Ch.3 (Guitar Chords & Accompaniment)

WHAT IS A BARRE CHORD?

A barre chord takes its name from the role of the 1st finger of your left hand. This finger acts as a "bar" across the fingerboard, depressing all six strings and replacing the nut (the ivory piece at the top of the neck). By using your first finger as a "bar," you can move many of the open chords you have learned up and down on the fingerboard.

To understand this, first grab your guitar and play an E chord as shown below. Note in order for the first finger to be used as a barre, the fingering has to be changed slightly; use your 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers instead of the usual 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers. Now move the chord up one fret and lay your 1st finger across the 1st fret, covering all six strings. You are now holding your first barre chord, F. This is essentially the same as the F chord you have learned in the open chords section, only the 1st finger barres all six strings instead of just the 1st and 2nd strings. In the same manner, move this F chord up two frets, 1st finger barring the 3rd fret and maintaining the E chord shape. You now have an alternative way to play an G chord.

E CHORD		F CHORD

(an excerpt from Guitar Chords and Accompaniment )