Minor Mini Barre Chords (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (05:29) Mini Minor Barre Chords Warm Up
Before moving on with the lesson, be sure to review and practice the following:

- Warm-up the hands.
- Stretch the wrists.
- Play the major and minor open chords.
- Warm up your strumming muscles by relaxing the wrists and letting the pick flow over the strings.
- Play the E major chord in the "new" way and play the type 1 barre chords.
- Play the A major chord in the "new" way and play the type 2 barre chords.
- Practice the "slanting A" technique.
- Practice the type 1 minor barre chords.
- Practice the type 2 minor barre chords.
- Play all of the type 1 mini-barre chords.
- Play all of the type 2 mini-barre chords.

So we've been focusing on playing the miniature versions of major barre chords or what I like to call mini-barre chords, right? But what about the minor chord versions? Let's take a look at those now!

Type 1 Minor Chords: Mini-barres
Just as there are mini versions of major chords, there are mini versions of the minor chords that can make playing them easier. Follow me through these steps:

Here is the type 1 Fm chord:

Fm
E_1_
B_1_
G_1_
D_3_
A_3_
E_1_

And the mini-barre version of it:

Fm
E_1_
B_1_
G_1_
D_3_
A_X_
E_X_

Here is the type 1 Gm barre chord:

Gm
E_3_
B_3_
G_3_
D_5_
A_5_
E_3_

And the mini-barre version of it:

Gm
E_3_
B_3_
G_3_
D_5_
A_x_
E_x_

Notice how I just removed the finger placement on the low E-string, and the placement on the A string. Be careful though to make sure and push down hard on the G, B and high E-strings or you may not get a clean and un-muted sound from the chord. Even though you are not playing a traditional barre chord, this type of chord still takes some hand strength to play correctly.

*Note: as mentioned in previous lessons, when fretting less strings, it is also sometimes necessary to strum less strings in order to avoid a dissonant sounding chord. Watch me in the video for more tips on how to do this effectively. Chapter 2: (01:02) Exercise Exercise 1
Play the type 1 mini-barre minor chords all the way up the neck starting with Fm. Play this strum: or "down down-up" and play each of the mini-barre minors as far up the neck as you can go. Remember to pay attention to how many strings you are strumming and to the overall sound of the chord. Adjust your strum and/or fingering to produce a cleaner and more beautiful sound. Also, don't forget to relax your wrist and let the pick flow over the strings. Chapter 3: (03:02) Type II Mini Barre Chords Changing type II bar chords into mini-barre chords is just as simple as the type I minors. Follow me through the following steps concerning the type II mini-barre minors.

Here is the Type II Bm chord:

Bm
E_2_
B_3_
G_4_
D_4_
A_2_
E_x_

and the mini-barre version of it (example #1):

Bm
E_2_
B_3_
G_4_
D_4_
A_x_
E_x_

Or even simpler (example #2):

Bm
E_2_
B_3_
G_4_
D_x_
A_x_
E_x_

And here is the type II Cm chord:

Cm
E_3_
B_4_
G_5_
D_5_
A_3_
E_x__

And the mini-barre version of it (example #1):

Cm
E_3_
B_4_
G_5_
D_5_
A_x_
E_x_

Or even simpler (example #2):

Cm
E_3_
B_4_
G_5_
D_x_
A_x_
E_x_

It's just that simple! You can play this chord by placing your first finger on the high E-string, your second finger on the B-string, your third on the D-string, and your pinky directly beneath it on the G-string (example 1). Or you can play the simplest version by placing your first finger on the high E-string on the 3rd fret, your second finger on the B-string on the fourth fret and your third finger on the G-string on the fifth fret (example 2). Once again, be aware that you will need to shorten your strum and play fewer strings in order to produce a sweet sounding chord regardless of whether you play example 1 or 2.

Exercise 2
Play all of the type II mini-barre minor chords all the way up the neck beginning with Bm. Don't forget to pay attention to where your half and whole steps belong. Play with this strum: or the ever-popular "down down-up down." Relax your wrist and breathing while you strum. Chapter 4: (02:49) Final Exercise Exercise 3
Play type I mini-barre Gm and then play type II mini-barre Cm, both on the third fret. Notice what your first finger has to do to change and accommodate the two different types of chords. Try this change with type I mini-barre Am and type II mini-barre Dm both on the fifth fret. Again, feel the difference in your hand and the changes that your hand muscles have to make to form the chords properly and beautifully. Try this exercise back and forth up the neck paying attention to where the half and whole steps are. Say the chord names aloud as you do this exercise.

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