Ten most common "Barre" chords for guitar.

5th and 6th string root Barre chords you need to know.

As a private guitar instructor, I get asked all the time about the significance or the importance of learning how to play "Barre" chords: "Do I need to know them right now?" "Can I play something easier instead of a barre chord?" "How many Barre chords do I need to know?" Answers: Yes you need to know how to play barre chords, but only when your hands and fingers have become stronger from daily practicing. There are many alternatives to play barre chords, but nothing sounds better than them. You need to know at least the following examples in this article.

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What are "Barre" chords?

"Barre" chords usually consist of at least two strings being fretted by one finger. The common "F" chord is usually the first barre chord you learn on the guitar, because your first finger frets string one and two on the first fret. I think that's why so many beginners hate that chord. It takes a little more effort to play the simple "F" chord than any of the other open-string chords. Here's the thing - if you cannot, or refuse to learn how to play the simple F chord properly and with the same ease you play all of your other open-string, "Cowboy" chords, then you might as well stop reading this article and limit yourself to simple open-string chords. Yes the barre chord takes a little more effort, but millions of guitar players across the globe can do it. Why can't you?  

The following shapes are the most common barre chords played on the guitar.

In the following examples you will notice two shapes for each chord structure. One shape is the "6th-string" root chord, and the other is the "5th-string" root chord. Both shapes have Roman numerals to indicate the structures of the chords. There are many places on the fretboard where you can build these chord structures, but for the sake of this lesson, we will use the two most common for each of the following types of barre chords.

Major barre chords:

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Minor barre chords

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(Dominant) 7 barre chords:

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Minor 7 barre chords:

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Major 7 barre chords:

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​Barre chords are going to be difficult to play because they require more strength in your hand and fingers. Practice these chords every day. They will sound weak at first, but over time, you will begin to hear improvements in the way that these chords are played.

You need to know how to play these chords in order to play thousands of songs. If you have any question, please feel free to comment below, and I will answer all inquiries.