The pictures on this page should explain themselves. So far we have worked out how to play "E" shape & "A" shape bar chords. The next step was to learn where to place those bar chord shapes to make different chords such as A Major, C Major, D Major and so on. For example playing an "E" shape bar chord on the 5th fret makes an A Major chord. The next step is to learn the five different extensions of the "E" & "A" shape. That is E/A Major, E/A Minor, E/A 7th, E/A Minor 7th & E/A Major 7th. Now these are not the only five extensions there are, once you learn how to play a E Major 6th chord, then you also know how to play a E Major 6th bar chord.
5 Main A Shape Extensions
These are the five most common extensions I have come across,
- Major
- Minor
- Seventh
- Major Seventh
- Minor Seventh
Learn these common extensions first, then you can move on to some more colorful chords later.
As you can see, any form of E or A chord you can play, whether it be E Major, E Minor or E Diminished, can be made into a bar chord shape. In fact, any open chord you play on the guitar, as long as it is using three fingers and you can play the chord with your first finger free, can be played as a bar chord.