SPECIALTY BARRES PART 2: DIAGONAL OR CROSS-FRET BARRES

Copyright Douglas Niedt. All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.

The diagonal or cross-fret barre (also called a split barre) is the most rarely used of the specialty barres: the index finger barres across two consecutive frets at once, with the rear of the finger holding the first string and the tip holding the sixth or fifth string a fret higher. This tip covers how to place it — pressure goes on just two strings — with video demonstrations from Giuliani’s Rossiniana No. 1 and Grand Overture, and Tárrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra.

The diagonal or cross-fret barre (also called a split barre) is the most rarely used of the specialty barres. The index finger barres across two consecutive frets simultaneously. Most commonly, the rear of the barre finger holds down the first string and the tip of the barre finger holds down the sixth or fifth string a fret higher.

The diagonal or cross-fret barre doesn't require a lot of strength or force. You are usually only holding two strings. So it is a matter of focusing pressure on just those two notes.

For example, I can make a diagonal or cross-fret barre holding down the sixth-string G with the tip of my first finger at the third fret, but the rear portion of the barre holding down the first string F# at the second fret. So I have F sharp being held by the rear part of the diagonal or cross-fret barre on the first string and G being held by the tip of the diagonal or cross-fret barre on the 6th string.

No other strings are being held. The pressure is entirely on the first string and the sixth string.

Since the rear portion of the diagonal or cross-fret barre holds down the first string, it is important that that part of the diagonal or cross-fret barre is behind the fret to hold the first string down clearly. It's real easy for that part of the diagonal or cross-fret barre (the rear portion) to creep onto the fret which will mute the sound. One thing to keep in mind to make it easier is that the tip of the diagonal or cross-fret barre does not have to be right up against its fret. It can be back in the middle of the fret. The 6th string will still sound and that'll help the rear portion of your barre to stay behind its fret so that the first string comes out clearly.

Watch as I demonstrate in this video:

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #1: How to Place the Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barre

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The diagonal or cross-fret barre is by no means a recent innovation. Mauro Giuliani used it in his Rossiniana No. 1, op. 119:

The passage is not playable (with a musical result) with any other fingering or technique.

Watch:

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barre on Rossiniana

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Usually, the rear of the diagonal or cross-fret barre holds the first string. Occasionally it may hold the second string. The tip of the barre however, can hold the sixth string, fifth string, fourth string, third string, or even the second string. In this example from Giuliani's Grand Overture, the rear of the barre holds the first string as usual but the tip holds the third string:

Again, there is no other fingering or technique that produces as musical a result in this passage as the diagonal or cross-fret barre.

Watch as I demonstrate in this video.

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #3: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barre on Grand Overture by Giuliani

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I even use the diagonal or cross-fret barre in a measure of the classic Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tárrega. He doesn't call for it but I think it adds a great musical touch to the measure. Tárrega notates measure #9 as follows:

Note he specifies that the F in the bass is a dotted half note. As notated, that F should ring through the entire measure for three beats. But Tárrega notates that the barre at the eighth fret ends on the third beat. The F is therefore cut off and cannot ring through the measure. Therefore, what comes out of the guitar sounds like this:

Watch as I demonstrate in this video.

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #4: Recuerdos de la Alhambra normal barre, measure 9

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However, if a diagonal or cross-fret barre is used, the F can be held through the measure and you hear the beautiful passing harmony of the third beat and the measure is filled with the sustain of the low F:

When the diagonal or cross-fret barre is employed, this is the harmony you hear:

Watch this video:

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #5: Recuerdos de la Alhambra Diagonal or Cross-Fret barre, m9

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The diagonal or cross-fret barre often can come to the rescue in these types of difficult situations. It's useful in a few dozen instances in the standard repertoire but even more so in contemporary music and "jazzy" arrangements. It enables one to play chord voicings that are normally not available to us in standard tuning using standard fingering and barre technique.

For example, a G major 7th chord in the following voicing can be played on a steel-steel guitar's narrow neck by wrapping the left thumb around to hold the low G. On the classical guitar with its wide neck, wrapping the thumb is usually impractical. The best solution is the diagonal or cross-fret barre:

Specialty Barres Part 2: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barres, Video #6: Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barre for Jazzy Chords

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Notation of the Diagonal or Cross-Fret Barre

There is no standard notation for the diagonal or cross-fret barre. My preference is to use two Roman numerals with a slash between them. I write "diagonal or cross-fret barre" above for clarification. If the tip of the barre finger is holding the 6th string, I don't add additional notation. If the tip of the finger is not holding the 6th string, I indicate which string it holds with a circled Arabic numeral. Others use only the Roman numerals:

More to Come

Next month, the stunning conclusion of this series on specialty barres: Partial Barres!