{"id":630,"date":"2021-07-27T11:04:57","date_gmt":"2021-07-27T18:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/?p=630"},"modified":"2023-03-23T16:56:34","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T23:56:34","slug":"the-bar-chord-survival-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/the-bar-chord-survival-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bar Chord Survival Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In this guide, we will be tackling bar chords (or barre chords). As one of the biggest trouble areas for beginner and intermediate guitar players, it\u2019s important to pay this skill some extra attention. The primary video we will be using throughout this guitar guide features Ayla Tesler-Mabe\u2019s best tips for getting better at playing bar chords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before jumping into the lesson, you must know that learning to play the guitar offers a different set of challenges to every individual. Certain things might come easily to some guitar players while feeling completely impossible to others. This is normal, and no matter where you\u2019re at with your playing, you should never feel like you can\u2019t do something. Like any skill, playing the guitar takes patience, practice, and consistency. As long as you can nail those three things, there will be no challenge you can\u2019t conquer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that said, let\u2019s dig into the first video of our Bar Chord Survival Guide!<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kjQlVOQbu_8\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to grasp a new guitar technique or skill is to learn it through something memorable. In this case, Ayla is going to show us how to play bar chords on the guitar by learning a chord progression used in some songs you might know!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, you\u2019ll want to take a few minutes to learn the names of the notes on the low E string. While learning the names of all the notes on every string can take a long time, learning just one string shouldn\u2019t be too hard. Here\u2019s a quick diagram:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-1024x315.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-1024x315.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-768x236.png 768w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-1536x472.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055536\/fretboard-diagram-e-string-2048x629.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the fretboard markers to memorize the most important notes first. Then you can count up or down from them rather than starting all the way down with the open string. For example, if you need to find a D note, instead of starting with an open E and going up from the first fret, you can simply start at a B on the 7th fret, or a C# on the 9th fret and count up to a D (on the 10th fret) from there!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learning your A string will be equally important down the road, but we won\u2019t worry too much about that right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6-4-1-5 Chord Progression<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chord progression you\u2019ll learn is called a 6-4-1-5 in the key of D Major. This progression is used in the song \u201cAfrica\u201d by Toto, and also in the song \u201cPeace Of Mind\u201d by Boston! The chords are B minor, G major, D major, and A major.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three of the chords in this progression can be played as open chords, but the B minor is going to require a bar chord. Since this is the case, we\u2019ll play the entire chord progression with bar chords so you can see just how useful they can be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Finding the Root Note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step to playing a chord progression like this is to find the root notes. To find the root notes, you\u2019ll need to use your newly acquired knowledge of the notes on the low E string. A root note is the first (or most important) note of a chord and is where the chord gets the first part of its name. For example, a B minor chord\u2019s root note would be a B.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first chord in the progression is a B minor, and you\u2019ll find the B note on the 7th fret of the E string. The next chord is a G major, and your G note is located on the 3rd fret. Next, you have a D major chord. For this one, you\u2019ll go all the way up to the 10th fret to find a D note. Lastly, you have an A major which has a root note on the 5th fret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-1024x315.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-1024x315.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-768x236.png 768w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-1536x472.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/15055714\/fretboard-diagram-d-progression-2048x629.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Building the Bar Chord Shape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making the bar is the hardest part of learning how to play bar chords on the guitar. The challenge here is generating enough pressure to push down all the strings at once with one finger. It requires a balance of strength and precision and you\u2019ll find your hand getting a little sore when you\u2019re first trying to make the bar.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal here is to be able to make a bar where every string rings out clearly. Oftentimes, you\u2019ll find your elbow starts to move away from your body to generate more pressure. You want to avoid this. Your elbow should be pointing inwards towards your body.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best pieces tips for making a better bar is using the side of your finger and not the front. This doesn\u2019t mean you should lay your finger all the way on its side but turn it just enough so that the bony part of your finger is against the strings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reduce as much tension as you can from your body and place your thumb on the back of the neck. Just like anything else, getting a clean bar won\u2019t happen immediately and might require some concerted daily practice. Be sure to go through the individual strings each time you make a bar so you know which strings ring out clearly and which ones you need to make adjustments for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Moving the Bar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since you already know where the root notes are of the remaining chords in the progression, you can try moving your bar to those positions as well. It won\u2019t sound quite right yet, but right now we\u2019re just focusing on getting a clean bar made in every position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you move around and make adjustments, play through the strings and listen for any notes that don\u2019t sound right. If it all sounds good, pay attention to how that feels. If anything sounds bad, pay attention to how that feels as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Minor Adjustment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s turn this boring bar into a real chord! To make the chord shape, you\u2019ll