Other Left Hand Lessons: Introduction To The Left Hand Common Fingers Guide Fingers Sequential Preparation Left Hand Position Replacement Fingers Anticipatory Replacement Fingers Open Chords Ascending Slurs Descending Slurs Shifting Relative Positioning Bar Chord Basics Better Bar Chords
Bar Chord Forms
You may wish to review Open Chords and Bar Chord Basics before continuing with this lesson.
Click a button for Bar Chord Forms of the following qualities:
Bar Chord Forms are based on the shapes of Open Chords. Through a three step process, an Open Chord can be transformed into a movable Bar Chord. Here are the steps:
STEP 1 - Re-finger the chord so as to leave the first finger available
STEP 2 - Move each finger up a given amount of frets
STEP 3 - Put the Bar in place to raise the open strings the same number of frets
For example, the E Major Bar Chord is based on the shape of the Open E Major:
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
B||-----|-----|-----|(open)
G||--1--|-----|-----|
D||-----|--3--|-----|
A||-----|--2--|-----|
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
STEP 1
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
B||-----|-----|-----|(open)
G||--2--|-----|-----|
D||-----|--4--|-----|
A||-----|--3--|-----|
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
If we raise the note on each string an
equal distance, the quality of the chord (in this case - Major) is maintained.
We know that E to F is a half step, so to begin finding F Major we first move
each finger up a half step:
STEP 2
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
B||-----|-----|-----|(open)
G||-----|--2--|-----|
D||-----|-----|--4--|
A||-----|-----|--3--|
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
Now, we must raise the pitch of each
open string an equal distance (half step). We accomplish this by employing the
bar in the first fret:
STEP 3
E||--1--|-----|-----|(open)
B||--1--|-----|-----|(open)
G||--1--|--2--|-----|
D||--1--|-----|--4--|
A||--1--|-----|--3--|
E||--1--|-----|-----|(open)
Because we know the distance from E to F
is a half step AND we have raised each note an equal distance, F Major is formed
as a result.
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Here is what those three steps look like
for Am:
STEP 1
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
B||--2--|-----|-----|
G||-----|--4--|-----|
D||-----|--3--|-----|
A||-----|-----|-----|(open)
E||-----|-----|-----|(not played)
STEP 2
E||-----|-----|-----|(open)
B||-----|--2--|-----|
G||-----|-----|--4--|
D||-----|-----|--3--|
A||-----|-----|-----|(open)
E||-----|-----|-----|(not played)
STEP 3
E||--1--|-----|-----|(open)
B||--1--|--2--|-----|
G||--1--|-----|--4--|
D||--1--|-----|--3--|
A||--1--|-----|-----|(open)
E||--1--|-----|-----|(not played)*
*Note that the bar is employed for all six strings even
though this is a five string chord. Many players find it more efficient to bar
all six strings for five and even four string chords.