# Learn Guitar — Barre chords

> Interactive page: [`barre.html`](barre.html)

Required in v1 — not on day one. A barre is the index finger standing in for a capo: one finger, many strings. Beginners preview F and Bm. Intermediate and advanced players move both shapes around the neck and change them on the click.

Keep the thumb behind the neck, not over the top. Roll the index slightly onto its bony edge. Buzz is normal for weeks.

**Sources:** Hal Leonard Book 1 (F as first barre) · Berklee movable E- and A-shapes.

## E-shape — F major

Take open **E**, slide it up one fret, and barre fret 1. That is **F**. The same shape at fret 3 is G; at fret 5, A.

Shape (low E → high e): **1 3 3 2 1 1**

## A-shape — B minor

Take open **Am**, slide it up two frets, barre fret 2 from the A string. That is **Bm** — the missing chord in many G-major songs.

Shape: **x 2 4 4 3 2**

## Movable map

The index is the capo. Slide the whole shape; the letter follows the root on the low E (E-shape) or the A string (A-shape).

| Barre at fret | E-shape major | E-shape minor | A-shape major | A-shape minor |
|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
| 1 | F | Fm | B♭ | B♭m |
| 2 | F♯ / G♭ | F♯m | B | Bm |
| 3 | G | Gm | C | Cm |
| 5 | A | Am | D | Dm |
| 7 | B | Bm | E | Em |

Beginners only need to own F and Bm. Intermediate players add the matching minor and major of each shape. Advanced players use the map as I–IV–V in any key — not as a CAGED course.


## How to practise it

- **Index first.** Barre fret 1 with no other fingers. Fix buzz before you add the E-shape.
- **Then the other three.** Add middle, ring, pinky on F. Compare to open E — same grip, one fret higher.
- **Short bursts.** Four clean strums, shake the hand out. Hal Leonard treats F as a week, not an afternoon.
- **Common misses.** Thumb creeping over the top; index flat on the pad instead of the bony edge; barre sitting on the fretwire instead of just behind it.

## E-shape family — four chords, one barre

Barre fret 3; root on low E, so this is the **G** family. Low E → high e:

- **G** 3 5 5 4 3 3 · **Gm** 3 5 5 3 3 3 · **G7** 3 5 3 4 3 3 · **Gm7** 3 5 3 3 3 3

Major to minor lifts the middle finger off the G string. Major to 7 lifts the pinky off the D string. Lift both for m7.

## A-shape family — root on the A string

Barre fret 3 from the A string: the **C** family. Mute low E with the index tip.

- **C** x 3 5 5 5 3 · **Cm** x 3 5 5 4 3 · **C7** x 3 5 3 5 3 · **Cm7** x 3 5 3 4 3

In the major shape many players flatten the ring finger across D, G and B.

## Partial barres — the step before the full one

Hal Leonard teaches the small F before the full one.

- **F (small)** x x 3 2 1 1 · **Bm (top four)** x x 4 4 3 2 · **B♭ (ring barre)** x 1 3 3 3 x

## String-by-string check

Hold the A barre at fret 5 (5 7 7 6 5 5) and pick one string at a time. A dead B or G means the index is too flat; a buzzing high e means the index sits too far from the fret; a dead string beside a finger means that finger is leaning. Practise downhill: fret 5, then 3, then 1.

## I–IV–V with barres

- In G: **G** at 3 (E-shape) · **C** at 3 (A-shape) · **D** at 5 (A-shape) · G
- In A minor: **Am** at 5 (E-shape) · **Dm** at 5 (A-shape) · **Em** at 7 (A-shape) · Am

Change on beat 1, two strums per chord. Keep the index touching the strings while you move.

## Ready when

- Small F, then full F, rings clean on a string-by-string check.
- All four E-shape and all four A-shape chords at one fret change on the click at 70 bpm.
- G–C–D–G and Am–Dm–Em–Am with barres, no gap at the change.
- You can name the barre fret for any major or minor chord in both shapes.

**Sources:** Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1–2 (small F before full F; barre 7th forms) · Berklee movable E- and A-form spelling.