Just to be clear: This is by no means a complete replacement for learning bar chords. You still want to take the time to learn the standard technique. This is simply an alternative to E shape bar chords you might find useful. It is perfectly fine to learn to use your thumb early on in your playing journey. While a little unconventional when it comes to bar chords, learning to incorporate your thumb for things like a D/F# chord is very common early on. This just takes that concept a little further. Thanks for watching. :)

I’m done with all other tutorials.... your my guy Andrew 😁 the way you instruct is completely relaxing & connects with me as i have a learning disabilities! ❤️💯🔥

I'm a beginner and discovered this technique while carefully watching the legendary Mark Knopfler, to see how/when he does barre chords. I realized he NEVER uses the traditional technique and ALWAYS uses his thumb on top, sometimes even to play the A string ! I'll go this route, as it feels much more natural. Moving the position of hand and forearm multiple times while playing, as with the traditional way, feels totally awkward and SLOW.

I'm so glad you made this video because it's very difficult to find anyone willing to teach alternatives to barre chords. KT Tunstall and Ed Sheeran and others can't use them and yet it's still so difficult to find chord charts or whatever that help people like that. People with carpal tunnel or whatever else. So thanks a bunch for this

Its harder than normal bar chords i think lol

Great video. Lots of people struggle with barre chords.

This bloke is a good teacher. Good tip as well.

The issue I have with smaller hands and shorter fingers is not being able to get my finger tips down on the A and D string. With my thumb over the top my A and D fingers are flat on the strings which mutes the G. There are a lot of vids that the instructors say: I teach people with small hands to do this (instructor seems to always have long fingers). Have one of the short fingered small hand person come on the Tube and show us how you taught them to do it!

If seen some people do that quite recently and was wondering what they are doing and playing. Thanks for explaining even though I have the feeling that I could have figured it out myself :D

As a guitar teacher, I find that giving students an easier alternative like this can cause them to develop the attitude that they don't ever need to put in the extra work required to master barr chords and they will start to look for shortcuts whenever they find something challenging. While I use these shapes during certain contexts, they don't help students with anything but E shape barr chords and won't help when it comes to learning A shape barr chords, which are just as necessary to learn. So why not just focus on mastering the barr chord from the start?

Although I've seen lots of pros use this grip, it doesn't work for people like me with small hands. It's OK for power chords I guess, but the higher strings will buzz.

I find that most electric players will eventually naturally morph from barre chords to this. It keeps the first finger anchored on the high e and b in the 'blues launching off" position and allows the thumb to mute strings as well. I would still learn how to play a barre chord if learning though especially if your a status quo fan.

What's funny is that I watched this and actually started playing Barre chords because of the advice about playing in classical position, did that smashed the traditional Barre! 😄 As I get better at them I'll lower. Thank you lol!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! . . . . . . let's just say i've been struggling a bit 😂

I use bar chord with full bar and jimi hendrix thumb style both like go into a B major with thumb method and then switch to a C# minor with full bar chord

thank you. very straightforward

Well I do not think this technique is a good idea for beginners Nate savage made a good video about barre cords Learn the concepts from him than practice Here are some tips that helped me Do not try to learn F cord or any kind of cords at first it will sound really crappy. just hold your first finger above all six strings on the third fret and try to pick each strings (You can use your middle finger for more pressure). Your fingers will hurt but the main purpose is to strengthen your fingers. (The stronger your fingers are the better it will be) Try to tweak and try different variations to pick every strings without buzzing.(Think about what takes the least effort to pick a string) When you are comfortable with picking all the strings try struming and now practice cords.

This was very good - thank you!

Great detailed video Andrew! Know that It really helped with me to finally get that high E string to ring! lol That was always a bit problematic for me and now I'm all good! Thank you for that! :-)

I can only play E Major, A Minor And E Minor Barre Chord, when it comes to A, C, D & G Major Barre Chords good luck 😂 hopeless at those, sometimes I get sick of playing the original chords and would love to barre chords better

Its comfortable for me❤ but what if bar chords in A string

Anyone saying this is a bad technique, ever heard of Hendrix, SRV? They played broomstick because you can embellish over chords much easier that way. It’s not a bad technique, but beginners shouldn’t learn it until they are really comfortable with normal bar chord technique (both e and a shapes) and even before that I believe you should learn the open chords. There are no short cuts in guitar, and when you build up a solid foundation everything else falls into place (with lots of regular practice of course).

Hi Andrew…Do you have any advise on “A” ,barre chord shape, double barre?using ring or pinky finger in conjunction with index finger? I like your tutorial’s👍 Many thnx!👍💯🎸

Can u make a guitar amp

I'm talking to beginners. Don't learn only this. It's limiting. Might be useful if you're in a time crunch but learn both ways.

i always just play the open chords and move the capo around between chords -- thanks

Why not move your finger higher for more leverage is it’s a strength issue? Obviously you need to flatten the finger out. to fret all the strings.

This technique is only good if you have lengthy fingers. I can’t barre the B and the high E at the same time using this method.

damn ... this is hard one.

thanks

I would like to do it but my hands are too small for that.

Maybe it’s just because I learned bar chords the normal way before broomstick, but I find broomstick harder. My hands are too big I think (I can do it but much tougher)

I've noticed Lewis Capaldi using this alternative

Do you still have to barre A root chords?

I find bar chords easier than this way

What is the scale for all the chords

Been doing this forever cause like marty said jimi did it or sumn 😂 so I get all confused w normal bar chords

This is bad advice. Although Clapton et al sometimes thumb over in preparation for, say, moving from F#m to D/F#, they don't use it as a *substitute* for barre chords. They only use it when necessary, not in lieu of proper barre chords. Besides which, thumbing over the 6th string is really only useful for the basic E and Em "shapes" and not much else. Try the thumb-over on 576655 (AM7) or 577585 (Am7) and you'll see what I mean. If you can't barre all six strings, then practice barring them using only your index finger until you can. Then introduce the other three fingers to the chord. Learning to barre properly rather than looking for shortcuts will save you a world of grief. It's much harder to "unlearn" a bad habit later on than it is to learn a good habit at the beginning.

Oh my god 👁️👄👁️ I can't even do this.

richie havens plays like that

The problem is not the thumb, rather the other fingers muting string 3 and 2. 😞

There are plenty of alternative chords You can find a lot of them in jazz

I am very bad in bar cords but still I arrange somehow the songs in fingerstyle

Pretty advanced technique. Not for beginners. Almost impossible on most acoustics.

This is usually harder to learn then a bar chord

Not for people with short chunky fingers

my hands not big enough

Playing a barre chord is waaaay easier than using your thumb to fret. Most awkward shit ever.

I learned you are not supposed to grab the fretboard like you grasp a baseball bat!

This is even worse for me. Ah well. I guess I'll throw that guitar out the window now.

👍👍👏👏👏

EDIT: Learn both ways I recant my earlier comment.

Yeah I'm sorry but thumb playing isn't easier than barre chords,it's harder.

👍👍❤️❤️❤️

every guitar player knows how to do barre chords, so why not learn the correct one instead.

This is bad don’t get people used to using their thumbs It is not a good technique to use when guitar Especially for begginers