Barre Chord Variations
Minor barres, moving up the neck
The Minor Barre Shape (E minor based)
Just as the E major shape becomes a moveable barre, so does the E minor shape. The difference: you lift your middle finger.
Index finger: barre across all strings
Ring finger: 2 frets up on string 5
Pinky: 2 frets up on string 4
That's it — one less finger than the major version. At fret 1 this gives you Fm. At fret 3 it's Gm. At fret 5 it's Am.
If you could play the major barre, this is easier.
A-Shape Barres (Root on String 5)
There's a second barre chord family based on the open A major shape, with the root on string 5:
Major (A-shape):
- Index barres across 5 strings (not string 6, or mute it)
- Ring finger barres frets 2 up on strings 4, 3, 2 (or use ring+pinky+middle)
Minor (Am-shape):
- Same barre
- Middle on string 2 (1 fret up), ring on string 4 (2 frets up), pinky on string 3 (2 frets up)
At fret 3 the A-shape gives you C major. At fret 5 it's D major. The root note is on string 5.
Between the E-shape and A-shape barres, you can play any major or minor chord in two positions on the neck.
When to Use Which Shape
With two barre positions, you can minimise hand movement when changing chords:
If you're playing a G chord (E-shape, fret 3) and need to go to C, you can either:
- Jump to the C barre at fret 8 (E-shape) — big jump
- Play C at fret 3 using the A-shape — same fret, minimal movement
This concept of staying in position becomes essential as your playing advances. You want to move your hand as little as possible.
Tab Examples
Fm barre chord (Em shape at fret 1)
e--1-- B--1-- G--1-- D--3-- A--3-- E--1--
C major A-shape barre (fret 3)
e--3-- B--5-- G--5-- D--5-- A--3-- E-----
Chord Diagrams
Tips
- The minor barre is easier than major — learn it alongside, not after
- A-shape barres let you stay in position instead of jumping up the neck
- String 5 note names are as important as string 6 — learn both
- If a barre chord is too hard at fret 1, play it at fret 5+ first and work down
Practice Exercises
- Play the minor barre shape at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 going up the neck
- Switch between major and minor barre at the same fret (e.g., A major → A minor at fret 5)
- Try the A-shape barre at fret 3 (C) and fret 5 (D)
- Practice a progression using only barre chords: G(3) → C(3,A-shape) → D(5,A-shape) → G(3)
- Play along to a song using barre chords instead of open chords