The difference between Minor E Shape Barre Chords and Major E Shape Barre Chords is only one note. In fact, you lift a finger off to play a Minor, which means that minor barre chords are a bit harder to play.

Huh? Yep, you read right - minor barre chords are harder to play.

Minor E Shape Barres are harder than Major E Shape Barres because now the note on the 3rd string is played by the barre.

For many people, that is where the barre is a little flabby. The best guitar trick here is to adjust your barre position just a little - find that goldilocks position!

Let's take a look.

Have You Mastered The E Shape Major?

Before you start this lesson, make sure you're comfortable with the E Shape Major. To play Minor E Shape barres, you'll need more strength in your hands. So, make sure you've put in some work in your Major grips.

A great workout is to play Dreams by Fleetwood Mac using barre chords only! If you haven't tried that out yet, I suggest you give it a go. :)

You should also be familiar with my 3 tricks to nail barre chords - finger roll, wrist turn, arm pull. Minor E Shapes are harder to play, so use the proper barre chord mechanics and learn faster. ;)

Are you ready? So let's lift that finger off!

E Shape Minor In 3 Easy Steps

The E Minor Shape is the same as the E Major Shape but with your 2nd finger lifted off. Take a look at the diagram below:

Lifting off that finger can be trickier than it seems, so let's check out 3 easy steps to get good-sounding minor barre chords on the guitar. :)

Step 1 - The Minor Barre Placement

First, check out your index finger placement. Start by checking the notes under your barre, and then adjust its placement as you need. If you have trouble getting the 3rd string to ring out clearly, lift the barre up toward the sky about 3-5mm.

This works for most people - it's about finding the right way of placing your barre. We are all a bit different and have different-shaped hands of different strengths. You have to find your way!

Focus your energy on the middle of the bar. You’ll be surprised how sometimes changing the way you think about something changes it in real life. ;)

Getting the 3rd string to sound clear is essential because it is that note that makes the chord minor! Without it, you're playing a kinda extended Power Chord.

Step 2 - Get Some Help!

Once your 2nd finger is off, you can use it to support your 1st Finger. Just place your 2nd finger slightly on top of your 1st finger and press down on top of it. Take a look at the image below:

JustinGuitar teaches a guitar trick to play easy minor E shape barre chords.

Some people will see this as a bad habit... and it can be! But it can also be very helpful if you are really struggling with your barre chord. What works for you? Give yourself some time to let the muscles develop - this is hard stuff, and practice will make it permanent!

Step 3 - Find the Root Note

Remember that sharps and flats are going to determine the fret you're on, and Major and Minor will decide if you keep your second finger down or not!

If you can't find the F Sharp Minor Chord - you need to give yourself a bit of practice on that. :)

The root notes and general techniques to play Minor E Shape grips are the same here as for the Major Shape. By this stage, you have no excuse for not knowing the notes on the thickest string very well!

Practice Schedule

Your practice sessions for this lesson only take 10 minutes. :)

Item 1 - 5 mins - Barre Chord Practice

Same drill as the last lesson on E Shape Major chords, but you should work on minors and majors barre chords this time! You can focus on the minors for the first few practice sessions but then alternate between them. Either alternate days or within the same practice session.

Item 2 - 5 Minutes - Song Work

Now you’re looking for any songs that you already learned that use basic Major and Minor chords. You’re going to work on playing them with barre chords! Follow these 3 guidelines:

Start Simple. Choose songs without too many chords, but include at least one minor chord.
Steady Rhythm. Choose songs you are confident with the rhythm so that it doesn't hold you back. The focus here is the barre chords!
Practice Makes Permanent! Choose songs you like, because you'll practice them for a bit! Try playing at least a few songs with only barre chords before moving on. :)

If you get the opportunity to play with someone, try one person playing barre chords and the other open chords. It sounds awesome!

Check out these song tutorials with full chords, lyrics, and tabs for you to follow along with. :)