Just as we converted the open E major chord to an E minor chord by changing one note, we can do the same the ‘E’ type major barre chord.
The same can be applied to the ‘A’ type major barre chord to convert it to a minor barre chord.
Now just as we did in the major barre chords lesson, we can now move these around the fret board.
Depending on what note the root is determines which minor chord we are playing. Exactly the same as in the major barre chords lesson. So again it’s important to know your chromatic scale in order to understand which chords you are playing. Go back to the major barre chords lesson if this isn’t making much sense to you.
The use of barre chords is especially important for being able to play G minor, C minor, B minor, F minor. Of all the possible ways to play these chords, barre chord verions are by far the easiest. This is even more important for the sharp and flat versions of minor chords.
Now armed with the ability to play major and minor barre chords, you will find many songs in pop and rock music you’ll now be able to play without having to look up the chord shapes. If asked to play a Ebm(E flat minor)for example. You can take that Am barre chord shape, and simpley move the root note down the neck until it falls on a Eb note. As long as you know the notes along the string you will have no need to ever have to look up how to play any minor or major chord by using these barre chord principles.
If you watch many guitar players on television or on the internet, you’ll often notice that barre chords major and minor make up a large portion of what he or she is doing. It is recommended to really get a strong grasp of the idea behind barre chords and the technique used to play them.
Key points to remember!
- Minor barre chords can be played by moving the Em (E minor) and Am (A minor) shapes around the neck.
- Many minor chords, especially sharp and flat versions are extremely difficult to play unless you use barre chords.
- Understanding the principles of barre chords will mean you’ll never have to look up how to play a major or minor chord again.