In a barre, your index finger lies flat across several strings – like a capo made of finger. Barres let you move shapes up the neck and play any chord in any key. The most famous one is the F chord: it turns up in lots of songs in C major, and almost everyone finds it tough at first. That’s completely normal and just takes time.
First: make F easier
You don’t have to wait until the full barre works. These versions sound good and fit almost any song:
- Fmaj7: ring finger on the D string at the 3rd fret, middle finger on the G string at the 2nd fret, index on the B string at the 1st fret, high E open. Strum only the four thinnest strings. It sounds soft and is the easiest way in.
- Mini F: like Fmaj7, but your index finger lies flat across the B and high E strings at the 1st fret – a mini barre over two strings. Again, strum just four strings.
The diagram above shows the full barre F. Once the mini F feels solid, you’re not far off.
Practising the barre step by step
- Lay your index finger across all strings at the 1st fret, no other fingers. Pluck each string separately and listen for any that sound muffled.
- Roll your index finger slightly onto its edge, towards the headstock. The bony side presses better than the soft underside.
- Place your finger just behind the fret wire, not in the middle between two frets.
- Let your arm pull back gently instead of squeezing with your thumb. That way you need much less strength.
- Only then add your middle, ring and little fingers.
If it buzzes
If a string buzzes or sounds dull, it’s often sitting right in the crease of a finger joint. Shift your index finger slightly up or down. More ideas in buzzing or muted strings. The chord detective shows you which notes are actually sounding.