How To Play The E Bar Chord

Easy E Bar Chords

If you still find barre chords difficult, have a go at playing this barre chord shape. This chord shape breaches the gap between open chords and barre chords.

• Place your 3rd finger on the 14th fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 13th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Barre your 1st finger over the 12th fret of the B (2nd string) and E string. (1st string.)

Other Barre Chord Shapes?

Here are some other ways to play the E bar chord:

• The E bar chord. (C shape.)
• The E bar chord. (D shape.)
• The E bar chord. (G shape.)

Let’s learn them!

E Bar Chord (C Shape)

We refer to this bar chord as the ‘C shape’ because it is based on a open C chord.

Here’s a C chord:

Learn to play the C chord here: Easy Ways To Play The C Guitar Chord

Here’s a E bar chord (C shape):

Can you see how this chord shape uses the C shape?

To play this bar chord:

• Place your 4th finger on the 7th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
• Place your 3rd finger on the 6th fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
• Barre your 1st finger over the 5th fret of the G (3rd string) and E string. (1st string.)

E Bar Chord (G Shape)

This E bar is known as the ‘G shape’ because it is based on an open G chord.

Here’s an open G chord:

Learn to play the G chord here: 4 Easy Ways To Play The G Chord On Guitar

Here’s the E bar chord (G shape):

Notice how the shape of a G chord fits in the E bar chord.

To play this chord:

• Place your 4th finger on the 12th fret of the low E string. (6th string.)
• Place your 3rd finger on the 11th fret of the A string. (5th string.)
• Barre your first finger over the 7th fret of the D (4th string), G (3rd string) and B string. (2nd string.)
• Strum ALL the strings.

If you fancy an added challenge, place your pinky on the 12th fret of the high E string. (1st string.)

E Bar Chord (D Shape)

Even though this strictly isn’t a barre chord, it’s useful to know if you want to enhance your fret board knowledge.

• Place your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the D string. (4th string.)
• Place your 2nd finger on the 4th fret of the G string. (3rd string.)
• Place your 3rd finger on the 4th fret of the high E string. (1st string.)
• Place your 4th finger on the 5th fret of the B string. (2nd string.)
• Strum from the D string. (4th string.)

Which barre chord shape is best?

If you’re new to barre chords, we recommend learning them in the following order:

• E bar chord. (E shape.)
• E bar chord. (A shape.)
• E bar chord. (C shape.)
• E bar chord. (D shape.)
• E bar chord. (G shape.)

It’s not essential that you know how to play EVERY single bar chord. However, it is incredibly useful as it extends your knowledge of the fret board.

Playing guitar is good for your mind and body. Find out why in this article by Guitar World: 10 Reasons Why Playing Guitar Is Good For Your Mind And Body

How do I practice barre chords?

Here are 3 essential tips which will help take your barre chords to the next level.

1) Squeeze your hand every time you play a barre chord correctly

Once you’ve learned how to play a E bar chord shape, squeeze your hand. Squeezing your hand engages your muscle memory and helps you remember the chord.

It’s important that the chord is correct. If you squeeze your hand and the chord is incorrect, you will be teaching yourself to play the wrong chord.

Make sure that:

• Each note rings out clearly.
• It doesn’t cause you any pain.
• It feels good to play.

If you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a barre chord master.

2) Every time you see a E chord, replace it with an E bar chord

The best way to practice barre chords is to use them in a musical situation. Any time you see an E chord in a song, use a barre chord shape.

3) Practice moving between each barre chord

A great way to test how well you know barre chords is to practice moving between each one. Start from the lowest chord on the fret board until you reach the highest.

You would practice each E bar chord in this order:

• Open E chord.
• E bar chord. (D shape.)
• E bar chord. (C shape.)
• E bar chord. (A shape.)
• E bar chord. (G shape.)
• E bar chord. (E shape.)

If you fancy an added challenge, do this in reverse. Start from the highest point on the fret board, and descend down to the lowest point.