Can someone help a newbie out on guitar chords?

[samAnThA]

I'm learning this song. http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/s/shins/new_slang_ver2_crd.htm
If you hover over the letter "F" above "this town" it shows a picture of the chord you play. However, the chords you play right before that don't have the black bar on the left of the picture like this one does. I thought this black bar meant that you put a capo where it is, but how am I supposed to be playing a song and suddenly put a capo on to play one chord and then take it back off? So if it doesn't mean to put a capo there, what does it mean? Thanks a lot if you actually took the time to read this and help.

 

[OnTheRock]

Hey Samantha,
Not sure why the first guy got a thumbs down for being right. The F chord you're looking at is a barre chord. Barre chords are played by using your index finger to cover several strings at once and then using the other 3 fingers to play the remaining notes in the chord. No capo required. For the F chord you would barre across all six strings on the first fret with your index finger. You would then use use your middle finger to play the A on the 2nd fret of the G string, and your pinky and ring fingers to play the 3rd fret on the D and A strings. Strum all 6 strings and you get a nice, full F chord. The great thing with barre chords is that they can be played in multiple positions on the neck. For example, if you take that F chord and slide it up so your index finger is on the 3rd fret, it's now a G chord. Slide it up so your index finger is on the 5th fret and it's an A chord. If you actually look at that chord shape closesly, it's actually the open E chord shape moved up 1 fret to F by using your index finger as the nut of the guitar.
Sorry if you don't like this answer and have a bit of trouble playing barre chords at first, but it is what it is. Keep practicing and you'll get it. You really have to learn to play all the barre chord shapes if you want to be a good guitarist.

 

[Mikey, just Mikey]

The heavy black line indicates a barre, not a capo. A barre is when you use your index finger to hold down all six strings.

 

[Patrick Lynch]

thats a bar chord they take some getting used to but they become so easy after a while it's where you put your index finger over all the strings and push the strings in tight and make the shapes with your other three fingers