Bar/Barre Chords "Workarounds"

As you have found Barre chords are a handful especially on the acoustic

and it can be frustrating especially if you just need 1 chord

B minor or Bb Major for exanmple

Sometimes if you only hit the appropriate strings you can get by with an easier shape!

There are a couple of “work-arounds” try this;

 for a Major  chord

this shape, XX3211 = F Major in the first fret

  F# Major in 2^nd fret

  G Major in 3^rd fret and so on

For a minor chord

This shape  XX3321 = Bb minor in 1st fret

B minor starting in the 2^nd fret

C minor in the 3^rd and so on

The A Major Bar Chord shape is really tricky to get right and I wouldn't worry about it too much, if you bash out some power chords songs with the A Shape Power chord shape (which is just the same except that you don't play the 2nd or 1st string), later on it is not such a chore as you are used to the shape and it is just a case of perfecting it

OF course if you need (say) Bb now this minute then there a few options ;

Bb = XX333X (which is The open A chord in the 3rd fret giving you  A# or Bb)

Bb = XX8766 (which is the 3 fingered "F" shape in the 6th fret)

Bb = XX3331  ( I never liked this 4 finger shape!)

Bb = XXX331  ( only hit 3 strings !)

 Or you could use this :

Bb6 XX3333 (1st finger only, over the lot!)

Gm7 353333 (1st finger barre across and 3rd finger on the 5th string)

Or if you prefer written as Tablature

Power chords (5)

    D5    A5   B5   Bb5   C5    F5   A5  E5

1e:-X-----X----X-----X----X------X---X---X--|

2B:-X-----X----X-----X----X------X---X---X--|

3G:-7-----X----X-----X----X------10—-2---X--|

4D:-7-----7----9-----8----10-----10—-2---2--|

5A:-5-----7----9-----8----10-----8---0---2--|

6E:-X-----5----7-----6----8------X---X---0--|

    F  F  F  Fmaj7 Fm  Fm  Fm  Fm7   Bbm  Bbm   Bbm   Bb  Bb  Bb   Bb   Bb6 Gm7

1e:-1—-1-—1--0-----1—--1--—1---1-----1-----1-----1----X---6---1----1---3---3-|

2B:-1—-1-—1--1-----1—--1--—1---1-----2-----2-----2----3---6---3----3---3---3-|

3G:-2-—2—-2--2-----1--—1—--1---1-----3-----3-----3----3---7---3----3---3---3-|

4D:-3-—3—-3--3-----3--—3—--3---1-----3-----3-----X----3---8---3----X---3---3-|

5A:-3--3--X--X-----3---3---X---X-----1-----x-----X----X---X---X----X---X---5-|

6E:-1--X—-X-—X-----1---X---X---X-----X-----X-----X----X---X---X----X---X---3-|

Hope this helps!