Guide · Guitar theory
How to play barre chords
A A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. is an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em. shape moved up the neck, with your first finger pressing all the strings across one The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. like a movable The slotted strip at the top of the neck where the strings leave the headstock. Open strings ring from the nut.. Two shapes cover almost everything: the E shape with its The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. on the 6th string, and the A shape with its root on the 5th. F is the E shape at fret 1: 1 3 3 2 1 1.
What a barre chord is
Your first finger replaces the The slotted strip at the top of the neck where the strings leave the headstock. Open strings ring from the nut., so an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em. played with the other three fingers works at any The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step..
E shape · fret 1
A shape · fret 8
Play an open E chord, then imagine sliding the whole guitar neck up one fret. The nut would move to fret 1, and the E chord would become F. A A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. does exactly that: your first finger lies flat across fret 1, and your other fingers make the E shape one fret higher. The result is 1 3 3 2 1 1, low string first.
Because a barre chord has no open strings, it is a A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major.: slide it up two frets and F becomes G, with the same fingering. That is why barre chords unlock songs in any key, and why every guitarist meets the F chord sooner or later.
The E shape: root on the 6th string
The E-shape A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. has its The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. under your first finger on the low E string, so the The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. you barre names the chord.
Barre the fret, then place your second finger on the G string one fret up and your third and fourth fingers on the A and D strings two frets up. To find the chord you want, find its root on the low E string: F at fret 1, G at fret 3, A at fret 5, B at fret 7 and C at fret 8.
Lift your second finger and you have the minor version, 1 3 3 1 1 1 for Fm. One finger is the whole difference between major and minor, the 3rd of the chord moving down a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯..
The E shape sounds full and deep because all six strings ring. It is the classic rock rhythm chord.
The A shape: root on the 5th string
The A-shape A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. has its The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. on the A string, which puts chords like B♭, B, C and D within easy reach.
A shape · fret 2
E shape · fret 7
Barre from the A string down, and The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. the D, G and B strings two frets higher: B♭ is x 1 3 3 3 1. For the minor shape, the B string drops one fret, so Bm is x 2 4 4 3 2. Mute the low E string with the tip of your first finger, or simply do not strum it.
Find the root on the A string: B♭ at fret 1, B at fret 2, C at fret 3, D at fret 5 and E at fret 7. Knowing both strings means every major and minor chord is never more than a few frets from where your hand already is.
Many players fret the three middle notes of the major A shape with one finger, a small second barre with the third finger. Try both ways and keep the one that rings.
Making it ring
Roll the A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. finger slightly onto its bony edge, keep it just behind the The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., and pull with your arm rather than squeezing with your thumb.
Most buzzing comes from the soft middle of the finger, where the creases sit. Rotate the finger a little towards the headstock so its harder edge does the work, and place it as close to the fret wire as you can without sitting on top of it.
Put your thumb behind the neck, roughly behind your second finger, not hooked over the top. Then let the weight of your arm pull the fingers into the strings. You need far less grip than you think; squeezing hard tires your hand in a minute and still buzzes.
Check the chord one string at a time. If one note is dead, adjust only the finger responsible. Often it is the barre finger on the B string (and the G string in the minor shape), where it falls into a crease: shift it up or down a few millimetres.
A practice plan
Start higher up the neck where the strings are easier to press, then move down towards F at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 1 over a couple of weeks.
Frets 5 to 7 need less pressure than fret 1, so learn the shape there first: A major at fret 5 with the E shape is a good start. Once it rings, move it down one fret each day.
Practise changes, not just the chord. Switch between an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em. and a A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. in time, for example C to F, or G to Bm, four beats each. Getting the barre down quickly matters more than holding it perfectly.
Five minutes a day beats an hour once a week; hands build strength and accuracy slowly. Expect a week or two before F sounds clean, and know that every guitarist went through the same buzzing stage.
When to use a capo instead
If a song is full of A chord where one finger presses several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, so the shape works anywhere on the neck. only because of its key, a A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. lets you play it with A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em..
A capo is a barre that does not tire. A song in B♭ with B♭, E♭ and F can be played with capo 1 and the open A, D and E shapes. The capo chart shows which shapes give which key.
Still learn barre chords: they let you play any chord without moving the capo, and the shapes are the foundation of the CAGED system, which maps the whole neck.