Before Barre Chords

Barre chords (barr chords are a type of guitar chord where one or more fingers press down multiple strings across the guitar fingerboard. Barre chords allows the guitarist to play many different chords that do not use open strings. Barre chords are "moveable" chords which can be moved up and down the neck as needed. They are commonly used in most popular, rock, and classical music. They are typically used for more complex chord types and playing in other keys.

The pattern in the graphic starts out using an E chord, but be careful to finger this E chord without using the 1st finger of the left hand. This is not the normal way to play the E chord, but it will later help you to play barre chords. The first section of the pattern is counted 1 2&3 then 1 2&3 The first down stoke is played with a strong stroke, The next part using a down up and then down stroke go a bit quicker.

Now slide the E chord fingers down one fret on the guitar to a modified F chord, but still do not use the 1st finger. You follow the same counting process: 1 2&3 then 1 2&3 and then move to the modified G chord 1 2&3 but only do one pattern, move back to the modified F do one pattern 1 2&3 and then back to E 1 2&3.

When you have completed one set of this progression you can do it all over again and again and again etc. You can create variations in this pattern, but until you can slide the correct number of frets and strum this smoothly don't try to add the 1st finger. In fact this pattern may sound better to you and others without being in an official barre chord format.

One nice variation is to play the F modified chord and then simply tap the body of the guitar two times, then move to the modified G chord play it once and then tap the body of the guitar two times, then move back to the modified F chord and play it one time and then tap the body of the guitar two times. If you are playing with a flat pick you can tap the top of the guitar wile holding the pick normally but tap with your third, fourth and fifth fingers of your right hand.

One other variation is to drag the pick slower over the strings on the second down stroke cause each individual sound to be heard, although quickly not as quick as a regular strum. This adds another dimension to the progression.

Although this is not a full barre chord progression the practice really helps learn barre chords. I still use this particular progression and one time when I was playing this in a restaurant as background music, one of the waitresses took some cow horns from the wall and acted like a charging bull, then another waitress pulled a red tablecloth from a table and acted like a bullfighter. The "bullfighter" waitress picked up a broom and used it like a bullfighter might to jab the bull. She put the broom handle into the other waitress just under her arm and she fell to the floor, like a dead bull. What made this a bit more funny was that she was a big lady and normally reserved.

As the two did all of this, it was a bit chaotic in the restaurant, everyone was howling and laughing. I continued this Spanish sounding pattern throughout the whole process. It probably only lasted a few minutes, but it definitely seemed like it was a lot longer.