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Lesson 2 of 3

A-shape barre

The A shape is the second movable barre chord. The root is on the A string, under your index finger: fret 2 is B, fret 3 is C, fret 5 is D.

Barre the index across the top five strings at the root fret. Then add the open A chord shape two frets higher: middle on D, ring on G, pinky on B. If that's too cramped, flatten your ring finger across the D, G and B strings instead. The low E is muted by the tip of your index finger touching it.

Pick through B major at the 2nd fret until every note rings. The high e is the one that usually dies; check that nothing leans on it.

Then combine both shapes in G major: G with the E shape at fret 3, C with the A shape at fret 3, D with the A shape at fret 5. Now three chords sit within a few frets of each other.

The most common mistake is strumming the low E on the A shape. Aim the strum at the A string and keep the index tip touching the low E.

Exercises

Pick through B

50 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, fret 2
    2. D string, fret 4
    3. G string, fret 4
    4. B string, fret 4
    5. high E string, fret 2
    6. B string, fret 4
    7. G string, fret 4
    8. D string, fret 4
  2. Bar 2
    1. A string, fret 2
    2. D string, fret 4
    3. G string, fret 4
    4. B string, fret 4
    5. high E string, fret 2
    6. B string, fret 4
    7. G string, fret 4
    8. D string, fret 4

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

G-C-D with two shapes

50 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 4 + B string, fret 3 + high E string, fret 3
    2. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 4 + B string, fret 3 + high E string, fret 3
    3. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 4 + B string, fret 3 + high E string, fret 3
    4. low E string, fret 3 + A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 4 + B string, fret 3 + high E string, fret 3
  2. Bar 2
    1. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    2. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    3. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    4. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
  3. Bar 3
    1. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 7 + high E string, fret 5
    2. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 7 + high E string, fret 5
    3. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 7 + high E string, fret 5
    4. A string, fret 5 + D string, fret 7 + G string, fret 7 + B string, fret 7 + high E string, fret 5
  4. Bar 4
    1. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    2. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    3. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3
    4. A string, fret 3 + D string, fret 5 + G string, fret 5 + B string, fret 5 + high E string, fret 3

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Pick through C and D

50 → 90 bpm
  1. Bar 1
    1. A string, fret 3
    2. D string, fret 5
    3. G string, fret 5
    4. B string, fret 5
    5. high E string, fret 3
    6. B string, fret 5
    7. G string, fret 5
    8. D string, fret 5
  2. Bar 2
    1. A string, fret 5
    2. D string, fret 7
    3. G string, fret 7
    4. B string, fret 7
    5. high E string, fret 5
    6. B string, fret 7
    7. G string, fret 7
    8. D string, fret 7

Clean 3 times in a row? Raise the tempo by 5 bpm.

Checkpoint

Move on when you can do all of these.

  • All five strings of B ring when picked one by one
  • G-C-D-C at 90 bpm, switching between E and A shapes
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