Music Lesson: Understanding Barre Chord Shapes

Hey, guys!

Today's lesson is going to be all about barre chord shapes.

Introduction to Barre Chords

So far, the chords we've looked at have been known as open chords, which are a combination of fretted notes and open strings.

Barre chords are chord shapes that rely on no open strings whatsoever and only fretted notes.

• Important: This involves barring a finger across one or more strings.

We're going to look at the four most common barre chord shapes:

• Two major shapes
• Two minor shapes

The great thing about barre chords is that once you learn these four shapes, you can play any major and minor chord all over the guitar.

• Unlike open chords, where we had a specific shape for D minor, a different shape for A minor, and yet another for E minor, with barre chords, we simply change the position of where we're playing the chord while keeping the shape the same.

Note: They can be a little tricky to master initially, so we will look at the technique behind playing them.

A Major Barre Chord

Let's start with A major as a barre chord.

1. Barring the Strings

   • We're going to take our first finger and bar all six strings.
   • It's essential to ensure your first finger has enough strength for all strings to ring out.

2. Common Pitfalls

   • Avoid piling on pressure with the second finger; this can hinder access to other fingers.
   • Do not overshoot the bar; your finger should be parallel to the frets.

3. Finger Placement for A Major

   • For the A major chord:
     • 2nd finger: 6th fret of the G string
     • 3rd finger: 7th fret of the A string
     • 4th finger: 7th fret of the D string

Visualizing the Move:

• When you play an open E major chord with the second, third, and fourth fingers, you can move that shape up to create A major.

1. Moving the A Major Shape
   • This shape is completely movable:
     • Move it up two frets for G major
     • Move down two frets for F major
     • Move it up for B major

A Minor Barre Chord

Now, let's look at how to turn A major into A minor.

• Simply remove the second finger.
• Ensure your first finger still covers the E string and the top three strings (G, B, E).

Root Note Reminder

• The root note for all these chords is on the low E string.
• E.g., to play C major, find C on the low E string (8th fret) and apply the chord shape accordingly.

D Minor and D Major Barre Chords

Next, we will explore barre chords where the root note is on the A string.

D Minor Chord Shape

• Bar from the A string downwards (no need to bar the E string).
  • Use the tip of your finger to mute the E string.

Finger Placement for D Minor

• 2nd finger: 6th fret of the B string
• 3rd finger: 7th fret of the D string
• 4th finger: 7th fret of the G string

Equivalent D Major Barre Chord

• To create D major, use a similar barring technique.
• Consider barring with your little finger across the D, G, and B strings on the 7th fret.

Practice Exercise: Pachelbel's Canon

As a practice exercise, we can use Pachelbel's Canon.

Sequence of Chords:

1. Start with D major.
2. Move to A major.
3. Change to B minor (A minor shape, moved up).
4. Move down to F# minor.
5. Transition back to G major.
6. Return to D major.
7. Back to G major.
8. End with A major.

Slow Playthrough

Let me play that for you real slowly to practice moving between all four barre chord shapes.

Conclusion

I hope this lesson was useful for you, and I look forward to seeing you in the next lesson!