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Tried and true? Yes. Boring? Maybe, but the trusty old “E shape” movable major triad is an indispensable tool in any guitarist’s toolbox; one that can save you when you’d otherwise be lost in the woods. This grip will serve you well for Blues, Folk, Rock, and Country music.

The thing that makes movable chord shapes your über secret weapon is that, once you learn one finger pattern, you can use it up and down the neck of the guitar and play that chord variation in any key you want. Learn this one fingering and the note names on the sixth string of the guitar, and suddenly you know all of the major triad chords. Somebody say woot?

While this isn’t necessarily the most desirable or convenient way to play songs on the guitar, you can see how — when in a bind — knowing these shapes can at least get you something to work with. This particular shape will also serve as the starting-point for many of the other grips we’ll discuss in the future. Learn it well…

Isn’t this just a plain old bar chord?

When I was first learning guitar, we called this grip a “bar chord.” After all, you make a “bar” with your finger, right?

Well, as you’ll see over the coming weeks, their are several varieties of barre chords. A barre chord is any combination of three or more notes where you are using one or more of your fingers to fret multiple notes at once; this one just happens to be one of the most commonly used in popular music. It’s a major triad (it has only three different notes in it) that uses the same fingering pattern (shape) as a E major chord.

“Wait a second,” you might be wondering, “I see six notes in this chord, not three.”

Excellent observation. You would be correct! However, in this grip, some of the notes repeat at a higher pitch.

Alright… Here’s the theory stuff

This shape contains the first, third, and fifth (I, III, V) notes of the corresponding major scale: Three I’s, one III, and two V’s, to be exact. Hence the technically correct term “triad,” meaning “three notes.” Check the diagram to see what I mean.

If you were playing this chord in the open position, you’d be playing an E major triad (The lowest note in the chord — the root note — tells you what chord you’re playing, and what scale to use, for this grip. The root notes in our diagrams are colored blue). The notes of the E major scale are:

I. E — II. F# — III. G# — IV. A — V. B — VI. C# — VII. D#

So, the notes in this chord are E, G#, and B (I, III, and V). Move it up one fret to F and (in addition to having to use a barre), you’d be playing the I, III, and V from the F major scale:

I. F — II. G — III. A — IV. Bb — V. C — VI. D — VII. E

In other words, the notes F, A, and C.

Keep going up the neck, and — to paraphrase old Jon Bon Jovi — the rule stays the same, only the note names change.

To be honest, from a practical perspective, the only note name that you really need to keep track of is the root. When playing or jamming with other musicians, you’ll more often refer to the scale number (more correctly called the “scale degree”). Since the degrees are universal and completely movable from one chord (or key) to another, it makes a handy way to communicate. Ultimately, you should learn all of your note names, in addition to your scale degrees, but if you’re just starting out, focus on the numbers. It’s easier.

Because this shape comprises one of the ever-important “CAGED” chords, I’ve actually included two grips in this installment: the chord in the open position, and the movable barre chord. We’ll cover all five of the CAGED chords in the coming weeks.

Practice, practice, practice

If this shape is new to you, be sure to practice it and learn it in all positions on the guitar neck. This is a simple task of moving the shape up one fret at a time, but while doing so, make sure that you name the chord you’re playing (E, F, F#, G, etc.). Then try grabbing this grip at a random position and saying the name of the chord out loud (fifth fret is A, ninth fret is C#, etc.). This will help you learn the notes on the sixth string of the guitar. Your goal should be to get your fingers familiar enough with this chord shape that you can grab it cold, without even thinking about it.

Remember: When grabbing any movable (barre) chord, make sure that the thumb of your fretting hand is on the back of the neck, right in the middle. Since you’re making a “barre” of your first finger, make sure that all six notes sound cleanly. This can take some getting used to, especially if your thumb and first finger aren’t used to the workout. If you feel the palm part of your thumb start to cramp up, take a break, shake it out, and let your hand relax. You don’t want to overdo it right away.

Combine this with next week’s grip (the movable major A shape) and you’ll be well on your way to playing almost any Blues song that shuffles your way.

Stay tuned…