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Lesson 7 of 11 · 12 min · Barre chords

Barre chords for beginners

One finger across the strings, and the whole neck opens up. Learn the two barre shapes that give you every major and minor chord, how to find the right fret from the name of the chord, and the technique that makes F and Bm ring, then play five barre chords in the exercise.

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What a barre chord is

In a barre chord, the index finger lies flat across several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut, and the other fingers make a chord shape above it. Because no string is left open, the whole shape can slide up and down the neck: the same fingering gives a different chord at every fret. Two shapes, borrowed from the open chords E and Am of lesson 4, are enough for every major and minor chord.

The E shape: root on the 6th string

Play an open E chord with the middle, ring and little fingers instead of the usual ones, leaving the index free. Slide the shape up one fret and lay the index across all six strings at the 1st fret: that is F major, the most famous barre chord. The lowest note, on the low E string, is the root, the note that names the chord. Move the same shape to the 3rd fret and it becomes G, to the 5th fret A.

For a minor chord, start from Em instead: lift the middle finger, so the index barre sounds on the G string. At the 1st fret it is Fm, at the 3rd Gm, at the 5th Am.

F chord: E string fret 1, A string fret 3, D string fret 3, G string fret 2, B string fret 1, E string fret 1134211FCFACFF
Fm chord: E string fret 1, A string fret 3, D string fret 3, G string fret 1, B string fret 1, E string fret 1134111FCFG♯CFFm
Bm chord: E string not played, A string fret 2, D string fret 4, G string fret 4, B string fret 3, E string fret 213421BF♯BDF♯Bm
B chord: E string not played, A string fret 2, D string fret 4, G string fret 4, B string fret 4, E string fret 213331BF♯BD♯F♯B
The E shape (F, Fm) has its root on the low E string; the A shape (Bm, B) on the A string. The bar is the index finger.

The A shape: root on the 5th string

The second shape comes from Am. Lay the index across the five strings from the A string at the 2nd fret and make the Am shape two frets higher with the other fingers: that is B minor, Bm, the other barre chord every song seems to need. The root is now on the A string, so the low E is not played. At the 3rd fret it is Cm, at the 5th Dm.

The major A shape is harder at first: the index bars from the A string and the ring finger lies across the D, G and B strings two frets higher, while the high E keeps sounding from the barre. At the 2nd fret it is B, at the 3rd C, at the 5th D. Many players mute the high E to make it easier.

Finding the right fret

To play any chord, find its root on the right string. Learn the natural notes of the low E and A strings, the ones without sharps or flats. Between two letters there is one fret, except between E and F and between B and C, which are next to each other, as you saw in the tuning lesson.

The first twelve frets of the neck with the natural notes of the two lowest strings: on the low E string, F at fret 1, G at 3, A at 5, B at 7, C at 8, D at 10 and E at 12; on the A string, B at fret 2, C at 3, D at 5, E at 7, F at 8, G at 10 and A at 12.EADGBE123456789101112FGABCDEBCDEFGA
Natural notes of the low E string (pink, roots of E-shape chords) and the A string (cyan, roots of A-shape chords). A sharp is one fret higher, a flat one fret lower.

So C major can be played with the E shape at the 8th fret, or with the A shape at the 3rd fret: same chord, two places on the neck. Sharps and flats follow: F♯ is one fret above F, B♭ one fret below B. The chord chart shows both barre shapes for every chord.

Making a barre chord ring

  • Keep the index straight and roll it slightly onto its bony side, towards the headstock: the side is harder than the soft middle of the finger.
  • Stay close to the fret, just behind it, as with single notes. Most of the pressure is needed less than you think.
  • Thumb low behind the neck, roughly behind the middle finger. Do not clamp: let the weight of the arm pull the fingers back towards you.
  • Check each string, one at a time. A dead string usually falls in a crease of the index: move the finger up or down a few millimetres.

Barre chords take most beginners weeks, not days, and that is normal. Build up with the small F: index across only the B and high E strings at the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret of G, ring on the 3rd fret of D, and strum the four thinnest strings. Play short sessions and stop if the hand hurts: strength comes with time, not with force.

