How to play bar chords

Getting to grips with bar chords is the gauntlet for all beginner guitarists. There’s no way around it – you just have to grit your teeth and persevere.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts or this one, but there are some ways to make the process a little less frustrating.

In this article, we’ll

• Explain the best way to learn bar chords
• Provide some bar chord diagrams
• Give you some songs to practice

What is a bar chord?

Bar chords, or ‘barre’ chords, are a fundamental technique in guitar playing. We use them for a variety of reasons – different tonal qualities, easier chord changes, different voicings, etc.

• Open chords utilize a combination of fretted and open strings.
• With bar chords we use our index finger to hold down multiple strings along one fret.
• It’s easiest to think of the index finger as a moveable nut
• This allows us to take open chord shapes and move them up the neck.

Why do we use bar chords?

The guitar is the perfect instrument for transposing – meaning we can take a single chord shape or scale pattern and move it anywhere on the neck to change its key.

For example, if you take an F major chord and move it up two frets it becomes a G major.

This basic principle is what makes bar chords so useful. When you realize that all the open chord shapes you know can be moved around, your options expand instantly!

Best bar-chord technique

Before we learn some chord shapes, let’s make sure we know how to play them as efficiently and comfortably as possible.

• Bar chords are one of the most physically-demanding techniques
• Using excessive force over a long period can lead to injury – so pay attention to how your hand feels.
• If at any point you start to feel pain, take a break and come back to it later.

Here are a few pointers from Pickup Music co-founder Sam Blakelock – he knows his stuff.

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Key points:

• Get your guitar set up by a pro – a good action makes a world of difference.
• Be energy efficient! Use just enough force to get each note ringing clearly.
• Be mindful of where you put your thumb on the back of the neck.
• Use the side of your index finger for the bar – not the fleshy part.

Best bar chords for beginner guitarists

Okay, it’s time to grab your guitar and try out some chords.

We’re assuming you already know your basic open chord shapes – C, A, G, E, D. If not, check out this article for a quick overview.

You may have noticed there are two musical letters missing in this group – F and B.

There are no full open chords for F and B, so to complete the set, we need to use bar chords!

These five shapes are actually all moveable – it’s the foundation of the magnificent CAGED system.

F major bar chord

Here’s our first bar chord. Before you start, use this finger stretching routine to warm up your hands and avoid injury.

• For the Fmaj chord, we just need to take our Emaj shape and slide it up one fret.
• You’ll need to change your fingering for the main shape as your index finger is used to create the bar.

The numbers indicate which fingers to use on each fret.

B major bar chord

The Bmaj bar chord is the same as our Amaj open chord – we just slide it up two frets.

You can get a lot of mileage from these two chords, and of course, any variations of these shapes will transfer to a bar chord too. For example, Em and Am, or even 7th chords!

How to build finger strength for bar chords

Before considering strength, first make sure you have covered hand warm-ups and proper technique – often these two factors are more important than finger/forearm strength alone.

• Like any new exercise it will be more difficult at first – practice makes perfect.
• Over time your muscles will strengthen and learn the perfect amount of pressure to apply for a clean-sounding bar chord.
• Remember that with most bar chords, your index finger is only responsible for holding down three strings.
• Make a point of only applying pressure where it’s needed.

If you don’t get much time to practice, there are grip-strengthening devices you can buy. Whenever you have a few minutes free you can take it out of your bag and do a mini hand workout.