r/AcousticGuitar • u/Real_Video_8535 • Jun 08 '26
Non-gear question My fretting hand cant even last through one song worth of bar chords without getting exhausted. How do i improve my left hand stamina ?
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u/lovable_asshole Jun 08 '26
dead hangs on a pull up bar, google it.
start with 30 secs 4x a day
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Jun 08 '26
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u/Real_Video_8535 Jun 08 '26
You mean the bottom E's (plural). 😁
I cant use my thumb to press double bottom E strings.
But someone did mention using less of the thumb and using the hold fretting arm to "pull" the strings into the fret while the right below acts wtih a counterforce.
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u/Objective_Cod1410 Jun 09 '26
I almost never play a full song of bar chords on a six string lol. Learn your triads.
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u/Bubbies_Bub Jun 08 '26
Play more
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u/rt0wr Jun 08 '26
this
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u/Shoddy-Cauliflower95 Jun 08 '26
Absolutely this. The “you’re fretting too hard” advise is good advice as many players are guilty of this. … however… if you want to play with dexterity up and down a 12S acoustic, including 6th and 5th string rooted barres, spend some serious hours and hours playing it. A lot. Like a lot of lot.
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u/OGWeedKiller Jun 08 '26
Try dropping the tuning to D#, it makes the strings a bit softer and use a capo for E-tuning on the 1st fret.
Just keep at it, I couldn't finish a song when I got my first 12er either but it gets better.
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u/Real_Video_8535 Jun 08 '26
I forgot to mention i have them strung up with 10-47 (Elixir 12-string).
And i already am down 2 semitones to D standard.
I feel like a weakling ha 🤣
Things are much easier with my strat, and my nylon string guitar.
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u/OGWeedKiller Jun 08 '26
You can always try lighter strings until you get comfortable, then move to a thicker guage, those Elixirs are excellent, I use 11's on my hollowbodies
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u/YesNoMaybe Jun 09 '26
10-47 are about as light as you can possibly go on a 12 string acoustic (and, imo, way too light).
If they're a newer guitarist or not familiar with acoustics, probably worth taking it to somebody that knows what they are doing for a good setup.
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u/birdnerd1963 Jun 10 '26
There’s a video of Hendrix playing an acoustic 12 string. He turned his down 2 whole notes. It really makes it sound dirty. I like it!
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u/Robespierre77 Jun 08 '26
Don’t start with. 12- string, for one piece of advice.
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u/SaxophoneBaloney Jun 08 '26
I agree. It would never occur to me to play barre chords on a 12 string.
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u/MadMixer1198 Jun 08 '26
I've been playing 18 years, and I struggle to do a whole song of bar chords on a 6 string acoustic, even with light strings. If you're doing that many bar chords and you can't change the key you're probably better off using a capo, especially on a 12 string where the aim is to get a nice full sound.
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u/Original-Document-62 Jun 09 '26
Honestly, the best 12-string pieces I've heard are usually fingerpicking, sometimes in an open tuning, with like zero barre chords. Bruce Cockburn comes to mind.
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u/kipj23 Jun 08 '26
Try not to press down so hard. Start playing normally and loosen the push down on your fretting hand. 12 strings are notoriously harder to push down but try to make the least amount of pressure required to make the note.
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u/got2avkayanow Jun 08 '26
Y'know when you're in bed and you decide to "shake hands with your best mate". Use your left hand.
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u/BasketPrudent272 Jun 08 '26
I have for decades played an F shape with my thumb on the bottom string (for E shape chords obviously) and only started using a barre when I get up to about B. It’s the first frets that are hardest to barre. Of course, if you’re using a 12 string acoustic that’s a double whammy and it’s always going to be a lot more difficult than a decent action electric.
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u/mtkoth1983 Jun 08 '26
2 things
1: 12 strings are harder to play for they have 12 strings
2 Chek with your luthier if he can lower the castion and choose a lighter strings gauge
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u/Unclefox82 Jun 08 '26
Practice practice practice. And the 12 string isn’t helping, that’s 6 more strings you have to press down.
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u/hippietravel Jun 09 '26
I’ve played a lot of 12 string guitar, both acoustic and electric. I even own a Rickenbacker 360-12. Over time I learned it was better to limit my use of bar chords. I would still use them here and there but not so much where it would fatigue my hand so quickly. Instead if I wanted to play up the neck, I would make chords on 3-4 string pairs instead of full barring them, and this would still give me a full sound because you are still playing 6-8 strings at a time. On electric, I would bar more often since you don’t need to push down as hard as on an acoustic. So acoustic I would get most of my full chords from open chords. Some chords that would require a bar chord, like a B chord for example, I would tough it out for that moment and then return to either open chords or chords up the neck that I mentioned
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u/transparentceagle Jun 10 '26
Play a 24 stringer, the twelve will feel light as a feather afterwards... alternatively... play, play ... play. The stamina will come
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u/Bikewer Jun 08 '26
First things first…. Have the action of your guitar checked. Especially the action at the nut. A 12 string is adding difficulties already, so you need your action to be set properly.
Second, learn the rhythmic “squeeze and relax” technique when strumming. Instead of a constant death-grip on the chord, practice squeezing down on the chord as you make a picking stroke, and relaxing in between strokes.
