Barre Lesson (Bar, Capo) and Exercises for Guitar

This exercise is from my new book Classical Guitar Technique: Essential Exercises, Scales, and Arpeggios.The 122 page book includes: Practice Routines, Tips, 100 Open String Exercises, 120 Giuliani Arpeggios, Scales, Slur Exercises, Shifts, Finger Independence, Barre, Tremolo, Common Harmonics, and much more.

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This lesson is on Barre (bar chords) and barre exercises for the left hand. Playing a successful barre (also called capo) is much more reliant on your ability to be precise rather than the amount of pressure or tension you apply with your 1st finger. The String Specific Barre Correction is the most important of all the barre exercises here because it aims at specific points within the barre that will require precision rather than strength.

Some basic tips: Barre with your 1st finger; keep your 1st finger straight and very close to the fret on all required strings; do not help the 1st finger by using additional fingers; let gravity help by allowing the weight of the left arm pull the strings down into the fret; do not press too hard or squeeze like a vice between your fingers and thumb. Don’t worry if it buzzes at first, gain control and good positioning before becoming more critical.

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