Master Barre Chords

Blues Chord Techniques

Learn essential barre chord techniques to elevate your blues guitar performance and creativity.

Chord Shapes

Blues barre chords come in all kinds of shapes, we are going to organize them according to the position of their root, That Root, the note that gives the note name to the chord can be placed on string 6 or 5, we will build a shape for each place so we will have 2 shapes for each chord species.

Dominant Shapes

Shape with root on string 6, fret 5, note A what results in a A7 Chord

Shape with root on string 5, fret 5, note D what results in a D7 Chord

Tracking Blues Chords

You have learned the shapes, Great! now you know A7 and D7 but how to find any other chord? well, it´s time to track chords.

In A7 the note that names the chord, the note A is the lowest note, string 6 fret 5. It´s also called Root note.

Now you need to learn How the notes are displayed along the fretboard, for now only along the string 6, step by step.

Let´s begin with learning the distances that are between each note.

C 1 tone D 1 tone E 1/2 tone F 1 tone G 1 tone A 1 tone B 1/2 tone C

Wait a moment Andrés, What´s a tone? well, every fret of your guitar is half tone, that means that from fret 1 to fret 3 there are 2 frets, 1/2 tone + 1/2 tone = 1 tone

That said, If the fret 5 ( String 6) Is an A, to find the note G you only need to go 1 tone down, from fret 5 to fret 3, that means that on the fret 3 you will play the note G, If you want to find the note C you will need to go from A to B, one tone up, and from B to C, another half tone up and there it is the note C , on the fret number 8.

Ok, but What´s this for? you can now track all the C Major root notes, place your Dominant A shape on any note and the new note will take the name of the root, you place it on the fret 7? you get the B7 chord, yoy place it on the fret 3? you get G7, etc...

Perfect but... Sometimes there are strange symbols next to the root note, # or b Those symbols add or take 1/2 tone from the note that precedes them. Example. Ab is on the fret 4, why? A is on fret 5, the b removes 1/2 tone, 1 fret, so fret 5 -1 fret equals fret 4. The # adds 1/2 tone so A# will be on fret 6.

• # + 1/2 tone

• b -1/2 tone

Amazing! Now you can track any note on the string 6, but still there is something a bit confusing, fret 6 is A# or Bb?

The answer is both, yes, depending on the key you are it will be called in a way or the other but that´s for other time

Do you remember? You have learned 2 shapes, A7 on string 6 and D7 on string 5, How do you track chords using the D7 shape? Same system than with the string 6 but applying it on the string 5, D7 is on the fret 5, string 5 so If you want to play E7 you only need to rais it 1 tone, 2 frets, your E7 will be on fret 7.

This system lets you find 7th chords all over the neck by shifting the entire shape.

Do you want to play a Blues? follow the Blues Structure and beging using the Blues Barre Chords System