[ChuckS]

If you are just starting out, my recommendation would be to just flat out forget about Bar Chords for now. Get the basics down and keep working on finger flexibility and strength, etc. If you start out trying to do bar chords, you will just drive yourself to drinkand end up throwing the guitar in the trash.

Maybe revisit bar chords in 9 months or a year.

And, 71 is not too old (I am 73, well at least for a few more weeks ) and just got back into it about 4.5 years ago after a 33 year layoff. I started volunteer teaching at Guitar for Vets this year and my very first student was 79.

Hang in there young man and it will come with time.