# Big Fingers + Barre Chords = Big Headache **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-fingers-barre-chords-big-headache/235577 "2004-03-21T18:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-fingers-barre-chords-big-headache/235577/21 "2004-03-31T23:37:37Z")
Well this is gonna sound silly… I found my solution. I played standing up. :o I was playing sitting down, you know, in what I think of as the classic folk singer type position. Today I was trying to figure out how to make another fingering easier for me and was intensely analyzing my posture, position ,etc., and what needed to change to make it work. I thought “Well, if I could just get my lap to be about 6 inches lower, that would help a lot.” Bingo, the lightbulb went off in my head, and went and dug out my as-of-then unused guitar strap, rigged it up, stood up and… Voila. I can do barre chords. Well, I can hit them without unwanted muting at least. But now that I can actually _do_ it, I can start practicing them. Yay! Just wanted to let you guys know, and thank you again for your great suggestions - all stuff I will be using to improve my barre chords now that I’ve gotten the big obstacle out of my way. Stand up. Sheesh. And I thought I might need hand reduction surgery 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-fingers-barre-chords-big-headache/235577.md?page=1)