hurt my index finger at all. Thank you.

Man, thanks sooooo much for this Video! Its so easy when you are relaxing and using the „Gravity“!!! Have been practicing for so long, watching several videos but this one really helped me!! Greeetings from Germany!

Thanks ....Very practical tips ....Not heard on any other teachers vdos ...I highly recommend newcomers like me who struggle in the lack of these Practical guidelines .... Looking forward to taking ur course ...

OMG!!!! I watched this video last night. First thing this morning picked up guitar, and immediately played my first bar chords correctly ever!!!!! Many years of struggling. AMAZING and so thankful. Relax that shoulder folks!!!!

Thank you for sharing these subtle techniques. Excellent instructions!

I’ve been playing for about 3 years now, all self-taught. This was very eye-opening and extremely helpful.

Wow, this video is pure gold! Thanks!

As many before me stated, your explanation worked for me. Now bar chords are a lot easier and sound better on my acoustic. Thank you.

These are great tips, they have helped me out so much already! Thank you.

been strugling for some months now this man saved me time to learn barre your a life saver thank you soo much!

You've just saved me from the pain I've been causing myself trying to play barre chords, been using the vice grip method for so long, thank you there is another way.

This video is amazing. In the passed I've watched videos on this subject that didn't help and it out me off looking at other videos on the subject. A few years later and I find this video woo. Thanks for the help. Straight off the bat I'm so much better

Thank you so much!!! Best information about playing barre chords I ever received. It helped me massively! Great, great, great!!!

dude you’re a lifesaver, I quite literally was able to bar chords properly after this, thanks so much for the info!

Great tips, and I have learned over time that the more a person loves their trade, the more they try to share it with others. Of course, there are always exceptions, but I can tell that you truly enjoy what you are doing. I can't thank you enough.

Superb tips. Big leap forward for me. Thank you!

Thank you so much! been struggling with this didnt know if it was the frets or the way I was playing but now I know

Amazing video - so well explained and got me playing with much greater ease immediately

Most useful video I've seen for a long time!

Why 99% of guitar teachers are useless and clueless? You understand the problems and give easy. tips. So happy you are online for ALL to hear this.

Hey, you are the best teacher out there !!! Thanks a lot !!!

Crazy how you can do something right but so wrong at the same time. This video is exactly what I needed. Thank you!!!

So, i've been playing barre chords cleanly for months, however until my recent wrist fracture (recovered, but still discomfort) and subsequent thumb issues i researched how to lessen thumb pain while playing and realized i've been putting way too much pressure all along on my thumb and especially while playing barre chords, i;m beyond THANKFUL!!! to you and this video

Thank you so much sir! This has been a great help to my sore thumb!

excellent tips. Had not seen anything like this before!!

This, with building hand strength, is helping so much!!

Bending the middle finger was something I never thought about in reducing strain on barre chords!! Wow, that immediately made a difference.

Thank you! I've been hoping for some solutions!

Thank you for this video. I started guitar lessons 1 month ago. I have exactly this problem right now - with the Thumb Finger and the Wrist in general. And when i get tired - it continue to the elbow... Your advices are 100% on the point right for me :) Thank you, one more time for sharing your knowledge on guitar.

a very instructive guitar lesson!!!!

Great video! I'm a self-taught player of about 20 years. I have huge hands, so I've not really had trouble with barre chords, but.....I've recently developed Trigger-Thumb in my fret-hand thumb. I had to completely take a break for about a month, and I've had to develop my thumb-over style in order to play without making my condition worse now. I REALLY don't want to have to get surgery. I've always instinctively known that I need to lighten my grip.....but this video certainly helps to put it into something tangible. The bit about relaxing your shoulder and allowing the weight of your arm to naturally depress the strings has helped tremendously!! Thank you!

king, helped a lot! thank you

This is a really helpful and informative video thanks!

The pulling on the strings trick makes a huge difference. Thank you!

Thanks for the helpful tips!

Best video so far - especially pinching the strings like a clamp - I was so guilty of this! My hand is carrying much less tension. He really breaks it down, my chords have improved immediately.

Tremendously helpful ! Thanks !

Seriously this was a eye opener. Especially the bit about the weight of the arm and elbow 👍

Very nice! Thanks for the tips.

Excellent explanation 👌👏👏👏

This what I needed to know. I just started to self learn classical guitar with the Christopher Parkening method and my arm and thumb hurt. This video is amazing. Thank you!

thank you for the tips, helped a lot with fret placement.

Great vid really opened my eyes

Finally!! I just got my first barre chord, its gonna suck tomorrow but it'll come around and didnt need that much pressure like when I practiced with other tutorials!! No more self-destructive guitar techniques!!

thank you very much for that tip, this is savaing me lot of pain et buzzing noise

THANK YOU OMG IT WORKED

It s insane how HARD the "just relax your hand" tips helped me ! I don t realy get why it works so well, but it does ! Thank you

This information is invaluable!! Thank you!!

Let the weight of your arm pulling on the strings rather than squeezing your hand. Wow.. the improvement is immediate. I've been practicing Cavatina and my only problem with this piece is bar 3 and 5 where I had struggled to produce clean nice tone for some of the barred notes. This technique helps me immensely. Thanks so much. Liked and subscribed.

Thank you! Some people teach us to pull the arm down when it shoud be, as you suggest, simply relaxing the arm. I noticed my shoulder up when playing barre, so now I will relax it and it will drop naturally.

Thanks so much for this video. My hands/wrists always had so much fatigue after playing songs with lots of power/barre chords in them. I think the trick for me that had the most effect is learning to pull on the strings and not press into them. I will practice that.

Perfect lesson, it made a difference for me. Thank you!

Thanks buddy. Great advice.

Thanks a lot! This truly helped me!

Great video, knew these things but great review. The shoulder position I keep forgetting to do as I play but I have found it a key thing. Thanks.

this was SUPER helpful thank you! been playing with such thumb pain lately and this helps a lot!

Thanks. I have not heard this before. It truly helps!

This was a great lesson. Works nicely

“That comes back to hurt you. Literally.” One of those insights that makes me chuckle while also melting my brain with its simple truth. Thank you.

Bro you are amazing good job thank you you improved my problem keep it up

Great lesson! Barring the chord became a little easier when I relaxed my arm.

Really Thank you I felt as if I was doing it virtually in right way yet even before playing it physically because I got the right mental preparation about the challenges and so that I avoid hours of wrong repeatings and frustrations

OMG thank you!! After a year of trying in vain I finally got it! your explanation was a game changer for me. I'm so happy now. I watched tens of video about barres and searched for reasons why I can't play them well and why my fingers feel so bad. You were the only one who finally got through to me. Thank you :-) (explanation for learners: The moment I positioned my middle finger right on the string, everything clicked for me and started working! :-D )

Great tips!

Wow . I was struggling since years Thank you so much 🎉❤

This makes so much sense. Been squeeezing with my thumb and hand... after trying some high neck bar chords my hand feels like it's about to fall off. Will practice this. Thanks for the video!