Don't know if this a a good suggestion or not, because you will have to learn them sooner or later, but if you are a basic beginner and are trying to teach yourself, you might leave the bar chords at least until you fingers are toughened. Learn some of the easier chords and try to switch back and forth using some basic strum until it feel comfortable and sounds good...some songs you can sing along to. Bar chords, if not held tight, can make the awful sound of dead strings...don't know how to explain it, but no doubt you have heard it, lol . Like I said, I wasn't even what you could call proficient, but with just a few chords you can get through a song, adding variety and difficulty as you learn. What kind of music are you hoping to get into?