“The biggest pain in all guitar playing”: Jason Isbell names the hardest thing for beginners to learn on guitar – and how mastering it leveled up his own playing

Jason Isbell.

With a handful of Grammy wins under his belt – and the instantly recognisable Red Eye Les Paul under his fingers – southern rock great Jason Isbell knows what it takes to master the electric guitar.

But despite such mastery, there was one particular aspect of guitar that he struggled with early on, and it’s something that all beginners struggle with: barre chords. In a new interview, Isbell discussed why learning barre chords is such an important but challenging skill to gain.