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Learn guitar 5/5: Your first barre chord (F and Bm)
Last lesson: from the small F to the full F, Bm, index-finger position, the moving-shape idea and practice with songs that have a single barre chord.
The last lesson of the series. A barre is your index finger pressing every string at the same fret; nobody gets it to ring on the first try. This article gives a path from small to full, and songs with a single barre chord — one clean F is all you need.
Start with the small F
Four-string F: the index finger presses only strings 1 and 2 at fret 1, finger 2 on string 3 fret 2, finger 3 on string 4 fret 3. It's half of the six-string F and does the same job in a song. Check string by string; stay with it for two days.
The full F
- Index finger slightly rolled onto its side (bony edge to the strings), right behind the fret wire.
- Thumb straight behind the neck, opposite the index finger: the force comes from counter-pressure, not from squeezing.
- Bring the elbow in towards the body; keep the wrist straight. If it hurts, stop — five minutes a day is enough, continue tomorrow.
The moving shape
F is the E chord moved up one fret, with the index finger standing in for the nut. The same shape at fret 3 is G, at fret 5 A, at fret 7 B. Bm is the Am shape moved to fret 2. Two barre shapes = every chord on the neck. More in how to play barre chords.
This week's drill
Five minutes a day: fret the F, pick each string, release, repeat. Then C – F – G – C, two beats per chord, 60 BPM. If the F fails, fall back to the small F; don't break the rhythm.
Songs with a single barre chord
Each of these has just one barre chord (F, Bm or F#m), the rest open. Get ready one beat before the barre; if it doesn't land, strum open strings for that bar and keep the song moving.
- Taylor Swift — All Too Well C – G – Am – F · 93 BPM
- Bruno Mars — Count on Me C – Em – Am – G – F – Dm · 89 BPM
- Taylor Swift — Delicate F – C – G – Dm – Am – Em · 95 BPM
- The Animals — The House of the Rising Sun E – Am – C – D – F · 124 BPM
- 4 Non Blondes — What's Up? A – D – Bm · 135 BPM
- Noah Kahan — Stick Season F#m – E – A – D · 118 BPM
- Nirvana — Polly Em – G – D – C – A# · 121 BPM
Series done — what's next?
With the chords from these five lessons you can play most of the catalogue. Next steps: work through the easy chords list, use transposing to fit songs to your voice, or switch to ukulele — same songs, four strings.
Previous: 4/5 — Changes and the capo · Back to the start: 1/5 — Holding and first chords.