No Bar Chords EVER Again

I’m excited to share a game-changing method that will drastically simplify your guitar playing experience. Imagine never having to play a single bar chord again for 99% of the chords you encounter in pop, rock, country, and blues songs. Yes, you heard that right! This is not just some flashy claim; if you follow the method I’m about to share in this video, you’ll achieve just that.

Let me start by saying that I have nothing against bar chords. In fact, I use them often to help my students level up their guitar skills. I even have entire courses dedicated to mastering bar chords. But the truth is, I don’t always need to use them, and neither do you. By applying this simple method, which I’ll walk you through step-by-step, you can play most songs without relying on bar chords.

This method is incredibly easy to grasp, and it delivers results quickly—provided you follow it precisely as I instruct. However, for it to work, you must first master three essential skills. These skills are foundational, and you need to be really, really good at them. It’s crucial to approach this with an open mind, even if you think you already know what I’m about to tell you. Remember, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things. The prize only goes to those who apply what they’ve learned.

So, what are these three essential skills? Let’s dive in.

Skill #1: Mastering the Nine Essential Chords as Chordal Scales

The first thing you need to do is master the nine essential chords as chordal scales. Don’t worry; I’ll be demonstrating this in the video. But more importantly, I’ve got additional resources that will make this even easier for you to understand and apply. Stick with me until the end of the video, and I’ll provide you with everything you need.

Skill #2: Using the Capo to Transpose Any Song Instantly

The second skill is the ability to use a capo to transpose any song into any key instantly. I’m not just talking about slapping a capo on your guitar and moving from G to G#. Anyone can do that. What I’m referring to is the skill to take any song and transpose it to any key at a moment’s notice. If you can’t do that, then this method won’t work for you.

Skill #3: Playing the B Minor and F Chords Without Bar Chords

The third skill is the ability to play the B minor and F chords without using bar chords. Yes, you heard me right—this is absolutely possible, and I’ll show you exactly how to do it in this video.

Now, you might be wondering why this method works so well. The answer lies in the major scale, which is the foundation of nearly all music. I’d go as far as to say that 99.9% of all the music you listen to is based on the major scale. This includes virtually all Western music, from classical to pop, and everything in between.

The major scale creates a natural chordal structure. For example, if we take the notes of the major scale and build chords by skipping every other note, we end up with a sequence of chords that are major, minor, and diminished. Specifically, the pattern goes: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, and diminished. This pattern is consistent across every major key, every instrument, and every song.

Although this method isn’t directly applicable to jazz guitar, where more complex chords like diminished and augmented chords are prevalent, it will enhance your understanding of music theory and make your life much easier when playing most popular music.

The Nine Essential Chords

Now, let’s talk about the nine essential chords. I call them “essential” because, in my experience of teaching tens of thousands of one-on-one lessons, these chords appear in almost every song. What’s more, they fit perfectly into the keys of G major and C major, which are the easiest keys for guitarists because they require the fewest bar chords.

By focusing on G major and C major, you can play all the natural chords that appear in these keys using only open chords. This approach allows you to avoid bar chords altogether while still playing in key. Additionally, you can incorporate some “borrowed” chords—chords borrowed from other keys that fit nicely into your song’s key without being directly related to it.

But don’t worry—you don’t have to memorize all of this right now. I’ve created a handy PDF that covers everything in detail. Let’s go through the chords: G, C, D, D-, E-, E, A, A- and B7. There you have it—the nine essential chords.

These chords work together beautifully in the keys of G major and C major. And while you will need to use your capo to make the most of this method, knowing these chords inside and out is crucial. When you understand them as part of a chordal scale, you’ll be able to play through any song with ease.

The Power of the Capo

Next up is the capo. It’s essential to not only know how to use a capo but to understand its full potential. For example, if you’re playing in the key of G, you can easily transpose to G# by placing the capo on the first fret. But what if someone asks you to play in the key of G flat? That’s when most guitarists freeze up. The key to mastering this method is to think about the capo differently. By using it strategically, you can transpose any song into the key of G major or C major, keeping you in a world where bar chords aren’t necessary.

For instance, playing in the key of G# would typically require bar chords. But by capoing on the first fret, you can use the same open chords without ever needing to bar. However, if you don’t know the essential chords in G major and C major, or if you don’t know how to use the capo effectively, this method won’t work for you.

Playing B Minor and F Chords Without Bar Chords

Finally, let’s tackle the B minor and F chords without bar chords. Why focus on these two? Because, with the nine essential chords, we’ve covered all the major and minor chords needed for the first six chords of the keys of G and C. But B minor in the key of G and F in the key of C are usually played as bar chords.

Let’s start with the F chord. If you’ve seen my F chord video on YouTube, you’ll know that you can play an F chord without barring. You can take the F bar chord and simplify it by playing the bottom five strings or just the four inside strings. This way, you avoid barring altogether. You can even play it using just strings 3, 2, and 1, or strings 5, 4, and 3.

As for the B minor chord, you can play it without a bar by focusing on the first four strings. Normally, we bar the second fret to play B minor, but by simplifying it to just the first four strings and muting the first string, you can achieve the same sound without barring. This approach may seem unconventional, but it works, and it keeps you from having to use bar chords.

Now that you’ve learned these three essential skills, you can put them together and unlock a new level of guitar playing. I know this might seem like a lot to take in, but trust me, it’s simpler than it sounds. Most guitarists never learn these techniques, or if they do, they don’t realize how they can be used together to avoid bar chords.

While bar chords are a valuable tool, you don’t have to rely on them. By mastering the nine essential chords, effectively using the capo, and learning to play B minor and F without bar chords, you’ll have the freedom to play most songs with ease. Give this method a try, and you’ll never look at bar chords the same way again!

For the mini-course "Song Playing Simplified" & PDFs Click Here