Playing bar chords without messing up your wrist

[Hep To The Jive]

BTW, I hate hate hate when people play the guitar down at crotch level and pump the right arm up and down to strum. To me it looks goofy.

I guess you are not a fan of Jimmy Page

or Johnny Ramone

[hot ford coupe]

I guess you're right, Hep. Take a look at Johnny's left wrist. I can't even get my hand into that position. Jimmy Page has his neck where his fretting wrist is relatively straight. The guitar body is down but the neck is higher than Johnny's. There's a lot more to the origin of my opinion but it'll take me too long to explain it. If you want an explanation, I would be happy to give it and I promise it will not be confrontational or guitar-snobbish.

[Hep To The Jive]

I guess you're right, Hep. Take a look at Johnny's left wrist. I can't even get my hand into that position. Jimmy Page has his neck where his fretting wrist is relatively straight. The guitar body is down but the neck is higher than Johnny's. There's a lot more to the origin of my opinion but it'll take me too long to explain it. If you want an explanation, I would be happy to give it and I promise it will not be confrontational or guitar-snobbish.

Its quite all right, man, no need to explain, I know exactly what you are talkin about, I was just being cheeky Even though Im a fan of the aforementioned guitarists, I could never be able to hang guitar like that. Exactly because of the wrist, it was super uncomfortable when I tried, and forget about playing jazz chords! I have to admit it, it does look cool though!

[Thumpalumpacus]

I arch my index-finger slightly to catch only the root and high F#, and play standing up with the guitar right around the belt-line. I center my thumb on the back of the neck.

[pingu]

I guess you are not a fan of Jimmy Page

didn't know Page played southpaw !

[boatheelmusic]

Jimmy Bruno teaches not to use bar chords - individual fingers for each note makes transitioning to the use of altered chords more straightforward.

[christianm77]

Keep your wrist straight.

[OldGuitarPlayer]

I guess you are not a fan of Jimmy Page

or Johnny Ramone

Johnny Ramone was the bar chord master!!

[hot ford coupe]

Jimmy Bruno teaches not to use bar chords - individual fingers for each note makes transitioning to the use of altered chords more straightforward.

I've seen a lot of players do this. I also saw a Joe Pass video where he recommends using barre chords wherever you can so you have free fingers that can move to other notes as you go from chord to chord. It all depends on what style you're playing that makes the difference .i.e. use what works for you and avoid what does not. He also said don't play anything hard so you can move all over the fingerboard with less trouble. I agree with that one. When I try to play the Johnny Smith voicings, my arthritis raises its ugly head and makes my hand hurt for weeks.

[Hep To The Jive]

Johnny Ramone was the bar chord master!!

Yeah, and how did he do it with his wrist at that angle for so many years!? The guy had a monster sound, the master of barre chords and the 8th notes!

[hot ford coupe]

The human body is a wonderful thing. Some of us can do some things beyond belief just about forever without nary a scratch or an ache. Some people like myself fall apart at the drop of a hat. To keep myself playing, I just about have to wear my guitar as a bow tie.