MAJOR BARRE CHORD

The Barre chord requires you to bar with your first finger across all six strings on the guitar. This is
achieved by flattening your finger and applying pressure to the side of your finger.

Use the edge of your finger

rather than the flat middle
start as this will help to keep
all the strings down e.g. the
more boney part of your finger.

Try and avoid strings going into

the creases of your finger.

The shape uses all four fingers - 1 (Index), 2 (Middle), 3 (Ring), 4 (Pinky).

Once you have mastered the shape, you can move it to any fret starting on the E string. This is
why the shape is known as a moveable chord.

It will always be a major chord. The note we use to label the chord will change depending on the
starting fret (shown below in the blue circle).

The one included below is a G Major Barre Chord, as the shape starts from the 3rd fret of the E
string, which is a G note (shown below in the blue circle).

If we moved the entire shape to the 5th, 8th or 10th fret, the chord would be an A (5th), C (8th) or
D (10th) Major Barre Chord.

INDEX

FINGER = 1

MIDDLE FINGER = 2

RING FINGER = 3

PINKY FINGER = 4

(C) Teach Me Music Academy 2020



INDEX FINGER = 1

MIDDLE FINGER = 2

RING FINGER = 3

PINKY FINGER = 4

TIPS & ADVICE

• Barre chords can be awkward at first, so play them slowly paying close attention to how your
fingers curve and relax.

• Build up to using all four fingers. Place your first finger down and make sure you can hear all
the notes before moving on to your second, third and fourth finger.

• As long as the shape is correct, don’t worry about the sound of your chord. If you keep making
the same shape (see above) and making sure your fingers curve it will sound better in no time.

• To make the chord sound clear and smooth, you will need to make sure no fingers or parts of
your hand are touching unnecessary strings. This means not relaxing too much. If you can feel
the strings on your palm you will be muting the strings producing a undesirable sound.

• Experiment with thumb placement as you will need to curve your wrist around the guitar neck.
Start with your thumb in the middle of the guitar neck and adjust until you can reach all of the
notes/strings.

• You will need to push down on the strings quite hard to start with until you build up hard skin
known as Calluses.

DON’T QUIT, GIVE IN OR GIVE UP

It may take a few weeks or months before you’re comfortable with the shape. This is completely
normally and something every guitarist has gone through. Slow and steady will keep you on the
path to excellence.

MISTAKES ARE PROOF THAT YOU’RE TRYING

TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND KEEP GOING

THERE’S SO MUCH TO DISCOVER

(C) Teach Me Music Academy 2020