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Barre Chords

Introduction to barre chords: 24 new chords with just 2 shapes! To make the best use of barre chords, it is very useful to learn the notes on the E string (and eventually the A string)! The barre chord shape is as a moveable chord type by moving this shape up and down the guitar neck it is possible to play 12 1st inversion Major barre chords. It is also possible to play 12 minor 1st inversion barre chords by removing just one finger (finger 2) from the Major barre chord.

The diagram below shows what number each string is labelled for the benefit of the chords in the pictures below (this is not guitar tab).

String 6 bass E---------------------------------------------------------------------thick string--
String 5 A--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
String 4 D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
String 3 G--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
String 2 B--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
String 1 top E----------------------------------------------------------------------thin string---

Please see the text below the images for a more detailed explanation.

F# Major First Inversion	(E Shape Chord)
		The F# Major Barre chord is built from the following 3 notes: F#, C# and A#. The root note is located at the 2nd fret of the bass E string (6th string) Finger 1 is in the 2nd fret barred across all 6 strings Finger 2 is in the 3rd fret on the G string Finger 3 is in the 4th fret on the A string Whilst finger 4 is in the 4 fret on the D string.
F# Minor First Inversion	(E Shape Chord)
		The F# minor Barre chord (F#m) is built from the following 3 notes: F#, C#, A. The root note is located at the 2nd fret of the bass E string (6th string). Finger 1 is in the 2nd fret barred across all 6 strings, Finger 3 is in the 4th fret on the A string, Finger 4 is in the 4 fret on the D string.
B Major Second Inversion	(A Shape Chord)
		The B Major Barre chord (B) is built from the following 3 notes: B, F#, and D#. The root note is located at the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string). Finger 1 is in the 2nd fret barred across 5 strings, Finger 2 is in the 4th fret on the D string, Finger 3 is in the 4th fret on the G string, Finger 4 is in the 3 fret on the B string.
B Minor Second Inversion	(A Shape Chord)
		The B minor Barre chord (Bm) is built from the following 3 notes: B, F#, D. The root note is located at the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string). Finger 1 is in the 2nd fret barred across 5 strings, Finger 2 is in the 3rd fret on the B string, Finger 3 is in the 4th fret on the D string, Finger 4 is in the 4th fret on the G string.

The table above shows the notes on both the E and A strings. The numbers above the letters indicate the fret number on the fret board and below the letters of the notes that are found at those particular frets. With all standard barre chords the index finger sits on top of the root note, eg if the index finger was at the 5th fret it would be building a 1st inversion A Major or a minor barre chord.

• 1st inversion barre chords are based of the E string (using the E shape chord)
• 2nd inversion barre chords are based of the A string (using the A shape chord)

How to build barre chords

E Shape

• Make the open E chord but without using your 1st finger,
• Slide the E chord up 1 fret then apply your 1st finger in a bar in the first fret,
• Strum all 6 strings you have now built the F Major barre chord.

  Repeat this and slide up one more fret you have now made the F# Major barre chord. The next one is G then G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, returning to E at the 12th fret.

• Make open E minor chord but without using your 1st finger,
• Slide the E minor chord up 1 fret then apply your 1st finger in a bar in the first fret,
• Strum all 6 strings you have now built the F minor barre chord.

  Repeat this and slide up one more fret you have now made the F# minor barre chord. The next one is G then G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D# returning to E at the 12th fret.

A Shape

The second barre chord: Major

• Next make the open A chord but without using your 1st finger,
• Slide the A chord up 1 fret then apply your 1st finger in a bar in the first fret,
• Strum all 5 strings you have now built the A# Major barre chord.

  Repeat this and slide up one more fret you have now made the B Major barre chord. The next one is C then C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# returning to A, at the 12th fret.

The second barre chord: minor

• Next make the open A chord but without using your 1st finger,
• Slide the A chord up 1 fret then apply your 1st finger in a bar in the first fret,
• Strum all 5 strings you have now built the A# Major barre chord.

  Repeat this and slide up one more fret you have now made the B Major barre chord. The next one is C then C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G# returning to A, at the 12th fret.

Tip *
The next step is to add the seventh notes in the scale to these Major and minor barre chords.