How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

['59]

Anybody got any tips on this? I found I like the potential for flourishes on barre chords with the freedom of the pinky that wrapping the thumb provides, but I also can't find a way to play them consistently without the four highest strings getting muted. Any tips on hand positioning or anything like that?

['59]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

Also what neck profile would best accommodate this style of playing? I find that the joint where my pointer finger meets my palm is put under quite a bit of pressure from just barely on the treble side of the skunk stripe on my MIM Strat.

I might look into that for my next guitar that's gonna get the BKP Riff Raff neck and Black Dog bridge that I won.

[Mincer]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

Giant hands helps.
I have small hands, so I simply can't do it. John McLaughlin does some of his complex chords the same way, so I have to reconfigure them to play them.

[Chistopher]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

I have massive hands and yet I had trouble with them when I first started. I found I improved when I tried first wrapping my thumb around the low e and getting it to sound, then slowly adding each treble string one at a time until I could get each string to consistantly sound out when plucked one at a time.

As for neck profile, thinner necks help, but there are other tradeoffs that come along with that.

[ehdwuld]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

raise the neck up from your waist towards your shoulder
get the proper grip on the neck
lower action and jumbo frets with a softer grip
practice alot

[AlexR]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

You have to rotate your hand.....

......but even then its not easy. Getting a guitar with a thinner width fretboard also helps.

I simply use the pinky to add flourishes. Its the same finger you need when thumbing the 6th anyhow as the pointer still frets the high strings

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

This is how I play most of my barre chords...my advise is two-fold: Thumb requires less pressure than you think, and getting that high e to ring out can be tricky, but practice makes perfect

[Old Guy]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

Giant hands helps.
I have small hands, so I simply can't do it. John McLaughlin does some of his complex chords the same way, so I have to reconfigure them to play them.

This is me as well. Little hands and I don't like super thin necks, so it can be a bit of contortionism to get my thumb where it needs to be.

[Zombiwoof]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

I think it is more difficult on a wider neck, the Fender neck width is best (1 5/8"). And I think a round neck profile works better, as opposed to thin/flatter. I had the same problem, and am getting better. Of course, Jimi had very long fingers, I think someone said he could even do thumb chords with the thumb on the 5th string!.
Al

[Mincer]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

Generally, it also takes my wrist and puts this strange up-bend in it, which has to change if I am going to play anything else afterwards (or before). I use essentially 1 wrist position for everything. I don't want to work that hard.

[beaubrummels]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

Also what neck profile would best accommodate this style of playing?

You would need the thinnest narrowest neck you can get away with, unless you have long fingers and/or large hands. But just know that playing this way is ergonomically the worst for your hands long term.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

A thin and narrow neck, yes. But the back contour is more important than you might think. An asymmetric modified "V" works wonders. It's not easy to find, but thank goodness it's also not difficult to do the contouring yourself.

[Chistopher]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

I think someone said he could even do thumb chords with the thumb on the 5th string!.
Al

Wait... normal people can't do that?

[STLMTLHD79]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

I really don't want to sound like an a$$ here, but 2 things:

1. I have pretty small hands so this doesn't work for me and
2. I was taught a long time ago when i started taking lessons that this is "improper" technique, so i never even wanted to do it. I do see more players doing it and it makes me cringe based on how strict my guitar teacher was when i was a teen about proper technique.

[PFDarkside]

Re: How to better play thumb barre chords a la Hendrix?

I completely disagree about the thin neck, thicker necks work far better for me. Having it fill my hand reduces the cramping, although I’m far from an expert at it. What that means is try a bunch of guitars out.


The best way to learn it is here:

https://texasbluesalley.com/woodshed/courses/the-grip

I bought that lesson and practiced it for about three months, adding what I taught myself about G form and C form barre chords.