Are you still struggling to get a good, clear-sounding barre chord? I got you! In this lesson, we'll check out my best practices and guitar tricks for easy barre chords. Yep - I'm revealing all my secrets. :)

We'll explore the mechanics of barre chords, the common mistakes you're probably making, and how to fix them. Barre chords can be scary - but they're also fantastic, I promise! And I made it all very, very easy for you.

If you've tried playing the F Chord before, you were playing an E Shape Major Barre Chord. :) In this lesson, we'll explore how to move that grip around the guitar fretboard, making things a bit more challenging and fun!

Now, let's check out what's on today's menu.

Barre Chords For Beginners - Step-By-Step

I got a message on my Instagram the other day that asked something like: "why don't you teach barre chords to beginners right away? It's where all the fun seems to be!"

Well, that's kind of true. 🤔

With barre chords, you can easily play all over the guitar neck. If you develop the ability to get to your barres as fast as possible and get a good sound, you'll be able to play most of the songs you encounter. And so much more.

But, to play barre chords, you need to have strong muscles in your hand. Some lucky people just have it - some of them don't. That is why, in my Beginner Guitar Course, we first learn how to play basic open chords - and I encourage you to keep your thumb on the back of the guitar neck.

Like this, you'll steadily develop the hand muscles you need to make all your barre chords journey easy. In one of the first lessons of our Beginner Grade 2, we learn the infamous F Chord so that you can put those muscles into use and start getting comfortable with barre chords.

We then know how to play power chords, so you get used to the idea of moving shapes around the neck, sliding the fretboard while keeping your chord grip, etc.

You should now be ready for the big party. You're ready to get deeper into barre chords, and yes, all the fun that comes with it! And this is what we'll focus on in this Intermediate Method!

Weren't you a JustinGuitar student since day 1?
Haven't nailed your F chord just yet?
Already play barre chords, but they feel hard and don't sound good?

No worries - I've got something for you too! The most important thing is: don't compare yourself to others. We all have different hand anatomy, we all learn at different paces, and we all have different backgrounds. It's all good - and I got y'all! ;)

Before I go deep into detail on hand positions, I want to show you why barre chords are so cool. :)

Meet The E Shape Major Chords!

The first grip that we'll explore in this module, and is the focus of this lesson, is the E Shape Major. The name comes from the fact that the shape is the same as the Open E Chord shape.

Take a look at the E Shape Barre Chord and imagine that the barre (where your first finger goes) is the nut. You should see that the chord’s shape is the same as the Open E Chord:

E Major Scale Chord Diagram

How Do Barre Chords Work?

In a nutshell, barre chords don't have any open chords, meaning they're movable shapes. It’s like playing an E Chord and moving your capo real fast:

If you put your fingers in the F Chord position and move them all one fret up on the guitar neck, you'll get an F# Chord. Move them up one more fret; you’ll get a G Chord, etc.

Many of you will say...

✋ Hang on - I play the G Chord in the open position, and they sound pretty much the same. Why would I play it as a barre chord instead?

Sometimes, you'll encounter songs that use chords that aren't available on the open chord position. In many cases, it'll be better just to play them all as barre chords!

That's already a good tip for making your chord changes faster - just playing all the grips as barre chords! Dreams by Fleetwood Mac is a great song to try that out. ;)

If you know your root notes, you can now play all those chords that used to freak you out - F# or Bb or C#. They are all easy when you have your E Shape Barre chord grip moving around! ;) Awesome, eh.

But, what about the sound?

Do Barre And Open Chords Really Sound The Same?

The same chord will sound slightly different depending on the grip you choose. There's a different texture between open chords and barre chords grips. The open-string notes will seem brighter. They've got a different timbre to its sound! So, sometimes, you might choose your grip to fit the feeling you want to give to the tune.

My questions for you:

Are you confident with your F Chord?
Do you remember your root notes from your Power Chords?

Then try playing some songs using the E Shape in different parts of your guitar neck! :)

If you're still struggling with getting clear barre chords or knowing which grip to use and when, stick around, and this lesson will help you out.

