Bar chords constitute a significant stepping stone in the development of every guitarist, in that they pose a considerable technical challenge to the student; on the other hand, once mastered they broaden the player's chord repertoire tremendously.
Here are three steps that will help facilitate this sometimes difficult task.
Step 1: Learn to shift the chord, upon which you want to base your bar chords, up and down the fret board, moving in half steps (one fret increments). The purpose of this exercise is, to learn to move the chord formation, without allowing the L. H. fingers to shift out of their relative position. Ex. 1 demonstrates that, using an E-Major chord; note the different L. H. hand fingering, which frees up 1* for later use as the barring finger.
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* Arabian numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 refer to left hand fingers. For more info on other guitar jargon please check the Glossary.
Ex. 1
Step 2: Still using the E-Major chord, add 1 to the sixth string, making sure that you have a one-fret gap between 1 and 3 (check the TAB in Ex. 2). Note, that once you can do this successfully, you already have four notes of the ultimate six-note chord taken care of. Here's a by-product: Take 2 out of the formation, and learn to strum just the bottom three strings, and you will have entered the wondrous world of power chords, and are ready to join a rock band.
Ex. 2
Step 3: Add 1, barring across all six strings (see Ex. 3). You want to place 1 as straight as possible, in order to put as much bone to the fret board as you possibly can. For me it works best to have my L. H. thumb way back behind the neck, somewhere opposite to the first or second string. Try to find a good equilibrium of forces, meaning: don't just squeeze the strings, but also try to use gravity by hanging part of the weight of your forearm into the grip.
A word on naming bar chords. It is important for you to know, what string carries the root of the chord upon which your bar chord is based. In our given example (specifically ex. 3) it is the sixth string (in most chord diagram books the root is marked with an "x" or something like that). Knowing this, all you have to know in addition to that, is the name of the note that 1 is holding down on the sixth string.
For most players it takes a lot of experimentation until bar chords work comfortably, so please be patient. Keep in mind, originally our hands were NOT made to do this kind of work. Compare this phase of your guitaristic development with learning ballett dancing; most of us would not jump off a table right into the splits ---- ouch! If I wanted to do this, I would prepare by doing some stretching exercises (for about 15 years). Never mind - you get the picture; this kind of fine motor skill can't be crammed, it has to develop slowly and consistently.
Good luck!
Ex. 3
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