“One of the most dangerous myths in guitar culture is that barre chords are ‘advanced’ while open chords are ‘beginner’”: Stop hiding behind barre chords – use smarter voicings that serve the song

Closeup of woman playing a barre chord on an electric guitar.

Somewhere along the way, barre chords became the gold standard. For many songwriting guitarists, they’re seen as a kind of graduation from open chords, a sort of signal to the guitar world that you’ve arrived.

But here’s the truth: barre chords might be hurting your song more than helping. A songwriter’s goal should be to support the vocal melody and lyric, but sometimes, the barre chord can smother the very thing we’re hoping it will elevate.