use your third and fourth fingers to fret the A and D strings. Here\u2019s a diagram of the shape:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011544\/minor-bar-chord-e-root-262x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-637\" width=\"301\" height=\"344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011544\/minor-bar-chord-e-root-262x300.png 262w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011544\/minor-bar-chord-e-root-893x1024.png 893w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011544\/minor-bar-chord-e-root-768x881.png 768w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011544\/minor-bar-chord-e-root.png 1114w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember all the tips from earlier in the lesson. It\u2019s going to take some effort to make it sound clean at first. But once you get it you can move it around the fretboard to play literally any minor chord you want! As long as you know the root note, you can apply this shape and play the minor version of that chord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you put this on the 7th fret, you\u2019ll have a B minor chord. On the 5th fret, an A minor chord. On the 2nd fret, an F# minor chord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Major Chord Shape<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only one of the chords in our chord progression is a minor chord. The remaining three are major chords. To make a major bar chord we only have to make one small addition. That addition is our second finger on the G string. Here\u2019s the shape:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011535\/major-bar-chord-e-root-262x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-636\" width=\"301\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011535\/major-bar-chord-e-root-262x300.png 262w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011535\/major-bar-chord-e-root-894x1024.png 894w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011535\/major-bar-chord-e-root-768x880.png 768w, https:\/\/www.musora.com\/musora-cdn\/image\/quality=85\/https:\/\/pianote-blog.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/16011535\/major-bar-chord-e-root.png 1113w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know anything about music theory, you\u2019re raising the minor third of the chord up to a major third.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a G major chord, you\u2019ll put this shape on the 3rd fret. For a D major chord, you\u2019ll slide all the way up to the 10th fret. For the A major chord, you\u2019ll go down to the 5th fret. And that\u2019s the whole progression!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Practice these chords slowly in order and don\u2019t worry too much about playing them in time. Just focus on playing them cleanly and transitioning between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Other Adjustments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you happen to encounter a string that isn\u2019t ringing out properly, you might need to make some minor adjustments. This usually occurs if one of your fingers is a little too close to the fret. This can also happen when one finger is muting an adjacent string or you aren\u2019t pushing hard enough. Take it slow, and make the appropriate changes to make every string come through clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another helpful tip is to think ahead to the next chord as you\u2019re playing. The more you think ahead, the easier each transition will be. This is one of the keys to getting a chord progression to sound smooth and musical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Finger Placement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first big area of trouble guitarists have with bar chords is that their fingers are lying too flat on the fretboard. It\u2019s important that you come straight down on the strings so that your fingers aren\u2019t touching strings they aren\u2019t supposed to. This might require you to build a little bit of strength first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The G String<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The G string can be especially annoying, especially with minor bar chords. It\u2019s the point in the bar that has the least amount of pressure that causes the string to be muted instead of firmly fretted. Be sure to angle your finger slightly so the bony part of your finger is being used for the bar. You can even experiment with moving the barring finger vertically to find the sweet spot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just like going to the gym, the more time and effort you put into practicing and using bar chords, the more progress you\u2019ll see! Just like strength training, you\u2019re not going to see results overnight. Just be consistent and employ the tips in this video and you\u2019ll be playing bar chords like a pro in no time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More About Bar Chords<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarlessons.com\/guitar-lessons\/rhythm-guitar-quick-start-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Rhythm Guitar Quick-Start Series<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jump into a step-by-step rhythm guitar course by Nate Savage. Here, you\u2019ll learn all the essential rhythm guitar techniques. These include more about bar chords, power chords, strumming patterns, chord progressions, and playing songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarlessons.com\/guitar-lessons\/guitar-lessons-for-beginners\/7-killer-bar-chord-drills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>7 Killer Bar Chord Drills<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn seven exercises that you can add to your practice routine to improve your bar chords. These exercises range from beginner to intermediate and address all of the main trouble areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarlessons.com\/guitar-lessons\/guitar-lessons-for-beginners\/bar-chord-hacks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Bar Chord Hacks<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling with bar chords, this lesson is for you! Learn some handy bar chord alternatives as well as even more tips for making your bar chords sound better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re ready for even more guitar techniques, then you should sign up for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/toolbox\">Guitarist\u2019s Toolbox<\/a>. You\u2019ll get 9 of our members-only courses sent to your email totally FREE. Learn how to play your first guitar solo, read music, improve your chord changes, use scales, and more! Just <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/toolbox\">click here<\/a> to get your free courses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this guide, we will be tackling bar chords (or barre chords), one of the biggest areas of difficulty for guitar players at any level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":847,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[94,101,173,96,97,102,99,95,98,100,103],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":878,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions\/878"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guitareo.com\/riff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}