Notice the gap of one fret between the barre finger and the middle, ring and pinky. The cross means don't play the thickest string.
- The A shape chord is more challenging than the E shape.
- Stack the middle, ring and pinky on top of each other. They should be locked tightly together.
- You don't need to hold down the top string with A shape barre chords.
Click here for a barre chord exercise that changes from E to A shape.
Below is an additional video with how to make A shape barre chords a different way.
You may find it easier to make them this way so please watch the video to find out...