Barre chord technique

The barre chord is a technique problem before it is a chord problem. Once the index finger can hold six strings cleanly, any barre shape is just a matter of adding fingers. This lesson builds that skill in stages, with rest built in.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Form a barre with the bony edge of the index finger, close behind the fret.
• Hold a barre using arm weight and the thumb, not a squeeze.
• Play a clean F major (E-shape) or the small-barre F.

A barre chord asks your index finger to do the job of the guitar's nut: press all six strings against one fret. It is hard because one finger has to be both straight and strong, and because the finger has soft creases that can sit under a string.

Four things make it work.

1. Edge, not pad. Roll the finger slightly onto its bony edge, the side nearest the headstock. The edge is firmer and flatter than the pad.

2. Close to the fret. As with open chords, sit just behind the fret wire.

3. Arm weight, not squeeze. Keep the thumb behind the neck, relaxed. Pull the guitar slightly towards you with the arm. The force comes from the whole arm, not a pinch between thumb and finger.

4. Build in stages. Practise the barre alone, then a small version of the chord, then the full one. Rest between attempts. The hand adapts over days and weeks.

Many players find it easier to start a few frets up the neck, around fret 5, where the frets are closer together. Build the habit there, then bring it down to fret 1.

Making the barre, step by step.

1. Put your index finger across all six strings at fret 5. Rotate it a few degrees towards the headstock so the bony side touches the strings.
2. Pick the strings one by one. Where you hear a dull note, there is probably a crease under that string, or the finger is not straight enough.
3. Adjust: shift the finger a little up or down the fret, or rotate a bit more, and test again.
4. Hold 10 seconds. Relax. Hold again, using less pressure.

Building F. Play the small F (D string fret 3, G string fret 2, B and e strings fret 1 under the index finger). Now play Fmaj7 by letting the e string ring open. Once these are clean, lay the index finger across all six strings at fret 1 and add the three other fingers in the shape of the open E chord.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.Barre only, five frets up

  4 min

  1. Lay your index finger across all six strings at the fifth fret. Many players find barres easier here, where the frets are closer together.
  2. Roll it slightly onto its bony edge, towards the headstock.
  3. Pick each string in turn and listen for dull notes.
  4. Move the finger a little up or down, or rotate it, until all six strings ring.

  You have it when

  • All six strings ring when picked one at a time.
  I practised this one

• 2.Hold and release

  3 min

  1. Form the barre at fret 5 and hold it for 10 seconds while strumming slowly.
  2. Release completely for 10 seconds. Shake out the hand.
  3. Repeat five times, trying to use less pressure each time.

  You have it when

  • You can hold a clear barre with the thumb behind the neck and no tension in the shoulder.
  I practised this one

• 3.Build F in layers

  5 min

  1. Play the small F: fingers on D string fret 3, G string fret 2, B and e strings fret 1 (the index finger covers two strings).
  2. Then play Fmaj7: the same shape with the high e open.
  3. Now try the full F: barre all six strings at fret 1, adding fingers 3, 4 and 2 as an E-shape.
  4. Check each string. If it fails, return to the small F and try again.

  You have it when

  • You can play at least the small F cleanly.
  • You can get most strings to ring in the full F.
  I practised this one

No tempo yet. Hold, release and rest. When the chord is clean, use a metronome at 50 BPM with four beats per chord. Stop if you feel pain (as opposed to fatigue) and rest.

• Squeezing with the thumb and fingers. Pull the guitar slightly towards you with the arm and let the thumb support. Pressure comes from the arm, not from a pinch.
• Using the flat pad of the finger. Use the bony edge, which presses more firmly, and place the finger so that its creases are not under a string.
• Practising until the hand hurts. Short, frequent sessions with rests. Barre strength builds over weeks, not minutes.

Let It Be and Hallelujah both need an F chord. Use the small F while you build the full barre, and switch to the full version when you are ready.

Try it in: Let It Be, Hallelujah.

Short version (10 minutes)

Do 'Hold and release' (3 minutes) and then the small F to C change for two minutes.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then play Let It Be's chords (C, G, Am, F) with the small F.

• Bony edge of the index finger, close behind the fret.
• Pressure from arm and thumb, not a squeeze.
• Build in stages: barre alone, small F, full F.
• Rest often; strength takes weeks.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can hold a six-string barre with every string ringing.
• I can play the small F cleanly.
• I can describe how I apply pressure without squeezing.