What's The Difference Between Power Chords and Barre Chords?

Well, one uses just 2 or 3 notes, and the other uses 6! ;) But the real difference is that Power Chords are neither Major nor Minor Chords. That’s why we commonly call them “5th” chords - they contain just the root and the 5th.

As soon as you want that extra harmonic content in your chords, then you'll need to play full Barre Chords. We often associate Power Chords with rock and metal music because that ‘extra harmonic content’ usually doesn’t sound good with distortion! :)

Want to learn more about it? Try out my Music Theory course! It's the perfect shortcut you need to make music faster and better - and, of course, understand what you're playing.

Ok, But How To Find The Root Notes?

If you've come from my Beginner Course, you know the answer! You learned Power Chords - and the 6th Root Power Chords have the same root notes as the E Shape Major Barre Chord - yep, easy as that! The notes on string 6 are below. Take a look:

I hope you know the notes on the thickest string! Again - if you don’t know them by now, you need to get your finger out and do it. You shouldn't rely on the diagram but your memory. ;)

For this Grade 4, I expect you to know the notes on the thickest two strings - the E and the A strings. Your Ultimate Power Chord Guide is here, so go back and review that lesson if you need to.

Ready? Now try moving that E Shape Barre chord around the neck. Check out the following tips to learn how to play comfortably and get a nice sound!

How to Shift Between Barre Chords

There's an easy way of shifting between chords with the same shape! Aim to keep your fingers in contact with the strings but releasing all the pressure.

You can relax your thumb on the back of the guitar, but make sure your fingers are still touching the strings when you slide the shape to its new position. That's important, and it'll make your life easier! Don't allow your fingers to lose contact with the strings.

Play - Relax - Shift - Press - Play!

Let's practice:

Play a G Barre Chord.
Release the pressure but stay in contact with the strings.
Slide the hand to the 7th fret. Aim to keep the shape set!
Reapply the pressure
And play!

Doing the simple exercise of moving between the G and F chords is excellent, and it'll help your muscles develop. Practice enough to get comfortable with this new movement.

🚨 Avoid lifting the chord off completely. It’s a lot slower to have to reposition your fingers every time. It’s one of the most common beginner mistakes - but now you know how not to make it!

Let's take a look at common barre chord questions, mistakes that many players make, and what the mechanics to perfect barre chords really are!

I'm confident that this guide will help you finally nail your barre chords. Let's go!

Are Barre Chords Easier on Electric Guitar?

Yep - barre chords are usually easier to learn on electric guitar. That's because the strings are generally thinner and closer to the fretboard. So, if you have an electric guitar, I’d recommend getting started on it!

If you only have an acoustic or classical guitar, keep in mind that there are a few tricks you can try to make your life easier and your playing less painful. :) I'll get into more details shortly!

Short Fingers, Long Fingers, Weak Fingers?

Oh, the number of times I've heard 'the finger excuses!' Barre chords are indeed easier for those with big and strong hands. But, if it's not your case, you just need to make sure that your fingers are perfectly placed - and then give it some time for the muscles to develop - they will!

I’ve taught barre chords to people with fingers like sausages and children with skinny bean fingers. They've all got there in the end! You can do it too, but it takes practice.

Remember that people with big fingers can play barre chords easily but probably struggled to cram their fingers in for the Open A Chord. We’re all different and will face different challenges on our journey. But differences are to be celebrated.

What you should do is explore all the mechanics related to playing barre chords - and I broke them all down for you! Let's take a look at them. :)

Barre Chord Mechanics - The Secret To Easy Barre Chords :)

Ok, now let's talk about how to get clean notes when playing barre chords - just in case you're still struggling with it! Barre chord mechanics are the secret to play barre chords easily, and I'll give you as many tips and tricks as I can.

There are a few factors that come into play to help you get clean notes under your barre. I've got 7 tips for you - check out the first one next. :)

Barre Chords Tip 1 - All About Your Index Finger!

The first barre chord mechanic you should explore has to do with your barre placement. The best trick here is to remind yourself that your finger should be slight to its side.

