[wjp01908]

One thing I would say to people just starting out with barre chords is that is not so much strength as accurate finger placement that`s important.

Obviously you need to be able to get the strings down onto the frets and some finger strength is needed for this ( a well set up guitar is a great help in this regard ! ), but to get the individual notes to ring out , I would concentrate on minute adjustments of finger position rather than gripping tighter. You`ll find the right positions with practice and after a while they`ll be second nature.

Avoiding a "death grip" will pay dividends later in terms of speed and fluency and could well save you a bit of RSI down the line.

IMHO

Will