Barre chords up the neck

[robinboyd]

So I’m still very slowly working my way through Moonlight Sonata and building up my tolerance for a lot of stretch chords and barre chords. Anyway, I find that on page 4, my thumb tends to give out and I also find it hard to grip the neck around the point where it meets the body. The 14 12 12 15 chord is a good example of this. Anyway, I’ve found that I can fret chords that are high up the neck by pulling the uke hard against my body with my arm rather than squeezing the neck with my thumb. Is this a valid technique? It feels like what I need to do to get a clean sound up there and also save my thumb…

[Andrew]

For something that high, I’d try this fingering: middle for G, barre with index and ring for A. Should make it easier, but you’re really fighting against the edge of the body/lack of space. A cutaway would make it much easier.

[robinboyd]

Lol. A cutaway would make it easier, but the real issue is being unable to squeeze the neck that high up because of the thickness, not being unable to access the frets. I can get to the frets, its just a matter of applying pressure.

[lisadmh]

For what it’s worth, I’m cheating on the bars up that high on people are strange. I’m two stringing everything as I can’t get all three. Don’t be a cheater. Don’t be like me. 😀😀😀

[robinboyd]

I already cheat by playing the 1245 chord as X245…

[becky7777]

Robin what do you mean by your thumb giving out? Pain?

[robinboyd]

A bit of pain but more weakness. I physically can’t hold the chord enough to get a good tone any more. Keep in mind that this is after a really long section of barre chords, stretch chords, and playing up the neck. It’s not that I can’t do it normally, just that I’m fatigued. Matt talks about this in the La Vie En Rose lesson, and trust me, this is way more tiring than that.

[robinboyd]

Hi Guys. I thought it was easier to show rather than explain, so I made a video.

[ukeher]

Craig Chee talks about doing just what you are describing: using your big arm muscle to add leverage (? – maybe that’s not quite the right term) to assist in playing barre chords. He’s a really nice guy. I’m sure if you contacted him he could explain it more clearly to you.

[Andrew]

Robin, you need to use thumb for leverage. For that chord, your thumb should be behind the neck around the 9th or 10th fret – basically offset to the left, so that you avoid the end of the neck hump that attaches it to the body.

[robinboyd]

Thanks guys. The thumb is already where Andrew describes and it’s good to hear Craig Chee also uses this technique a bit. I played through to the end of theme 4 yesterday, so I think I’m getting there. Fingering gets easier after theme 4.

[Author]

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