If F barre is the E-shape barre, B barre (at the 2nd fret) is the A-shape barre. Same principle: barre across the strings, the open shape moves with you.
Deep-dive guide
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A longer write-up with every detail, drill, and common pitfall.
The shape
For B major (A-shape at the 2nd fret):- Index finger: barre at the 2nd fret across strings A-high e (you can leave low E muted)
- Ring finger: barre at the 4th fret across D, G, B strings
- Strum from the A string down
(Bb is the A-shape barre at the 1st fret, same shape one fret lower.)
The trick: roll, don't press flat
Same as the F barre. Roll your index finger slightly to use the side, not the pad. The space between the fingertip and the first knuckle should clear the strings it doesn't need to fret (the high e in some voicings).Drill at the 5th fret first
The 5th fret has more space between frets and lower action than the 1st or 2nd fret. Start your A-shape barre drills at the 5th fret (which gives you a D major) and work your way down to the 2nd fret over a few sessions.Practice metronome
60BPM
60 BPM. Strum the barre at the 5th fret (D major). Lift. Place. Strum. Five minutes.
Mix it with F
F (E-shape, 1st fret) → B (A-shape, 2nd fret) → C (A-shape, 3rd fret) → D (A-shape, 5th fret).All four are barre chords. You can move smoothly between them once your hand strength is up.
Bm: the partial A-shape minor barre
- Index: barre across the 2nd fret on strings A-high e
- Middle: 3rd fret B string
- Ring: 4th fret D string
- Pinky: 4th fret G string
Next: the CAGED system. Why all of this connects.