Barring

  • Thread starter Thread starter Layla Nahar
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Layla Nahar

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When I was learning guitar the music store put a heavier guage (with the top 3 strings metal) set of strings. Triying to learn bar chords killed me. Several months later I'm thinking the guage was too heavy and thats why it was so hard to bar. Would heavier guage strings be really hard for a beginner to bar?

(ps: why do you think they put on such heavy strings for a beginner anyway? sadism?)
 
Either sadism or they thought u wanted to play some death metal..

But to answer your question, yea they may be a bit harder to barre cause they're alot tougher to push down..
 
It's also possible that with lighter strings, you may experience some fret buzz. Then you could play on Jorma Kaukonen's next cd.


bd
 
Toad Rush said:
they thought u wanted to play some death metal..
Click to expand...

on an acoustic ... they must have really seen some unknown potential in me ...
 
depending on the chord, you can generate a little more leverage by using your middle finger and press down on the index finger.
 
You may try rolling your index finger a little and using the bony part on the thumb side. Also try sliding it back and forth a little until you find that sweet spot.
 
Light strings or heavy ones, it's just not very easy to play barre chords at first, period. But stick at it and before too long you'll be grabbing them like crazy. Trust me.
 
so ... y'all think I should try again with the heavier gague and metal strings, or would it be easier for me to get lighter and nylon strings?
 
Toad Rush said:
Either sadism or they thought u wanted to play some death metal..

Click to expand...

Hah, thats funny! this only applies to use bigger strings in a "deathmetal" context if you tuning down 2.5 steps to B. Where 13-56 gage is good. But what about the blues guys that use 12-52 on a electric tuned to e or eflat. Thats painfull on ther bends.
 
First, barre chords are brutal to learn. Even if you have been playing "traditional" chords for years, the day you embark on the adventure of barres is a challenge.

Yes, heavy guage strings are a tad harder to push down.

Nylon strings are designed for a classical guitar. Metal strings are designed for a "folk" acoustic. If you have an "entry level" acoustic ($350.00 or less), then you could be risking the life of the guitar by putting on nylon strings on a folk. The neck is designed to withstand X amount of string tension, and that amount of tension will not be met by nylon strings.... hence potential warping or neck curve.

Best advice, grit your teeth and barre... er bear with it a lil each day.
 
Just a thought..................... maybe the action is too high? Get someone who knows what they are talking about to look at it. I do a lot of set ups for people with acoustics and many of them have dreadful action. But the shop keeps selling them and I keep fixing 'em.
 
Well if eventually you do get good at playing those heavy guages, whenever you switch to lighter guages, you will probably play that much better. I think it pays learning the hard way;)


















Sadism is cool too.:cool:
 
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