The Half Bar

The half bar

After you study the illustrations, bear these points in mind:

• The finger should be right up to the fret.
• Arrange the finger so that the crease at the first joint lies between the strings. If the crease lies right on the string it may cause a muffled sound.
• Always remember that a lot of pressure is a mistake, and not necessary when a good position is established.

The term half bar is slightly misleading, because it is used for the barring of any number of strings from two to five. Logically, when all six strings are barred this is known as a full bar.

The final song accompaniment at this stage is the rollicking “Waltzing Matilda” from Australia.