Playing barre chords

Hi! So currently I'm learning Barre chords in Fundementals 2. A problem I'm facing is the the B string muting when I play a major 6th string rooted chord and I have the third string muting when I play 6th string minor. I'm really trying to adjust my finger/bar postion but the mutes keep happening. I am playing on acoustic as well so I know it will take more strength to play but I was wondering in terms of going forward. Should I spend time and get these strings to unmute, or should I just carry on and practice swtiching between bar chords and open chords and playing songs with these mutes present. If I go this route will the mutes just fix themselves over time?

Originally Posted by: meharbrar12

Hi! So currently I'm learning Barre chords in Fundementals 2. A problem I'm facing is the the B string muting when I play a major 6th string rooted chord and I have the third string muting when I play 6th string minor. I'm really trying to adjust my finger/bar postion but the mutes keep happening. I am playing on acoustic as well so I know it will take more strength to play but I was wondering in terms of going forward. Should I spend time and get these strings to unmute, or should I just carry on and practice swtiching between bar chords and open chords and playing songs with these mutes present. If I go this route will the mutes just fix themselves over time?

Hi meharbrar12,

You're right that the mutes will most likely "fix themselves" over time if you keep practicing and building strength.

Do you know yet if it's because you're not pushing down hard enough with your index, or because other fingers are accidentally touching them?

Mike Olekshy has some really good tricks here, by the way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlY3ngFeoPU

Keep at those barre chords and don't let them discourage you!

-Carl.

Hey Carl, thanks for the reply!

So what I have just now noticied, if I bar the strings but keep the very tip of my index finger just resting on the 6th string, like not pushing down on it, the B string and high E ring out perfectly. As soon as I push the tip of my finger down to have the base note going my finger bends ever so slightly, in a way that its stops pushing on the B string. Is there anyway I can counteract this?

Thanks

Nvm, I don't think what I mentioned regarding resting the index on the 6th string is the issue. I'm really making sure I'm pressing down on all of them and I'm playing around with thumb position. Would it be ok I started working on a song with these bar chords even with the mutes present as well try to polish the mutes by forming the chords often.

Originally Posted by: meharbrar12

Nvm, I don't think what I mentioned regarding resting the index on the 6th string is the issue. I'm really making sure I'm pressing down on all of them and I'm playing around with thumb position. Would it be ok I started working on a song with these bar chords even with the mutes present as well try to polish the mutes by forming the chords often.

Absolutely! Playing a song will get you practice and you'll work them out. It gives you a reason to keep at it. This is going to be a normal part of your guitar-playing experience: Struggling to play things, making mistakes, adjusting your technique. Everyone, even at high levels does this. :)

-Carl.