What Are Different Barre Skills You Can Practice on Guitar?

All barre chords seem to fit in one category: challenging.

But as you explore further, there are different barre skills to practice.

Partial Barre

Play a four-string F chord.

Work to adjust your barring finger so that both the first-string and second-string notes sound clearly.

E Shape

Practice the full E shape on a barre. Most people start with this at the first fret, playing an F chord. Because it is harder to barre at the first fret, I suggest moving to the 6^th fret and playing a Bb chord. Realize that you do not need to apply pressure on every string equally.

You need the pressure primarily on the 1^st, 2^nd, and 6^th strings. As you gain strength in your barring finger, you can gradually move the barre to lower frets.

Take Breaks

It is important to realize that barres can quickly tax the endurance of your hand. After practicing barres for a few minutes, practice something else for a while and come back to barres when your left hand no longer feels tired.

A Shape

Practice the A shape on a barre. Again, I suggest doing this on the 6^th fret initially, playing an Eb chord.

The pressure on the barre is primarily needed on the 1^st and 5^th strings. As you gain strength in your barring finger, you can gradually move the barre to lower frets.

Hinge Barre

Also practice the hinge barre. This means raising and lowering part of the barre while keeping another part of the barre in place. One example would be playing an F chord in 1^st position using the E shape. Try lifting the tip of the barre off the 6^th string and playing the open E while leaving the other notes of the chord ringing. Then place the tip of the barre back on the 6^th string and play the F chord again.

Before you practice barre chords, I suggest starting with a 10-minute Warmup Routine.

If you would like a free PDF of my Warmup, click here.