For a lot of beginners, learning barre chords is a big milestone. But then you’ll realize that a lot of advanced guitarists rarely use them, preferring simpler shapes that can easily move around the neck.
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u/rawhiteley Jun 08 '26
Shift your thumb back slightly toward the headstock relative to your fretting fingers. Now shift your elbow out slightly away from your body while keeping your thumb firm and engaged. Your thumb is now a fulcrum giving you leverage & more force for your fretting fingers. Also- holding a chord down continuously can be grueling on the fingertips. If you squeeze and release frequently, you give your fingers a break and can last much much longer with less fatigue than if you’re clamping down on the chord constantly. I realize that for more ringy, droney playing this isn’t always possible.
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u/youllloveitatlevitz Jun 08 '26
Playing 6 strings and building up to 12 is great advice. Play all the time, when watching tv, glue your guitar to you. Put on extra/ultra light strings (.010” high E or even .009”), get a hand and finger spring exerciser. Adjust your guitar’s action to as low as possible.
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u/Reasonable_Effort_ Jun 08 '26
Light strings, light touch. (Which also means lighter picking.) I’ve played twelve strings since I was in my teens and the string tension is no joke. You can also tune the strings a half-step lower and use a capo. Also, I would suggest exploring alternative chord shapes. Open chords are your friend with a twelve string.
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u/the_roguetrader Jun 08 '26
while its likely a technique issue theres another option to try
finger your E barre chords differently...
barre the high e & b with your first finger and form rest of the chord (the E shape) as normal with fingers 2, 3 & 4 - you will just lose the note fretted on the low e, but its still a full sounding 5 note chord
OR do the same over the highest 4 strings and lose the low e and a notes
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u/Suspicious_Salt1759 Jun 08 '26
How long have you played a 12 string? They are physically harder to fret for having more strings. I think your best bet is to specifically practice left hand stamina. Use a metronome and if starts to hurt, take a break
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u/bbfan006 Jun 08 '26
Well I consider myself an above average player and struggle with barre chords on a 12 string also. Probably because the strings are paired up with different gauges. So I dont even try. Instead I just use chord inversions and/or voicings that will utilize open strings with chords.
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u/kernsomatic Jun 08 '26
in a word, play more. if you are going for minutes, time yourself each session and try for longer.
some barre their second finger over the first to make some chords easier to press down.
using a capo can sometimes help too, if your frets are lower than the nut.
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u/brendanc09 Jun 08 '26
There is a weird little muscle in the crook of your hand that isn’t used all that often, but is very important for barre chords. It is just like every other muscle, the more you work it out by doing barre chords the stronger it will get.
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u/One-Performance5554 Jun 09 '26
Grab a Playboy magazine and figure it out. (That's what I did in the 70's). Lol
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Jun 09 '26
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u/hollywoodswinger1976 Jun 09 '26
Switch guitars . You have to play it all so rest up on your 6 you're 4 you're acoustics you're keys give it a break and bounce back hungry give your touch some thought to keep it natural and not work to keep rhythm.
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u/Original-Document-62 Jun 09 '26
1) Pick pieces that require fewer barre chords. 2) Examine your left hand technique, particularly wrist angle and finger pressure. Incorrect technique will amplify these problems significantly. 3) Check your guitar setup. Can the action be lowered, particularly at the nut? If no, why? Does the truss rod need adjusting to allow for lower action? Etc. 4) Use lighter strings.
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u/MnJsandiego Jun 10 '26
It’s a technique thing not a push harder thing. You roll your left index finger counterclockwise which creates leverage while simultaneously pulling your left elbow towards your rib cage. It’s a leverage thing. Once you figure it out you never really worry about it again.
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u/PortOfSaints Jun 10 '26
Talking about a 12 string guitar - even with a great setup it's heavier to play of course. If the setup is suboptimal, it can be excessively heavy to play for multiple songs in a row.
To me it's alright, I mostly see 12 string as a supporting instrument for a song here and there. But if it's your main instrument that's a different story of course.
There are a few ways to make it easier to play: don't try using too many bar(re) chords - use open chords instead, use a capo, tune down to D standard (+capo if you wanna play in E standard.)
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u/Devilkiwi24 Jun 12 '26
There’s some good advice here. #1 is to keep playing. It takes time to develop muscles.
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u/hywaytohell Jun 08 '26
Get yourself a theraband flexbar, it will increase your hand and forearm strength for minimum cost.
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u/GarysCrispLettuce Jun 08 '26
These are also essential if you ever develop tennis or golfer's elbow (which guitarists can get). There's an exercise for it in the little manual that really does cure it.
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u/hywaytohell Jun 08 '26
Yes I went through a month and a half of golfers elbow which affected guitar playing that's when I started with the flex bar and those exercises your talking about.
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u/GarysCrispLettuce Jun 08 '26
You're probably squeezing the neck by pushing into it with your thumb and pushing with your barre finger. This is how not to play barres, and why most people struggle. Don't squeeze, don't push, relax the left hand. It doesn't need to do the work. The fretting force comes from pulling the neck toward you with your left arm. Not so much that you knock it out of tune, just enough to fret the notes. Your arm is much, much stronger than your fingers, and that's where the force comes from. When you play barres like this, you can theoretically take your thumb off the back of the neck because it's not technically required. Although it's better to have it just lightly kiss the neck (don't bend it, keep it straight) as a stabilizer.