Learn to Play Guitar : Barre Chords for Acoustic and Electric Guitar with Bar Chart

In my last article, Learning Guitar: Beginner’s Chords I discussed open chords, also referred to as beginner’s chords. In this article we will take a look at barre chords, also called moveable chords because the same form can be moved up and down the neck. At first barre chords can seem like real hard work, or plain impossible to fret but they are well worth learning if you really want to rock because they give you access to the full range of the neck. Patience and persistence is the key.

The CAGED Approach to Leaning Barre Chords

As a result of the guitar’s unique tuning there are five basic chord forms: C-A-G-E-D. From the open position these forms can be systematically moved up the neck by using the first finger of the fretting hand to form a barre. This approach connects one form to another, essentially providing a map for finding your way around the fretboard and letting you play these chords in five different places on the neck. It will become clearer when you look at the diagram below showing how the forms are connected. At the 12^th fret the sequence starts again. I have come across this approach to unlocking the fretboard on a number of sites and in a few books but in my opinion the most valuable resource has been Fretboard Logic by Bill Edwards. His book is listed below in the Amazon ads and I highly recommend it.

As you probably know by now, the tuning of a guitar is (from the bass E string) E, A, D, G, B, E. To name barre chords you should become familiar with the notes of the E (6^th sting) and A string (5^th string) as you move up the neck. Count from the first fret from the open position and remember that there are no sharps or flats between B and C and E and F. To begin with, practice by starting with the A and E forms (the easiest to play) and moving them up the neck and naming the chord and form as you go. For example: A form, 3^rd position, C chord. The chart below shows the root note for the E form and A form barre chords.

A lot of players get stuck with the E and A forms, being the easiest to play. Practicing with the CAGED method should help to get out of this habit. It’s worth the time and effort, because the same chord played in different positions sounds a little different and may be more conveniently placed from one chord to the next in the progression. Because of the higher string tension at the top of the neck, the chords forms on the first few frets are harder to play – I remember trying to fret a F barre chord cleanly for days when I started play many moons ago. The G, D, and C forms are a bit tricky, especially if you have small hands so I have included a chart with partial forms that are easier to play.

Minor and Dominant 7^th Barre Chords

Minor chords based on the E form (6^th string root) and A form (5^th string root) follow naturally from having learned the CAGED sequence and I have attached a chart showing how a major becomes a minor for the E and A forms.

Dominant 7^th barre chords with 6^th string and 5^th string roots follow in the same way and again there is a chart attached showing how to play these chords.

You can see how barre chords are built from the open position and moved up fret by fret. Don’t expect playing barre chords cleanly to be easy at first – it won’t. Try to roll the first finger that forms the barre a little, rather than it lying flat across the fretboard and apply just enough pressure to get a clean sound. If you push too hard you will just be wasting energy. It is more about repetition and your fingers learning to fine tune their position. Keep practicing until you can move between different barre chords smoothly and your fingers instinctively form the correct positions. Keep your nails short, your strings clean and practice with a metronome or drum machine starting with slow tempos, graduating to faster beats by 5 BPM.

Playing Arpeggiated Chords

When the notes of a chord are played one at a time rather than strummed together, they are called arpeggios. Try improvising arpeggiated patterns over different chord progressions. Arpeggios add interest to musical phrases. Songs like ‘Weird Fishes/ Arpeggi’ by Radiohead and Babe I’m Gonna Leave You by Led Zeppelin are good examples of songs using arpeggios beautifully.

To form arpeggio patterns, a good exercise is to look at each chord that is strummed by the rhythm guitar and match it with the scale that fits the chord using the CAGED approach to chord and scale forms. Be mindful of the root note of each pattern while playing – this can be regarded as a target note or home base note.

In this article, the most commonly used barre chords have been presented and in no way represent the totality of the different variations that exist. Many popular songs are built on these forms alone and are an excellent starting point. Good luck, have fun and practice every day!To learn easy scales, start playing licks and improvising solos read Learning Guitar: Pentatonic Scales and Lead Patterns. Don’t be shy to start now – it is not as hard as you might think!

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