14 Bar Chords Guitar Player Should Know (6th string root)

Why are they called bar chords? It is due to your first finger creating a “bar” by pressing down across all six strings on the guitar.

What are bar chords? Bar chords are foundational chords for guitar players to learn. Similar to power chords, bar chords are commonly used in rock and pop music. They are more difficult to play for beginner players due to the finger strength required to play them. 

If you are just starting out with these chords, you’ll find them easier to pull off on an electric guitar versus an acoustic guitar. This is because the lighter strings on an electric guitar make these chords easier to play.

If you would like to visualize the notes for each bar chord chart in this post, take a look at my post on the notes on the guitar fretboard. 

If you would also like to play bar chords from the 5th string, check out my post here.

C Bar Chord (Major)

This C Bar chord is played from the 8th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: C, E, G

Here is how to play this C bar chord on guitar:

C Bar Chord (Minor)

This C Bar Minor chord is played from the 8th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: C, Eb, G

Here is how to play this C bar chord on guitar:

D Bar Chord (Major)

This D Bar chord is played from the 10th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: D, F#, A

Here is how to play this D bar chord on guitar:

D Bar Chord (Minor)

This D Bar Minor chord is played from the 10th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: D, F, A

Here is how to play this D bar chord on guitar:

E Bar Chord (Major)

This E Bar chord is played from the 12th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: E, G#, B

Here is how to play this E bar chord on guitar:

E Bar Chord (Minor)

This E Bar Minor chord is played from the 12th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: E, G, B

Here is how to play this E bar chord on guitar:

F Bar Chord (Major)

This F Bar chord is played from the 1st fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: F, A, C

Here is how to play this F bar chord on guitar:

F Bar Chord (Minor)

This F Bar Minor chord is played from the 1st fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: F, Ab, C

Here is how to play this F bar chord on guitar:

G Bar Chord (Major)

This G Bar chord is played from the 3rd fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: G, B, D

Here is how to play this G bar chord on guitar:

G Bar Chord (Minor)

This G Bar Minor chord is played from the 3rd fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: G, Bb, D

Here is how to play this G bar chord on guitar:

A Bar Chord (Major)

This A Bar chord is played from the 5th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: A, C#, E

Here is how to play this A bar chord on guitar:

A Bar Chord (Minor)

This A Bar Minor chord is played from the 5th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: A, C, E

Here is how to play this A bar chord on guitar:

B Bar Chord (Major)

This B Bar chord is played from the 7th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Major chord made up of these notes: B, D#, F#

Here is how to play this B bar chord on guitar:

B Bar Chord (Minor)

This B Bar Minor chord is played from the 7th fret on the guitar. 

It is a Minor chord made up of these notes: B, D, F#

Here is how to play this B bar chord on guitar:

Further reading

1. 14 Barre Chords Guitar Players Should Know (5th string root)
2. 8 Power Chords Guitar Players Should Know
3. Five Easy Guitar Chords You Should Know: F Chords
4. F Power Chords Guitar Players Should Know
5. Power Chord Alternatives: Five Voicings to Try
6. Guitar Fretboard Notes Chart: What The Notes Are & How To Memorize Them