Playing Major Barre Chords Based on A

In the subsequent posts, I will be introducing to you another major group of barre chords, the A-based barre chords. The A-based major barre chord looks like an open A chord but with different fingering. This group of barre chords takes its letter name from the fret on the 5th string (A-String) at which you place your barre.

How to finger the A-based major barre chord

1. Finger an open A chord, but instead of using the normal fingering of 1-2-3, use 2-3-4.

2. Lay your first finger down across all six strings, just above the nut.

3. Take the entire left-hand shape from Step 2 and slide it up two frets so that your first finger barres the second fret, producing a B-chord, as shown in the figure below.

4. After you finger the B-chord, try playing the notes of the chord one string at a time (from the 5th string to the 1st) to see whether all the notes ring out clearly.

TIP: If you encounter any muffled notes, check to see that your left-hand fingers are touching only the appropriate strings and aren't preventing adjacent ones from ringing. If the sound is still muted, you need to exert more pressure with your fingers.