Practise: five barre chords

In the exercise, the buttons above the neck are five barre chords: F, G and A with the E shape, Bm and Cm with the A shape. Watch the barre on the neck move from fret to fret while the shape stays the same. On your guitar, start with Bm and F, place them, check every string, and change between them and an open chord you know, for example Bm to G, or F to C.

Exercise

Play five barre chords

F, G and A with the E shape, then Bm and Cm with the A shape. The buttons above the neck show each shape and its fret; click the chord the page names, or pick it with keys 1 to 5 and strum with Space.

Practise it: F chord → B minor chord →

Questions

Frequently asked

Why are barre chords so hard?

One finger has to hold down several strings at once, which needs strength, the right angle and a guitar with a comfortable action. Most beginners need a few weeks of short daily practice. Roll the index onto its side, stay close to the fret and use the weight of the arm instead of squeezing.

How do I play an F barre chord?

Lay the index across all six strings at the 1st fret, then put the middle finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, the ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string and the little finger on the 3rd fret of the D string. It is the open E shape moved up one fret.

What is the difference between the E shape and the A shape?

The E shape has its root, the note that names the chord, on the low E string, and uses all six strings. The A shape has its root on the A string and leaves the low E out. Together they give every major and minor chord.

Is there an easy version of the F chord?

Yes. Play only the four thinnest strings: index across the B and high E strings at the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret of G, ring finger on the 3rd fret of D. It is a good step towards the full barre.

How long does it take to learn barre chords?

Often a few weeks to a couple of months of regular practice before they ring cleanly and change in time. A guitar with light strings and a low action makes a big difference.

Learn guitar course

All the lessons

  1. A risograph poster of a whole acoustic guitar with its six strings in six colors, map pins pointing at the headstock, neck, sound hole and bridge Guitar parts and string names Headstock, neck, frets and body, the six strings E A D G B E, and how to sit with the guitar. 8 min
  2. A risograph poster of a yellow guitar tuning peg turning on its gear, its string sending out pink sound waves, beside a clip-on tuner with the needle in the center How to tune a guitar Standard tuning, a tuner in the browser, the fifth-fret method by ear, and why strings drift. 9 min
  3. A risograph poster of a guitar chord diagram with six strings, finger dots and open-string circles, beside a six-line tab with yellow dots Reading chord diagrams and tabs Chord boxes and tablature, the two pictures every guitar book uses, and your first melody in tab. 10 min
  4. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard near the nut where pink, cyan and yellow fingertip dots press three strings for an open chord Your first guitar chords Em, Am, C, G, D and E: the six open chords behind thousands of songs, and how to make them ring. 10 min
  5. A risograph poster of a pink pick sweeping across the strings over a guitar sound hole under a row of down and up strumming arrows Strumming patterns Down on the beat, up on the "and": four strumming patterns from the simplest to the classic. 10 min
  6. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard where curved yellow arrows carry a pink chord shape over to a cyan one Changing chords smoothly Anchor fingers, moving all fingers together and the one-minute change drill. 10 min
  7. A risograph poster of a bar of yellow light pressed across all six strings of a guitar fretboard, pink and cyan finger dots beyond it Barre chords One finger across all six strings: F, Bm and the two shapes that give you every chord. 12 min
  8. A risograph poster of an acoustic guitar resting against a log by a campfire, an open songbook at its feet and notes rising with the sparks Your first song on guitar Amazing Grace in G: four chords, a waltz strum and the whole song from start to finish. 12 min
  9. A risograph poster of a pink electric guitar plugged into an amplifier that blasts yellow lightning bolts and rings of sound Power chords Two fingers, one movable shape: the rock chord on the low E and A strings, and a first riff. 10 min
  10. A risograph poster of an acoustic guitar with six colored strings, four glowing fingertips plucking them over the sound hole and ripples of notes Fingerpicking for beginners Thumb on the bass, fingers on G, B and E: three patterns from an arpeggio to Travis picking. 12 min
  11. A risograph poster of a guitar fretboard under a stage spotlight, a box of pink and cyan scale dots and notes streaming out of it Your first guitar solo The minor pentatonic at fret 5, bends and slurs, a first lick and how to improvise over a chord. 12 min
Ready when you are

Every barre shape, for every chord

The guitar chord chart shows the E-shape and A-shape barre for all 120 chords, playable on a real sampled guitar. Free, like the online guitar. GOONS Studio adds a piano, drums and a sequencer.

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