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Originally posted by tonygo

This relative beginner finds that the joints in my index finger line up much to well with the 1st and 2nd strings and I get a mushy barre chord if I don't mash down. Anyone else deal with this problem? Is it part of learning to play banjo with smaller hands?

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 - Roll the finger to a side, a little bit, to find the flat-enough spot. 

 - Use a partial barre as much as possible, two or three strings is usually plenty.

Besides working on it until your index finger barre chords are clear, try or consider these:

- Only hold down as many strings as you need for the phrase you're playing. If the third string isn't used, don't include it in the barre.

- Try other fingerings. Earl Scruggs used index on second string and middle on first for moving same-fret pairs up the neck. Can't say what he used in the first five frets. If a barre isn't absolutely needed (for example, to leave other fingers free for grabbing notes) then maybe don't barre.

- "Other fingerings" can include three strings. When I don't need a finger free for fretting other notes, I'll use three fingers instead of barring the index.  From low-to-high string this will be either index-middle-ring or middle-ring-pinky.  Don't think I have a rule or situation that calls for one or the other. I have at least one song in which I play an A chord on only the three low strings (don't use the first string). So for this I always use three fingers, not a barre.

Yes, a clean-sounding barre is a goal. But barre is not the only way to fret two or three strings at the same fret.

Keep working at it, it will strengthen your hands and lead to the correct positioning (place your thumb behind the neck for pressure). There are barres on the guitar that are daunting but I kept working at'em til I was able to do them cleanly and quickly - "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" ...... and to use Owen’s favourite - “it’ll eventually happen”

Wait a minute. My second joint doesn't get involved. A banjer neck is that narrow.
Does yer finger have the word Schub on the side of it? Naw. Me neither.
Like Chuck says, use your thumb to pinch a bit.

Believe it or not, your elbow can help your bar chords. Leverage is your friend. Make your bar chord, and then move your elbow away from your body, and see what happens. It rolls your finger slightly, while increasing pressure, with leverage. I learned this from an old guitar player 40 years ago, and still use it on banjo.

Some people say they use the gravity pull of your arm to help make barre chords

I mentioned leaning the banjo the other day on Reubin Stump's sore finger problem--to pull more -downward --I wondered if others did that
on full bar chords also --I sometimes double the fingers --for some closed position phrases

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Originally posted by chuckv97

Some people say they use the gravity pull of your arm to help make barre chords

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... not to be confused with the gravity that's pulling equally (?) on everything else??  

Dean's tip about increasing leverage with the arm has given me a boost.  I'm pretty well resigned to being unable to "figure things out" w.r.t. music..... but, but, but, I figured out that ^^ technique all on my lonesome ......... and it didn't even take me a long time.   

From another perspective, it might just be a string height problem

Also, be sure your finger is as close to the fret as possible, maybe even touching it. That will usually take care of the thump or mushy sound from not being fretted evenly.

As has been said above: work at it, it does get easier and you will find that "sweet spot" where suddenly the chord is clean and clear.