Make sure to turn your first finger (the barre) about 45 degrees to its side. You don't want to use the back/flat part of your finger, where the flesh very soft. That'd make everything harder! ;)

You should press the strings with the part of your finger that is not as soft, and it's closer to the bone. Start with the finger right on the fret and just roll it back behind it. Here's an image that shows you the best placement for your index finger when playing barre chords:

JustinGuitar Shows The Right Placement Of Finger 1 (Index Finger) When Playing Barre Chords

And, before you worry about it: it's completely normal to have some lines running down the side of your finger after you practiced. As you can see, I still get many. :) You’ll develop an attractive callus soon enough!

Ok - What about the barre angle? 🧐

Let's take a look at that.

Extra Tip: Get That Angle Right!

Many people worry about getting the barre finger very straight but remember that you are not playing all the notes (yet!) Be aware that, when playing E Shape Major Barre Chords, your first finger is only pressing strings 6, 2, and 1 - keep that in mind at all times!

So, don’t worry too much if your barre is a little rounded for now. We play the other strings with the other fingers, so no need to waste pressure trying to hold them all down.

Ensure that the notes under your first finger sound good. Your barre is the first thing you should get right when trying to get nice-sounding chords.

Another common-ish worry is about your thumb position, but there's not a unique answer here - let's explore some best practices.

Barre Chords Tip 2 - Where Does the Thumb Go?

The ideal would be using the soft ‘pad’ of the thumb, but I use the side of the pad myself. :) Because we all have different anatomy, we are likely to find it comfortable to position our thumbs a little differently, too, and that’s fine.

I don’t think the thumb position matters a great deal if you can make a good sound, but do make adjustments if your thumb hurts.

Keeping your thumb more or less directly behind the barre is the easiest. That will help you a big deal! Take a look at the image below:

JustinGuitar Explains The Right Thumb Position On The Guitar Neck When Playing Barre Chords

That is not a natural position for our fingers, and that's why we'll now approach the position of your wrist. That will help you too!

Barre Chords Tip 3 - Wrist Position

Once you can get your fingers into the right place, it’s time to look at your wrist angle. The wrist position is crucial when playing barre chords! The best wrist position combines the proper mechanics of your index finger and your thumb!

If you've followed my tips 1 and 2, you should already have your wrist position almost right, but here are a few extra observations that will make barre chords more comfortable to play! Here's the main idea:

A very slight rotation of the wrist will help ‘jam’ the barre against the frets. It’s a kind of extension of the barre finger rolling onto its side.

It’s hard, and many people try this and are like, yeah - NO WAY. But guess what? With time and practice, you’ll get your wrist a lot flatter than you ever thought possible!

Your wrist should not be at 90 degrees. The aim is to keep the forearm to the wrist as flat as possible. It won’t be completely flat - but that should be the goal. Depending on which chord you're playing, you might find your wrist angles more than other times.

The 3 previous tips are already making everything easier, aren't they? :) But I still got more for you!

Barre Chords Tip 4 - Let Your Forearm Help!

This tip will help to ease your barre chord pain. In a nutshell, I suggest you slightly pull the strings with your elbow. :) Think about the forearm pulling back slightly, as well as the pinch between the thumb and first finger.

Before we get deeper into that, I want to make sure your wrist position is close to being perfect. :) Tips 3 and 4 work together. First of all, take a look at what you're not supposed to do with your wrist:

JustinGuitar Shows The Right Wrist Position When Playing Barre Chords On Guitar - E Major Shape Lesson

I think it's essential to understand why we should keep our wrist flat when playing barre chords! Who's up for some anatomy class?! :)

Our fingers are controlled by tendons, which go down the fingers through a little hole in the middle of the wrist called carpal tunnel - that goes down to your forearm. Take a look:

JustinGuitar Explains Hand Anatomy So You Can Play Easy Barre Chords Without Hurting Yourself

If you're getting wrist pain when playing your barre chords, it's probably because of your wrist position and the mechanics showed above. You should focus on that so you don't end up with carpal tunnel syndrome. :)

Of course - the wrist position will change according to the chord you're playing. But, your wrist should be as flat as possible, and that, with your forearm help, is where the barre chords should come from.

