Barre Chords
Open chords only take you so far. Barre chords use one finger to press several strings at once, creating moveable shapes you can slide up and down the neck. Learn two shapes—the E shape and the A shape—and you can play almost any major or minor chord in any key.
Your First Barre: F Major
Most players meet F major first. It is an E-shape barre moved up one fret: your index finger bars the 1st fret while your other fingers form an E major shape above it.
X:1
T:F-Major Barre (E-Shape)
K:F
L:1/4
%%shape E
"F"[F,A,C]4 ||
Compare that to open E major—you are playing the same shape, just with the barre at fret 1:
X:2
T:Open E Major (Reference Shape)
K:E
L:1/4
%%shape E
"E"[E,G,B]4 ||
Play both examples in Music Buddy. Turn on Tab to see where the barre and fingers land, and Chords to compare the diagrams.
(JustinGuitar)—thumb position, wrist angle, and common fixes.
The E-Shape Barre
The E shape is rooted on the 6th string (low E). Slide it to the 3rd fret and you have G major:
X:3
T:G-Major Barre (E-Shape)
K:G
L:1/4
%%shape E
"G"[G,B,D]4 ||
Slide to the 5th fret for A major, 8th fret for C major, and so on. The note under your barre on the low E string names the chord.
Minor chords use the same barre with an Em shape instead of E:
X:4
T:A-Minor Barre (E-Shape)
K:Am
L:1/4
%%shape E
"Am"[A,C,E]4 ||
The A-Shape Barre
The A shape is rooted on the 5th string. Barre with your index finger and form an A major shape above it. At the 3rd fret you get C major:
X:5
T:C-Major Barre (A-Shape)
K:C
L:1/4
%%shape A
"C"[C,E,G]4 ||
Open A major for reference:
X:6
T:Open A Major (Reference Shape)
K:A
L:1/4
%%shape A
"A"[A,C,E]4 ||
A-shape minors use the Am form—same barre, minor third in the shape:
X:7
T:D-Minor Barre (A-Shape)
K:Dm
L:1/4
%%shape A
"Dm"[D,F,A]4 ||
A Simple Progression
Four bars using barre shapes—play slowly and focus on clean, ringing notes:
X:8
T:Barre Chord Progression
K:C
M:4/4
L:1/2
%%guitar barre
"C"[C,E,G]2 "Am"[A,C,E]2 | "F"[F,A,C]2 "G"[G,B,D]2 ||
If a string buzzes, adjust your barre pressure and check that your thumb sits behind the neck for leverage—not wrapped over the top.
Practice tip: Practice the barre alone first—press, strum, release, repeat—before adding the rest of the chord fingers. Build the barre habit separately, then assemble the full shape.
Further viewing
- (Andy Guitar)—practical troubleshooting for cleaner pressure and less hand strain
- —mini-F shapes that bridge open chords to the full barre
Next up: power chords—the two-note shapes that drive rock and punk rhythm.
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