Barr chord cramps

[IronShadows28]

So with the jazz band material I have to learn, I obviously need to play a lot of barr chords. I havent done a lot because Im used to just rock metal and blues. It hurts my hand, because I have press your thumb against the back of the fretboard Am I doing this right? Should I be fingering them another way? Or is it just like any other "painfull" technique where you just have to stick it out until you've become immune to it?

[Madaxeman]

Barr chords shouldn't hurt. Also, make sure none of your fingers are bent wrong. They should always be concave, like you are holding a ball, not bent with the fingers going out. After awhile, the 7ths should be fairly easy to play, just at first all the notes may not be clear. This will get easier, but don't vice-grip the neck to force it.

[IronShadows28]

Its not that it hurts to do them, its just that my thumb just starts to cramp after I do them for awhile. Should I have my hand all the way against the fretboard like when playing normally or should I have my thumb pressed against the back of the fretboard? Ill check and see if my fingers are all concave though.

[silent-storm]

Its not that it hurts to do them, its just that my thumb just starts to cramp after I do them for awhile. Should I have my hand all the way against the fretboard like when playing normally or should I have my thumb pressed against the back of the fretboard? Ill check and see if my fingers are all concave though.

not sure what you mean by having your hand all the way against the fretboard like when playing normally. The thumb should be nice and low on the neck, but unfortunatly it just takes a lot of practice. Remember how hard it was to switch from one chord to another when you first started, or to play any single note lines at all? Well it never gets any easier with stuff you are just picking up and it all just comes down to doing it a thousand times. Just being constantly aware of how much pressure you are putting on the neck with your thumb will help you to eventually relax more. Eventually you should be able to finger the chords without anything touching the neck except your finger tips, no thumb at all, and still be completely relaxed.

try just playing one chord and then slowly trying to relax everything. Check your shoulders, your neck, your toes, everything should be completely relaxed. Tension in something small like a thumb usually starts from somewhere larger.

[Bizarro]

Do you have large hands? Or a skinny guitar neck (Ibanez or similar)? That can make it tough to hold onto those chords. I can't play thin necked guitars in live performances because I'll cramp up after about an hour.

Another thing is stamina. It takes some time to build up if you're not used to it. And you should always use the least amount of pressure necessary. Stretch between tunes too.