Now, let's look at something real essential but often overlooked by beginner guitar players: how you should hold your instrument!

Barre Chords Tip 5 - The Right Guitar Position

You shouldn't angle your guitar to look at your fingers. That gives you the worst wrist angle possible! As a guitar player, you should be able to play your grips without starring at your hands.

When you hold your guitar in the proper position, you only see the top of its neck. If you hold the guitar like I'm doing in the image below, you'll get yourself either back pain or a wrist sore!

There's a right way of holding your instrument. We're all different, and we'll need to tweak and try a few things and see what works best for you, but avoid these common beginner mistakes when holding the guitar.

Make sure you get all these tips on barre chord mechanics down. You must understand that barre chords aren't only about your finger strength. Many other fingers are involved here - and it's the combination of them that will allow you to get easy, good-sounding barre chords.

We're almost getting it all covered, I promise! Now let’s discuss the guitar neck angle. Yep - that can make a difference too. :)

Barre Chords Tip 6 - Guitar Neck Angle

I tend to play with a flat guitar neck, but you might find that lifting the headstock a little bit can help. Like that, the neck is pointing toward the air rather than perfectly horizontal. Take a look:

JustinGuitar Shows The Best Guitar Position For Ultimate Access to The Guitar Neck

When you point your guitar toward the air, you have better access to the fretboard. That's probably the reason some people place the guitar in the other leg. It doesn't work for me, but many classical guitar players play like that.

There's no need to go crazy with it - but just 10-15˚angle can make a big difference. Try and see what works for you!

Ok - you've got all my barre chords secrets revealed now! And if you're still struggling with your barre chords, it might not be your fault anymore...

Take a look at my last, but not least, tip on how to get perfect barre chords.

Barre Chords Tip 7 - Still Too Hard? Maybe It's Not Your Fault!

If you find that the barre chords are very hard, it might be because your guitar’s action is too high. The strings being far from the frets mean that you have to press an unreasonable amount.

Especially if you only have an acoustic or classical guitar, make sure you check your guitar action. If a guitar's action is too high, it will be tough to play it, especially when you're learning barre chords. For a beginner, a good set-up can make the real difference! Learn more about what's the best guitar for beginners here. ;)

You can also learn how to make basic adjustments to the guitar by yourself, but I still take mine to a professional. Getting a setup from a decent luthier will make a poor guitar playable and an ok guitar even better. I would highly recommend getting it done by a professional! That's what they do, and once you find someone you trust, you'll know what I mean! :)

Now it's time for your hard work! Let's dive into the best practice routine for you the get used to playing barre chords, switching them around the neck, and having loads of fun with it.

While explaining your practice routine, we'll explore some common mistakes beginner guitar players make when learning barre chords. Watch out for them - I'll show you exactly how to correct that stuff!

Ready?

How to Practice Barre Chords & Correct Bad Notes

You'll pick out each note one at a time, making sure that each string rings out clearly. Move your fingers a little bit to fix the notes that are buzzing, muted, or dead.

It sounds familiar, right? The way to get a perfect barre chord is more or less the same as we did for open chords as beginners. :) The key thing here is to observe what your fingers are doing - and what needs a fix!

Let's look at the common mistakes new guitar players make when learning how to play barre chords.

Barre Chords - Common Beginner Mistake 1

Make sure that your 1st and 2nd strings are ringing out clear. Often, people angle the barre too much, and the index finger ends up too far from the fret. Like that, the notes on the thinnest two strings won't ring clean. To fix it, check if your barre is straight next to the fret where those two strings are.

Barre Chords - Common Beginner Mistake 2

Don't mute the String 2! Make sure to check that the underside of Finger 2 is not muting the second string at all. If it's muting, move your finger up a little.

Barre Chords - Common Beginner Mistake 3

If the 3rd string is not ringing out, it's probably because the 4th finger is touching it. Curl the fingers a bit more by moving your palm towards the sky. Get the palm of your hand where your little finger meets your palm up close to the neck - but not touching it.

