Learn to Play Contemporary Guitar

Chapter 3: Barre Chords

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Barre chords are the nemesis of all beginning guitarists. Some give up at this point; some resort to using simplified versions of the chords (don’t do that for goodness sake!). But once you master barre chords, it will open you to a whole new world of music. Trust me, it is worth the time and effort!

Let’s try playing the F chord:
F: 1-3-3-2-1-1                                        Bm: 2-2-5-4-3-2
The most common issue with barre chords is the inability to press the entire fret across all strings.

• - For a start, you might want to just try barring the fret with your index finger;
• - Ensure that your fingers are as natural as possible;
• - Practice, practice and practice some more and you should be able to hold a decent barre chord in time.

Now let’s use the following songs to practice your barre chords:

Song	Chords
Leaving on a Jet Plane (in C major)	C F G
Forget You	C F G
Last Friday Night	C D7 F
Baby	G Bm Em A