Unlock The Fretboard – Play In Any Key Using Barre Chords (For Beginners)

Learning barre chords for beginners can be a daunting task – let’s overcome this together!

In Part I of our barre chord lesson (which you can find here) we learned the most common major and minor shapes and we started to work on building finger strength. Barre chords are not an easy task for beginners, but they are very powerful and well worth the extra effort. As a result, learning how to play barre chords will help you UNLOCK the fretboard and play in ANY KEY!

Navigate The Fretboard

You can “count up” from the open string using this simple set of rules:

Usually go up 2 frets to get to the next note (from C to D = 2 frets, from D to E = 2 frets, etc.)
However, when you are going from B to C, or E to F – they are only 1 fret apart (see below)

To find # (sharp) and b (flat) notes, first find the natural note, then go up or down from that note to get the sharp or flat version of it (go up from D to get D#, go down 1 fret to get Db)

to play sharp and flat notes just go up or down from the natural note

Examples

E String, 3rd fret = G
E string, 1st fret = F
E string, 5th fret = A
E string, 6th fret = Bb (or A#)
E string, 8th fret = C
E string, 12th fret = E

A string, 2nd fret = B
A string, 1st fret = Bb (or A#)
A string, 5th fret = D
A string, 6th fret = D# (or Eb)
A string, 8th fret = F
A string, 10th fret = G

Moving The Barre Chord Shapes Around The Fretboard

So here’s the basic premise:

Find the root of the chord you wish to play (if you’re trying to play F#minor then find the F# note, if you want to play B major then find a B on the fretboard)
Line up your barre finger (first finger) with that note (for E major and E minor chords, your root note needs to be on the E string. For A major and A minor, your root needs to be on the A string)
Play!