A, Am, E, Em Chord Forms

Track 1Guitar

TabSheetNotes

Tuning: E A D G B E

Capo: No capo

BPM: 200

    Why and when do we use bar chords?
    We like to play chords with open strings. Like when we play an Em there are 4 open strings. But sometimes
    that isn't possible. How can we play an A# chord when none of the strings are open? -We need to use a bar
    chord. Rather than take the time to locate a root, 5th, and everything else required, we can just use
    the same form as an A or E form.
    For example, here the the E chord Here is the F chord played in the same form (E form)
e|----------------------|--------------------|0-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|----------------------|--------------------|0-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|----------------------|--------------------|1-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------------|--------------------|2-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|----------------------|--------------------|2-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E|----------------------|--------------------|0-------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

                                                                   We just took the exact same chord and moved it up to the root. Kind of like playing with a capo
                                                                   Here are some more examples of chords played in E form. Notice they all have the same shape, they just move
                                                                   to the given root
                                                                   E form
                                                                   E         F          G         A
e|------------1---------|--------------------|--------------------|0---------1---------|3---------5---------|
B|------------1---------|--------------------|--------------------|0---------1---------|3---------5---------|
G|------------2---------|--------------------|--------------------|1---------2---------|4---------6---------|
D|------------3---------|--------------------|--------------------|2---------3---------|5---------7---------|
A|------------3---------|--------------------|--------------------|2---------3---------|5---------7---------|
E|------------1---------|--------------------|--------------------|0---------1---------|3---------5---------|

          We can do the same thing with E minor
          Em form                                         But what if the root is one the A string? Then we can use the A form.
    C     Em   Fm              Gm        Am         Cm    For example here is the A form and here is the A# chord played with the same form
e|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|---------------**---|
B|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|---------------**---|
G|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|---------------**---|
D|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|---------------**---|
A|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|---------------**---|
E|--**---|**--------**--------|**--------**--------|**---|--------------------|

                                                                                   Here are more examples of A form chords
                                                                                   A form A       B
e|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------|-----**--------**---|
B|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------**---|-----**--------**---|
G|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------**---|-----**--------**---|
D|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------**---|-----**--------**---|
A|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------**---|-----**--------**---|
E|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------|--------------------|

                                    We can do the same thing with A minor
         C         D          E     Am form Am Bm        Cm             Dm         Em
e|-------**--------**---|-----**---|-----**--------**---|-----**--------**---|-----**---|
B|-------**--------**---|-----**---|-----**--------**---|-----**--------**---|-----**---|
G|-------**--------**---|-----**---|-----**--------**---|-----**--------**---|-----**---|
D|-------**--------**---|-----**---|-----**--------**---|-----**--------**---|-----**---|
A|-------**--------**---|-----**---|-----**--------**---|-----**--------**---|-----**---|
E|----------------------|----------|--------------------|--------------------|----------|

    Example song: D                     A                               Bm                             G
e|----------------------|**------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|-----------------**---|-----**-------------|----------**--------|--------------------|**------------------|
G|------------**--------|----------**--------|-----**--------**---|---------------**---|-----**-------------|
D|-------**-------------|--------------------|**------------------|**--------**--------|----------**--------|
A|----------------------|---------------**---|--------------------|-----**-------------|--------------------|
E|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------**---|

                               Same song in bar chords:
                               D                              A
e|----------------------|-----|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|------------**--------|-----|---------------**---|--------------------|--------------------|
G|-------**--------**---|-----|----------**--------|**------------------|-----**-------------|
D|--**------------------|**---|-----**-------------|-----**-------------|**--------**--------|
A|----------------------|-----|**------------------|---------------**---|---------------**---|
E|----------------------|-----|--------------------|----------**--------|--------------------|

                                                                   Assignment: show each chord in the form i am asking
    Bm                             G                               G in A form A# in A form G#m in Em form Cm in Em form Cm in Am form B in E form
e|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|----------**--------|--------------------|
G|-----------------**---|--------------------|-----**-------------|----------**--------|--------------------|
D|------------**--------|**------------------|**--------**--------|----------**--------|--------------------|
A|-------**-------------|-----**--------**---|---------------**---|----------**--------|--------------------|
E|--**------------------|----------**--------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

e|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

                                                        Why do we care? Because we need to know how to play chords like G#, B, D#, Fm. This will greatly increase our
                                                        chord capabilities
e|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
A|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E|----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

Instrument

Playback

Keypad

Articulations

Chords

Guitar

Report copyright infringement

Details

Instruments: Guitar
Tracks: 1
Tempo: 200 BPM
Time signature: 4/4
Tuning: E A D G B E

Published 19 Feb 2022

Video

Chris and Mom learning and play morning routine

Watch on YouTube

More Than Tabs

Hear every part, read it in the notation you prefer, and practise it at your own tempo

Audio Playback

Play the whole score back, or step through it note by note. Every track is synthesised from its own instrument, so a drum line sounds like drums and a piano part sounds like a piano.

Dual Notation

Switch any track between tablature, standard notation and note names — or show them stacked, aligned bar for bar. The same score, in whichever language you read fastest.

Practice Tools

Slow the tempo until a passage sits under your fingers, set the play range to loop the bar you keep missing, and mute the tracks you want to play yourself.

About This Score

Read it, hear it, and learn it — free, in the browser, with nothing to install.

A, Am, E, Em Chord Forms is a Guitar score arranged by ammon.baker.166579. Read it as tablature or as standard sheet music notation, play it back at any tempo, and practise it a bar at a time.

It is written for 1 track, 4/4 time and 200 BPM, tuned E A D G B E. The tempo is yours to change — slow it down to learn the shapes, then bring it back up to speed.

Looking for A, Am, E, Em Chord Forms Guitar Tabs or A, Am, E, Em Chord Forms Guitar Sheet Music? You are in the right place. This page holds both, written from the same notes — switch representation with a click, or stack them and read one against the other.

Every score on Acousterr is written by a musician in the same free editor you can open yourself. Found a passage you would voice differently? Open the tab maker, rework it, and publish your own version.

Write Your Own

Lay out guitar, bass, piano or drums, hear it back as you go, and share it with a link. The editor behind this page is free and open to everyone.

Open the Tab Maker