To play a barre chord, lay your index finger flat across all six strings at one fret, close to the fret wire, and use your other fingers to form the chord shape behind it. An E-shape barre at the 1st fret is F major, and an A-shape barre at the 3rd fret is C major.
How do you play barre chords?
A barre chord is a chord in which the index finger lies flat across the fretboard, pressing down several strings at once, acting as a movable nut, just like a capo. The other fingers form the chord shape behind the bar, and the whole shape can be moved up and down the neck, so one shape makes many chords: an E-shape barre at the 1st fret is F major, at the 3rd fret is G major, and at the 5th fret is A major. The barre is the skill that unlocks the whole neck, because it lets you play any major or minor chord, in any key, with two shapes. The two shapes are the E shape and the A shape, named after the open chords they are built on. The E-shape barre has its root on the 6th string, the low E string, so the fret of the bar tells you the root: a bar at the 1st fret is F, at the 3rd fret is G, and at the 5th fret is A. The A-shape barre has its root on the 5th string, the A string, so the fret of the bar tells you the root there too: a bar at the 3rd fret is C, at the 5th fret is D, and at the 7th fret is E. The E major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the open shapes the barres are built on.
How a barre chord works
A barre chord works because the index finger replaces the nut, shortening all six strings at once, and the other fingers add the notes of the chord. In an E-shape major barre, the index finger bars all six strings at the root fret, the ring finger presses the 5th string two frets higher, the pinky presses the 4th string two frets higher, and the middle finger presses the 3rd string one fret higher. The 2nd and 1st strings are barred by the index finger, and the notes they sound are the root and the 5th of the chord. In an E-shape minor barre, the middle finger is not used, and the 3rd string is barred by the index finger, which sounds the minor 3rd. The pressure must come from the arm, not from squeezing the hand. Pull the guitar neck gently towards your body with your fretting arm, and let the weight of your arm press the strings down, instead of gripping the neck as hard as you can. The index finger should be close to the fret wire, on the side of the fret nearest the body, and it should be slightly rolled onto its bony edge, not flat on its soft pad, so the strings are pressed down firmly. The thumb sits behind the neck, opposite the index finger, giving support, not squeezing. The F major guitar chord is the first barre chord most players learn, and the F# major guitar chord is the same shape one fret higher.
Worked example — playing F major as a barre chord. F major is the E-shape barre at the 1st fret: the index finger bars all six strings at the 1st fret, the ring finger presses the 5th string at the 3rd fret, the pinky presses the 4th string at the 3rd fret, and the middle finger presses the 3rd string at the 2nd fret. The notes are F, C, F, A, C, F, from the low E string to the high E string, which are the root, the 5th, the root, the major 3rd, the 5th and the root of F major. Check the maths: the bar at the 1st fret makes the 6th string sound as F, because E plus one semitone is F, and the other fingers add the notes of the F major triad, F, A and C. The key of F major lists the chords that F major belongs with.
How to practise barre chords
Practise barre chords in short, frequent sessions, because the strength and the accuracy build slowly, and a few minutes a day is better than one long session a week.
- Practise the bar alone: lay your index finger across all six strings at the 5th fret, press down, and play each string one at a time, listening for a clean note on every string.
- Play an E-shape major barre at the 1st fret, F major, and hold it for ten seconds, then release, shake your hand, and repeat, building the strength slowly.
- Practise changing from an open E major chord to an E-shape barre at the 1st fret, F major, and back, slowly, until the change is smooth.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with a barre chord for F major, and listen for the chord ringing cleanly.
- Use the chord finder to find the notes of any barre chord, and check that every string is sounding the right note.
Common mistakes
- Squeezing the neck as hard as you can — Squeezing causes pain and fatigue, and it pulls the strings sharp. Use the weight of your arm to press the strings down, and let the thumb support the neck, not squeeze it.
- Putting the index finger in the middle of the fret — A finger in the middle of the fret will buzz, because the strings are not pressed firmly against the fret wire. Put the index finger close to the fret wire, on the side nearest the body.
- Trying to play every barre chord at full speed — Barre chords need strength and accuracy, and they build slowly. Practise slowly, with short sessions, and the speed will come, but forcing it will cause pain and bad habits.
Quick reference
This table shows the chords that the two barre shapes make at each fret, so you can see how one shape moves up the neck and makes many chords. The E shape has its root on the 6th string, and the A shape has its root on the 5th string, and the fret of the bar tells you the root in both cases.
| E-shape barre fret | Chord | A-shape barre fret | Chord |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st fret | F major | 1st fret | A# major |
| 3rd fret | G major | 3rd fret | C major |
| 5th fret | A major | 5th fret | D major |
| 7th fret | B major | 7th fret | E major |
| 8th fret | C major | 8th fret | F major |
| 10th fret | D major | 10th fret | G major |
Use the table to find any barre chord: find the root on the 6th string for the E shape, or on the 5th string for the A shape, and put the bar on that fret. When you can find any major chord with either shape without looking, you can play in any key, anywhere on the neck.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play barre chords?
Lay your index finger flat across all six strings at one fret, close to the fret wire, and use your other fingers to form the chord shape behind it. An E-shape barre at the 1st fret is F major, and an A-shape barre at the 3rd fret is C major.
What is the easiest barre chord to learn?
F major, the E-shape barre at the 1st fret, because it is the first barre chord most players meet, and it is the chord that unlocks the E shape. B minor, the A-shape barre at the 2nd fret, is the easiest A-shape barre.
Why do my barre chords buzz?
Because the index finger is not close enough to the fret wire, or because it is not pressing the strings down evenly, or because the finger is flat on its soft pad instead of rolled onto its bony edge. Move the finger close to the fret and roll it slightly.
Do barre chords hurt?
They can ache at first, because the hand is building strength, but they should not cause sharp pain. Practise in short sessions, use the weight of your arm, and stop if you feel sharp pain, because that is a sign of strain.
How long does it take to learn barre chords?
A few weeks to play a basic F major cleanly, and two to three months to change between barre chords smoothly. The strength builds slowly, and a few minutes a day is better than one long session a week.