Barre chords

A barre chord uses one finger, almost always the index, to press several strings at the same fret, like a movable nut. Barre the right fret with the right grip, and the familiar open chords travel anywhere on the neck: the four shapes on this page give you every major and every minor chord in any key.

Barres take hand strength that builds over weeks, not days, so be patient with buzzing strings at first. Press with the bony edge of the index finger rather than its soft flat pad, keep the barre close behind the fret wire, and let your thumb rest on the back of the neck roughly opposite the barre.

Every shape here is movable and follows the root fret system explained in How to read this guide. Each shape is a level 3 heading with worked examples underneath.