Guitar Bar Chords... There's more than one way to "spell" a chord
Frustrated with guitar bar chords? These clear instructions include a free online video guitar lesson that will heal any frustration you feel.
Electric Guitar
Acoustic Guitar
Before we go further, I'd like to point out that "barre" is the correct spelling. Just in case you're looking it up elsewhere. Now you know that its one of those words that gets spelled 2 different ways. I actually have a different lesson on "barre chords" under the "Articles" section. You may like to read it sometime. It doesn't include a guitar lesson video though.
If you want the quick start guide to making bar chords easier, go to the video now. If you aren't sure, or want to know more about these chords, read on!
Why even bother with guitar bar chords?
I'm glad you asked :-) Here are a couple of very good reasons...
Chords with roots such as "F" or "B" can only be played as some type of barre chord.
You'll have more options when playing songs or jamming with others.
You'll begin to see more patterns on the fretboard.
Electric or Acoustic?
This brings us to another important point. If you play electric guitar, you have no option. You really do need to get the basic barre chord forms under your fingers. Not only for the reasons listed above, but because learning them will truly begin to open the guitar up for you :-)
If you play acoustic steel string it can a little trickier. And it depends upon your goals. This is because guitar bar chords can be physically demanding to play on a steel string guitar. Also, open strings sound so much better on an acoustic!
What some players do to offset this is to use mainly open position chord shapes. If they want to play in a different key, they simply use a capo. A capo is the device that you clamp onto the neck of a guitar. This way, a guitarist can still have the effect of open strings ringing through.
Or some players will play in "open tunings". This means they tune the strings of their guitar to different pitches than the standard tuning. It also means they will need to use different fingerings for various chords. If you're fairly serious about your guitar playing and you're drawn to this type of playing, go for it. Otherwise, I strongly suggest sticking with standard tuning.
The best way for most players to improve their playing on acoustic guitar is to learn the basics really well. And that definitely includes guitar bar chords. Fingerpicking is also a good skill to learn. It can really take your playing in new directions. As always, stay focused. If you jump around too much with curiosity, you won't get anywhere. By all means experiment and do your research. Then, narrow you focus and practice! When you're ready to expand a little, you'll know. It's like building a house. Make sure you have a solid foundation in place. Then it won't matter what styles you want to learn.
Is it Major, Minor or Dom7?
Dom is short for dominant. The "C dominant 7th" chord would be named simply C7. Major will usually be written as "ma" or upper case "M". Minor will be "mi" or lower case "m". Sometimes they will be + or - .
The point is to memorize these basic musical terms. Major, minor and dom7. Three different qualities of chords. They serve different functions in music. When you play guitar, you need to know whether you are playing a Major, Minor or dom7 chord.
Yes, there are other types of chords... you'll hear or read about all kinds of "scary" sounding chords ;-) And I'm sure your head is already swimming with all the different names and terms. For now, get a solid handle on these 3 types. At the end of the day, all the other chords you hear about are simply major, minor or dom7. So... is it major, minor or dom7?
And you have to learn the note names... along your low "E" and "A" strings. That's how you'll know if you're playing a "C" chord of some type (major, minor or dom7) or a Bb chord, etc. Eventually, you may want to learn the names of the notes on all your strings. Click here for a great lesson that shows you everything you need to know to get started learning those frets.
side note: All the free online video guitar lessons begin production in January 2010. Please bookmark this page or subscribe to the blog using the various buttons above and to the left. Thanks for your patience :-)
Here Are the Chord Diagrams for this Lesson
If you learn the fundamental guitar bar chords above you'll be ahead of 90% of the people who take up guitar. Observe the following points…
Key Points
If you hover your mouse over the chord diagram you'll see which string the root of the chord is on.
If you're on an acoustic steel string and struggling with these, use the lightest gauge strings possible. Also consider having your guitar adjusted by a professional guitar repair man.
Try using a capo. This will make it easier to press down properly until you develop the correct muscle memory through consistent practice.
Are you following the above pointers and still struggling? Patience. Also maybe try some grip strengthening work. Like squeezing a tennis ball for example. Above all, be consistent with practicing these bar chords…but don't overdo it and injure yourself! A little each day adds up. Just like growing your hair.
More Key Points
Draw the chord charts yourself. You'll memorize them much faster. Click here for Guitar Lessons Resources and scroll down the page to Printable Guitar Fretboard Sheets. Highly recommended!
Say the names of the chords out loud when you practice them. Is it major, minor or dom7?
Watch the video again to see the positioning of the fretting hand. Keep checking your own hand positioning against the one in the video.
Remember to keep just a sliver of fingerboard between your finger and the fret wire.
Start using these guitar bar chords in some songs.
Be patient and persist...
Where Do You go From Here?
If you play electric guitar, it would definitely be useful to check out free guitar licks or rhythm guitar lessons . Both these lessons are excellent "partners" to this lesson on guitar bar chords.
If you're mainly on acoustic steel string, see the lesson on guitar chord lessons for some insights into "special" chords for acoustic guitarists.
As I mentioned earlier, there's another lesson on barre chords under "Articles". Click here to read more.
Thanks for joining me and allowing me to play a part in inspiring you to keep dusting off your guitar :-)