If it's another note, make sure that the fingers are as close as possible to the frets and that no other fingers are touching that string.

Ensure that your thumb is at the back of the guitar neck. Don't let it over the top. You should be pressing hard, but not crazy hard. Some of the work comes from the arm, but the muscle between your thumb and first finger should still get quite a workout!

Who's up for an extra tip?

Barre Chords - Common Beginner Mistake 4

Watch out for overreaching with Finger 1 too. It should be only just over the top of the strings. The reason is that when you move to barre chords with the root note on string 5, the barring finger will have too far to move to mute string 6. It’s a bad habit. Avoid it from the start. ;) Take a look at how not to do with your index finger:

Building Strength - It Takes Time!

If you've followed along with my Beginner Course, you will know that I emphasize that keeping the thumb behind the neck will help strengthen the muscle between the thumb and the index finger.

But when you start playing songs using barre chords, you'll find that it still is a proper workout. That’s ok! Every time you play, your muscles will get a little stronger.

Don’t practice until the point where you won't be able to play anything else. Work your muscles until you know it’s near failure. Then, stop, massage it a bit and have a rest before finishing your practice - no point in hurting yourself!

And, before you ask, those tools people sell to make your fingers stronger are not a substitute for time spent playing guitar! I guess if you have limited time, you could do some kind of finger workout between your practice session. It might help a little - but the best is more guitar time. :)

Barre Chords - There's No Magic!

Getting the shape right is the key to nailing barre chords, which only happens with regular practice sessions. I also recommend that you spend some time trying to play songs - it builds up stamina and strength!

Can't keep a consistent practice routine? My Practice Assistant is a free tool and will help you out with that. So, no more excuses!

As usual, don’t rush it. Stick with this for a week or two at least. Ensure that you're comfortable with this shape and play songs with it before moving onto the next lesson.

Almost everyone hates barre chords when they first try them! Nailing barres is a massive step, and in a few months from now, you will look back and remember how hard they were. It’ll give you a mega buzz!

Now that you know my best tricks on playing barre chords and understanding how they work, it's time for your hard work! Check out the practice schedule I suggest below. :)

Practice Routine

Item 1 - 5 Minutes - Chord Practice

I want you to spend 5 minutes just playing the chord. Get the notes right, and don't forget to check your wrist position. It's essential to develop strength! The most comfortable place to start is around the 5th fret for most people, but the fret is not a big deal now. Long term, you'll play any shape, anywhere!

Let's do it together:

Put the chord down roughly in place but without pressing it down.
Check the wrist angle and positions of fingers. Then, press down, rotate the barre onto the side and pull a little with the forearm.
Strum, then pick out the notes one at a time and make any corrections you need to.
Strum again and tell your fingers that this is how you would like them to go next time.
Release the chord and have a few seconds rest.
Repeat.

Item 2 - 5 Minutes - Song Work

Let's have some fun! I want you to choose a song you've learned as a beginner that uses G, C, and D throughout the tune. Now we'll play it with barre chords! :) Here's what you've got to do:

Pick one song that you feel comfortable with the rhythm.
Then, try playing along with the backing track or original recording using barre chords.
See how it goes! Playing barre chords for 5 minutes is tough - don't worry if you can't do it for now. Try it for a minute or two, then take a 30-second break and hit it again!

If you find that playing the D chord way up at the 10th fret is very difficult - you’re not alone - I do too! The good news is that it’s rare to play the D chord way up there. There’s another way to play it, and if you stick with this course, you'll learn it very soon!

For now, you have two options. You can learn a song that uses F, Bb, and C, or take your song that uses G, C, and D and move all the chords down one tone. You won’t be able to play along with the original recording if you do that, but it'll be easier and so maybe more fun!

The more you practice barre chords, the stronger your hand will get and the longer you will be able to play them! Believe it - barre chords will get easier before you can imagine. ;)

Check out some awesome guitar song lessons here and choose your favorite ones to practice with!