Bar Chord Forms
You may wish to review
Open Chords and Bar Chord Basics before continuing with this lesson.
Click a link for Bar Chord Forms of the following qualities:
Major & Minor Dominant 7 Major 7 Minor 7
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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
Click a link for Bar Chord Forms of the following qualities:
Major & Minor Dominant 7 Major 7 Minor 7
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.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Coffey All Rights Reserved Internatonal Copyright Secured