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Learning movable chord shapes is a fairly simple concept. Yet, they can dramatically increase the number of chords and therefore the number of songs at your disposal.

Like many guitar students, my beginner days were spent memorizing about 10 open chords. You know, the ones found at the first 4 frets at the far end of the guitar neck.

When I gradually learned to move smoothly from chord to chord a whole world of songs were suddenly at my fingertips. For the first time I felt like a real guitar player.

It had taken quite a while to memorize the open chords and I just could not imagine how anyone could learn and remember all the chords that reside at the other 18 or so frets on the neck. It just did not make much sense. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for why certain notes were fingered on certain strings. Each and every chord just had to be memorized, or so I thought.

Learn To Play Barre Chords

One day my guitar teacher, Ms. Mosier, decided it was time for me to learn how to play barre chords. These chords required the index finger of my fretting hand to press down across all of the strings at a given fret all at once.

At first, my index finger ached and I had a difficult time getting all of the strings to produce a clean sound. Eventually my fingers became stronger and more importantly my technique improved to the point where I could consistently switch between different barre chords and produce a clean sound.

Learn to Move The Barre Chord Shapes

One day while practicing I felt like I was struck by lightening. I suddenly realized that if I played a G major Barre Chord at the third fret I could just slide my fingers up one fret while carefully maintaining the exact shape with my fingers and produce another major chord that was higher in pitch than the G major. It was a G# (sharp) Major.

I moved up another fret for the A major. Then the lights really came on. I could make one shape with my fingers, slide it up and down the guitar neck and produce at least 12 Major Chords.

Learn To Move Smoothly Between Companion Shapes

I can remember trying to play some simple chord progressions in an attempt to imitate some of my favorite rock songs from the radio. The theme song to the Beatles Sargent Pepper Album comes to mind. The problem, for my inexperienced hands, was in playing chords quickly and accurately that were somewhat far apart.

Again, my guitar teacher came to the rescue. She taught me another complimentary Major Chord shape that was barred at the same fret as the first. If both shapes were used together it would virtually shrink the guitar neck down to a much smaller and therefore more playable area.

For example, one Major Barre Chord shape at the 3rd fret will play a G Major. Another shape will play a C major Chord while barring the same fret. Using the same shape these chords are 5 frets apart. Using both companion shapes together puts them right on top of each other.

Tip: Companion shapes are also available for minor, major 7ths, minor 7ths just to name a few.

Great guitar players often make everything they play seem almost effortless. One major factor in their success comes from developing a large toolbox of tricks that make it possible for them to play as efficiently as possible. Follow their example and you will find that music that once seemed impossible will eventually become quite possible.

Learning movable barre chord companion shapes is one of these wonderfully efficient tricks for your toolbox. Each and every shape memorized will put an amazing 12 new chords within easy grasp.

For detailed steps to playing some of the common movable barre chord shapes and lots of other free guitar lessons, a free chord finder, an online guitar tuner and lots of detailed reviews of top video guitar lesson courses just follow this a link: http://www.compareguitarlessons.com/Guitar-Movable-Barre-Chord-Shapes.html