ey Friend,

Happy Friday!

I've got some MP3s and tab exercises for you to download today. They're tied to the past few days of messages about barring all the strings and forming the C major barre chord at the eighth fret.

I've also included exercises for the A shape barre chord. The example is F major at the eighth fret as well. The difference is this chord is rooted on the fifth string. Actually, any time you use the A shape it will be rooted on the fifth string.

Each exercise starts you with the root note of the chord. We then add the five note, forming a power chord. Next the root note is doubled, and finally the three note is brought in to complete the chord.

I did not show the index finger barring all the strings. I want you to get your fingers used to "the reach" before you focus on laying the index finger down in the chord.

Now A shape barre chords can be really be very challenging because it's not just your index finger doing a barre. You also have to enlist your ring finger to do it, and you have to learn how to bend the finger back at the first joint. Otherwise, the ring finger ends up muting the first string.

In most cases this isn't a huge deal, but there will be times when you want to hear the note on the first string.

As you work through the exercise for the F major barre chord, you'll begin to see why a power chord can be extremely helpful and convenient. When I started playing guitar and was introduced to the B major chord, I just stopped trying to play it after a few attempts. I just decided I wouldn't play any songs that had a B major barre chord in it!

I'll come back to a more in-depth walk-through of the chord, but try it for now.

If I had known about power chords back then, if someone had had the presences of mind to let me in on the secret, things might have turned out differently. I could have had a lot more confidence. I may have started a band much  earlier than I did. Might have even successfully built a career as a full time musician rather than a computer jockey. Who knows...

You might think all I want to do is sell you my Easy Power Chords ebook. But you should be able to see that providing you a shortcut like power chords removes a road block to you learning to play guitar the way you want to. That doesn't mean I've held back on teaching you full barre chords (or any other, for that matter).

You've got options. Yes, learn full barre chords. Practice them, get your hands strong. But don't hold yourself back from playing the music that got you into guitar in the first place, just because there's a mean barre chord taunting you in a song. 

I you want a reference of over 250 power chords, get it right here in Easy Power Chords. If not, that's cool, too. I'll keep teaching you... you're my peeps!

Peace~

Dave