FretSpider!

Bar chords or barre chords are formed by barring or covering multiple strings on a single fret. This is used as a substitute for the open strings in open chords (as in the CAGED system), this allows chords to be played all over the fretboard and not restricted to the first few frets.

Bar chords are commonly used for more complex songs where an open chord will not suit, this may be because the key of the song calls for a different chord lineup on a standard tuned guitar.

Major Chords:

Firstly we’ll go through the basic Major shape. For this example we will bar the 5th fret creating an A Major shape (A is the base note from the 5th fret of the 6th string, The Major shape i’m about to show you is why this is an A Major chord).

And yes, this is the exact same chord as the open A chord in the CAGED system. You may find that in the context of a song this bar chord is easier to reach than the open chord.

The photo to the right shows the 1st finger barring all strings on the fifth fret, fingers 2, 3, and 4 form the rest of the pattern.

You can of course move this shape anywhere, the note of the 1st finger is the name of the chord, this is your base note.

In the context of a song, you may find that the base note easier if played from the 5th string. Say for example a song had the above chord on the fifth fret, followed immediately by a D Major chord. Now, instead of sliding this awkward shape up to fret 10, we happen to know that the 5th fret of the 5th string is a D. So with a slight alteration in that shape we can move from A Major on fret 5 to the D Major on fret 5.

The reason for the change of pattern is simply because of the way the 2nd string is tuned as standard. More of this in our guitar tuning guide.

This shape is simply your first finger baring strings 1 to 5 while your 3rd finger bars 1 to 4. The reason you should bar these unplayed notes on fret 5 is just good practice. This keeps you in a ready position to change to different chord shapes more fluently.

This chord is the same as the open D chord in the CAGED system, as well as the above shape on the 10th fret.

You can now adopt these shapes anywhere on the neck, use the above A Major pattern to play any major bar chord that has its root note on the sixth string, and use the above D Major pattern to play any major barre chord that has its root note on the fifth string.

Minor Chords:

Minor bar chords work in the same way as above, they are just based around a slightly different pattern where the fourth note is one semitone lower.

To play the A minor barre chord, bar your index finger across every string on the 5th fret, place your 3rd finger on fret 7 of the 5th string and your 4th finger on fret 7 of the 4th string. – It is just like the Major barre chord but your 2nd finger is removed from the fretboard.

Minor chords tend to have a darker feel to them, as you will clearly notice when comparing to the A Major chord. An interesting exercise is to compare barre chords with open chords, for example, play the A minor barre chord through slowly and then compare it to the A minor open chord, completely different position but very similar huh? If you work out the notes you will find that a lot of note substitution is used to move the entire chord around, as you would do with single notes. A lot of the time, barre chords are much easier to play within the context of a song due to the positioning required before/after the chord.

The D minor chord is also like a D Major chord on the 5th string, the only difference being that the 4th note is one semitone lower, thus changing the entire fingering of the chord.

Think of it like the A Major chord pattern (top) but every note is moved up one string.

To perform the D minor barre chord, bar the first 5 strings of the 5th fret, place your second finger on the 6th fret of the second string, your 3rd finger on the 7th fret of the 4th string and your 4th finger on the 7th fret of the third string.

Using these methods you can now play loads of chords all over the neck. Simply copy this shape anywhere you like on whichever notes you like.

It is important that you perfect your bar chords as much as possible, no guitarist will be a pro at barre chords as soon as they learn them. It can be very tricky to apply the correct amount of pressure on the right angle to sound out every note.

Practice doing exactly that though, barring one fret and perfecting it by playing each string one by one. Play around with the pressure and angle of your hand. Adjusting the position of your thumb on the back of the neck should dramatically improve the pressure you can apply to the chord. Ensure your thumb is in line with the 1st finger barring the chord to provide complete control.

When you first learn bar chords as a beginner guitarist it is common to have some difficulties, you might find that your hand rapidly becomes fatigued or very achy. This is normal, a little practice and regular playing of these chords will eliminate this over time.

An easier way to play a chord at all locations of the neck is to use a capo. A capo is a device that clips on to the neck of your guitar barring all strings. This works in the same way as your finger bars all strings on a certain fret – the pitch of fretted notes will not change, only the open, unfretted strings are changed.

A capo basically ‘moves’ the position of the open strings to easily change the key of any song. When buying a capo you must ensure it will be suitable for your guitar, most are a one-size-fits-all device but some are specifically designed for an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, thin neck, steel string, etc. Feel free to contact us if you are unsure of a model to suit your guitar.