Barre chord 1

Barre chord
Barre chords (also known as bar chords, but more commonly
spelled as "barre") are a type of guitar chord, where one or more
fingers are used to press down multiple strings across the guitar
fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the strings). Barring the
strings enables the guitarist to play a chord not restricted by the
tones of the guitar's open strings. Barre chords are often referred to
as "moveable" chords, as they can be moved up and down the neck
as needed. They are commonly used in most popular and classical
music and are frequently used in combination with "open" or
standard guitar chords. They are typically used for more complex
A barre chord ("E Major shape"), with the index finger
chord voicings and playing in keys not suitable for the more basic used to bar the strings
open chords of the first position of a standard-tuned guitar.

Fretting a barre chord is the same as retuning the guitar a number of half-steps higher, playing the original open
chord, and then tuning the guitar back down. Its primary purpose is to shift any of the open string chords a number of
half steps up the neck of the guitar, similar to the use of a capo. For example, playing the E major chord with a bar
across the fifth fret is equivalent to playing an A major chord, five half steps higher than E.
Tone is affected by a barre chord. Because the strings are no longer open, they do not resonate as brightly or long as
an open chord. The sound is muted by the pressure placed on the bar; heavy pressure in the center of the frets
produces less muting. Therefore, when playing barre chords, it is important to practice maintaining adequate
pressure, as the technique is tiring for beginners and the strings dig into the flesh of the uncalloused finger.

Technique and application

Note: chords are listed in order from the bottom string to the top
(EADGBe).
The two most commonly barred notes are variations of A and E.
These barre chords are most common in rock, blues and country
music. The E barre chord is made of an E chord shape (022100)
moved up and down the frets and being barred, changing the note.
For example, the E chord barred one fret up becomes an F chord
(133211). The next fret up is F♯, followed by G, A♭, A, B♭, B, C,
C♯, D, E♭, and then back to E (1 octave up) at fret twelve.
The index finger is used to locate the root note in the
chord shape

E A
E-------------0---------------5---
B-------------0---------------5---
G-------------1---------------6---
D-------------2---------------7---
A-------------2---------------7---
E-------------0---------------5---
Barre chord 2

Guitar tablature of an open E chord and an E-shape A barre chord.

The A barre chord, commonly called the "double barre", is made by sliding the A chord shape (X02220) up and
down the frets. When the A chord is barred, the index finger lies across the bottom five strings, touching the 6th
string (E) to deaden it. Either the ring or little finger is then barred across the 2nd (B), 3rd (G), and 4th (D) strings
two frets down, or one finger frets each string. For instance, if barred at the second fret, the A chord becomes B
(X24442). From fret one to twelve, the barred A becomes B♭, B, C, C♯, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, and at the twelfth fret
(that is, one octave up), it is A again.

A D
E-------------0---------------5---
B-------------2---------------7---
G-------------2---------------7---
D-------------2---------------7---
A-------------0---------------5---
E---------------------------------
Guitar tablature of an open A chord and an A-shape D barre chord.

Often the highest note in a double barre chord is left out.

All variations of these two chords can be barred: dominant 7ths, minors, minor 7ths, etc. Any major chord on the
guitar can be played with A and E barre chords.
Minor barre chords are made the same as other chords, by flattening the third (in E and A shaped barre chords, this
happens to be the highest 'non-barred' note). Example:

F Fm C Cm
E--------1--------1--------3-------3-------
B--------1--------1--------5-------4-------
G--------2--------1--------5-------5-------
D--------3--------3--------5-------5-------
A--------3--------3--------3-------3-------
E--------1--------1------------------------

In addition to the two most common shapes above, barre/moveable chords can also be built around C, D and G
shapes, similarly drawn from their open position equivalents. However, these shapes are not used as commonly as E
and A. Example:

D A Em
E--------2--------5--------3-------
B--------3--------2--------5-------
G--------2--------2--------4-------
D--------4--------2--------2-------
A--------5--------4----------------
E-----------------5----------------

The above shows D major in C shape form, A major in G shape form and E minor in D shape form. The D shape, for
example, can be seen as a higher voiced alternative to the standard open E minor form. Similarly, in the example
above, the C shape offers an alternative voicing to an open D major or A shaped D major.
Variations of the basic major and minor triad chords can also be formed using these 5 main shapes as their
foundation. For example, the open Cadd9 shape can be used in its C shape barre form up the guitar neck as desired.
Barre chord 3

Notation
The barre is often signed on tablature as "C" with the fret number as Roman numeral, such as

CVII CVIII CXII CII

E--------7--------8--------13-------2-------
B--------9--------8--------15-------4-------
G--------9--------8--------14-------2-------
D--------9--------10-------12-------4-------
A--------7--------10-------12-------2-------
E--------7--------8--------12-------2-------
E Cm Dm B7

In some notation styles (particularly classical staff notation), the "C" is

usually omitted, with the number of courses to be barred (from the
highest-tuned downwards) written as an index (superscript). For
example: on a guitar, VII4 indicates a barre on the 7th fret over the
highest four strings (D, G, B, and E). There is no rule for whether full
barre chords are written with indices (e.g. "6" for a standard guitar) or
without; it is a matter of personal taste for the editor.[1] It is customary Barre chord notation in classical music uses
to place the barre sign above the staff, with a spanning line to mark roman numerals with indices (see left)
duration.[2]

See also
• Capo
• Slide guitar
• Guitar chord
• Fret

External links
• “Guitar bar chord charts” [3]
• “Comprehensive guide to guitar barre/movable chords” [4]

References
[1] Del Mar, Norman (1981). Anatomy of the Orchestra. Berkley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 482–484 (1987 paperback
edition). ISBN 0-520-05062-2.
[2] Yates, Stanley (1998). "Arranging, Interpreting and Performing the Music of J. S. Bach". Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites Arranged for
Guitar. Pacific, MO: Mel Bay.
[3] http:/ / www. guitarchordsmagic. com/ guitar-chord-charts/ guitar-chord-chart-bar. html
[4] http:/ / www. fretjam. com/ guitar-barre-chords. html
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