Bar chords (also spelled “barre chords”) are the key to playing guitar anywhere on the neck. Once you learn a handful of moveable shapes, you can play any chord in any key – just by sliding up or down the fretboard.
This guide covers everything from your first bar chord to advanced voicings and techniques. Whether you’re struggling to get a clean sound or ready to expand your chord vocabulary, you’ll find what you need here.
The Only 4 Bar Chord Shapes You Need
Here’s the truth: most bar chords come down to just four shapes – E major, E minor, A major, and A minor moved up the neck. Master these and you can play almost any song in any key.
E-Shape Bar Chords (Root on 6th String)
These come from your open E major and E minor shapes. Bar across all strings with your first finger, and the shape becomes moveable:
Move these shapes up the neck and the chord changes: F at fret 1, G at fret 3, A at fret 5, and so on. The root note is always under your first finger on the 6th string.
A-Shape Bar Chords (Root on 5th String)
These come from your open A major and A minor shapes. The root note sits on the 5th string:
The E shapes (root on 6th string) and A shapes (root on 5th string) combine to give you complete fretboard coverage. Once you know where the root notes are, you can find any chord anywhere.
Getting Started with Bar Chords
Most guitarists hit a wall when they first encounter bar chords. The F chord is usually the culprit – that first-position barre shape stops more players than anything else.
The good news: bar chords aren’t about finger strength. They’re about technique, positioning, and knowing a few tricks that make everything easier.
The key is finger placement. Your barring finger should be slightly rolled onto its side (toward the nut), using the bonier edge rather than the soft pad. Keep your thumb behind the neck – not wrapped over – and position it roughly opposite your first finger.
Start here: Easy F Chord Guitar: Your First Bar Chord – The step-by-step approach to nailing that first barre shape.
Struggling to make them sound clean? Why Can’t I Play a Bar Chord? breaks down the common problems and fixes.
Essential Bar Chord Shapes
The Bm and B chords trip up almost every guitarist. These A-shape bar chords are your gateway to understanding how bar chords work across the entire neck.
Tricks for Playing the Bm Guitar Chord – Master this shape and you’ve got every minor chord on the neck.
The B Chord on Guitar: 3 Ways to Play It – Three different approaches to this challenging chord, from a kink-bar shortcut to the full E-shape barre.
Beyond the Basics
Once you’ve got the fundamental shapes down, there’s a whole world of bar chord techniques to explore – from thumb-wrapped voicings to moving shapes for chord progressions.
Thumb Wrapping Bar Chords: The Hendrix Approach – How Jimi Hendrix and John Mayer use their thumb to grab bass notes and free up fingers for embellishments.
How To Move a Bar Chord on Guitar – Use your knowledge of notes on the 6th string to play any chord anywhere on the neck.
Bar Chord Voicings: Break Down Your Chords – Learn to extract smaller triads and partial shapes from full bar chord forms for more variety.
What’s Next?
Bar chords connect naturally with other chord techniques:
- Power Chords – Simplified two-note shapes derived from bar chord forms
- Open Chord Techniques – Add movement and bass lines to your open position chords
- Beginner Chords – Make sure your fundamentals are solid before tackling bar chords
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