I presume meaning up to or beyond say D major at fret 10?
Things do tend to get a little confined for space as the frets narrow. Playing 6-string E-shape barres beyond that is not going to be a first choice for many circumstances in many songs. If the aim of them is to give the sound of the higher pitched notes on the G, B & E strings then those are available through playing 4-string mini-barre shapes and / or triads. If the aim is to have the girth and timbre of the 6th string within the overall chord sound then power chords can bring that (hence players like Tony Iommi others often plays power chords on E & A high up rather than A & D lower down). Which brings another aspect in - the moment you reach Bb as a 6-string E-shape barre at fret 6, the same chord becomes available as a 5-string A-shape from fret 1. This means there is always an option if playing a barre at a very high fret is difficult due to the fretboard space.
Personally, I never play A-shape major using fingers 2, 3 & 4 on separate strings. And I am a regular player of fingers 2, 3 & 4 for an open positon A major chord. I always use finger 3 or finger 4 as my barre across the D, G & B strings. I am fortunate in being able to use either and with enough bend to allow my high E string to ring out if I want it (Justin suggests that muting the high E string is a good choice for most people, especially if struggling to form the 3-string barre).
Patience. More patience. More patience. Plus micro-adjustments that try to incorporate some of the tips shared in the session.
Don’t forget Justin’s great lesson here: https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/e-shape-barre-chords-major-4b-001
I certainly hope that they will help. Moving from open chords (frets 1-3) to barre chords at higher frets means your whole hand is moving towards your body. I mentioned in the session that you could aim to marginally over-shoot the chord - just to the fret wire say - and then fall back in to position. This can help land and roll the index finger in an easy manner. A looped chord progression I like to give students to practice this is D, Bm, G, A where all but the D are barre chords. It is the Doo-Wop progression I have previously mentioned in other club sessions.
Sorry - we have no plans to publish club sessions other than Justin’s. We are discussing clubs at other times and perhaps to include some repeats of topics previously presented, especially those most well attended.
I will likely do further barre chord sessions soon. In the mean time here is Justin: https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/e-shape-barre-chords-minor-4b-002
That is a real chicken and egg question. And over many years, in many discussion here in the community, people have advocated that for them one or other was most effective. So there is no correct answer.
To work towards simultaneous formation of all four fingers, here is the sequential method I showed during Q&A.
Start with fingers near the strings, not touching. Place the fingers on the strings in order. Touch only, do not press until all are in position. Press for a second then release the pressure. Move your fingers away from the strings a small distance. Repeat five times for each of the combinations below. When you reach simultaneous fingers, repeat ten times.
Example: (for a chord requiring all fingers with a barre)
- Fingers 1, 2, 3, 4
- Fingers 2, 3, 4, 1
- Fingers 3, 4, 1, 2
- Fingers 4, 1, 2, 3
- Finger 4, 3, 2, 1
- Fingers 3, 2, 1, 4
- Fingers 2, 1, 4, 3
- Fingers 1, 4, 3, 2
- All fingers together
Here is another exercise that may help with simultaneous landing.
- Hold your fingers near to but not touching the strings
- Touch the fingers where the chord is but do not press
- Once all fingers are touching at the correct place, press them down
- You do not need to strum - this is a fretting hand exercise only
- Release the pressure after a few seconds but maintain contact
- Move your all fingers away from the strings by a small amount
- Repeat
I have completed the full write up in a resources document. It will be uploaded to the club archive page very soon. https://www.justinguitar.com/playground/clubs-archive
In the immortal words of whoever it was that first said it - there are no stupid questions. The answer is a resounding yes. @LievenDV hosted a club session covering this ground recently. Motivation & Inspiration Club #5 With Lieven | Why bother with barres? - #7 by Artie_Fufkin
Very true - it is amazing how the hands, fingers and skin adapt and accustom to the strange things we expect of them as guitarists!
It is 100% normal and a part of what to expect when moving and sliding between chords. Do not worry about it at all. I know that some people don’t like the sound but trying to silence it is a fruitless pursuit.
I played an impromptu rhythm pattern of chords and mutes but it I was not following a pre-written pattern nor did I count it out as I played. I literally went with the flow and got in the groove. It actually put me a little in mind of the opening to Faith by George Michael so maybe try to find a reliable tutorial and tab for that song if you liked it.
Ta-dah: https://www.justinguitar.com/songs/george-michael-faith-chords-tabs-guitar-lesson-st-383
Virtually any song can become a barre chord song if you switch open for barre. Those two Jack Johnson songs you linked to are great suggestions.