having trouble playing the F chord

Hi,

Exactly the same thing happened to me - and pretty much all the other beginners I've met so far.

A good friend told me she used to learn the guitar. When I asked her why she stopped, she just scowled and said "F!".

So you've got plenty of company. :wink: It will probably take a while before you really nail it. Just hang in there. :)

You might find it easier to just hold the two highest strings (E and B) with your index finger, instead of trying the full bar. Then don't play the bass E string. The fifth string (A) is probably optional too, depending on the sound you want.

There are a number of ways to play F - with a full bar at the first fret; partial bar covering two or more strings only; using the middle and ring fingers on the G and D strings; using middle, ring and pinky on G, A & D, and so on. Find the one you feel most comfortable with and like the sound of.

Good luck. :)

Welcome to Guitar Noise.
Full Barre chords are hard to learn and most people have trouble with them.
Practice the same chord shape up the neck farther, around the 5th fret or so. the strings are aesier to push down there and slowly work your way back down the neck.
An alternative to the full barre is a mini barre version of the F on the top 4 strings
XX3211 and another easy alternate voicing XX3210

Missileman is spot on with his remark the bar being hard to master. It can take months to perfect the technique of barring. :?

The notes you need for an F chord are F, A and C, so as long as you have those 3 you have a basic F chord. So you could just play three strings as long as they have those notes. The "fullest" is probably this shape:

133211 (F, C, F, A, C, F)

The most basic probably this:

xx321x (F, A, C)

The xx3210 that Missileman mentions is a beautiful sounding chord, but it's not really an F as it has an added E note. It's an Fmaj7 I think. So it's not always interchangeable with an F, as it sounds a bit different.

I think it's really a different chord rather than just a different voicing ( I understand "voicing" to mean the same notes but played in a different order. But I'm a beginner too, so I could be wrong! :shock: ). Either way, they all sound OK, so experiment a bit and see what fits. :)

Ok, thanks a lot for your help. I will keep working on it, unless these string imprints ever get out of my fingers.

Put your middle and ring fingers down first.

Everyone's fingers are a little different - it's sometimes easier to barre three, or even four, strings rather than just two. If you plant your index finger last, it's easier to experiment and find the right grip on the chord for your hands.

Squeezing harder really isn't the idea, even though it sounds logical. You will need to spend some time developing the technique and toughening up that index finger. Once you've gotten it down, you'll find it doesn't require as much pressure as it does now.

Most people, myself included, try to barre those strings with the fleshy part of the index finger. But, it works much better slightly to the side of the finger, as if you were rolling your index finger toward your thumb. It takes a little getting used to in that position, but the barre is much easier.

thanks everybody, im getting better, I think.

Although I can do an F chord fine now, after about 6 months of general practice, it's the barred B chord that I have trouble with. That damned double barre is harder for me...

John

I have been playing 6 weeks andI was having problems with this chord as well (still not perfect). However I got my guitar setup and the strings are lower which made it a HECK of a lot easier. I am not sure how your guitar is but you may want to have the action checked.

I agree with mikespe. I was having trouble with barre chords, like most noobs. Then my guitar teacher showed me how to set up my guitar. Since then, whilst they may not be perfect they are not far away.

Nils has some good advice on his web site on this, it might be worth having a look there.

Be careful not to set the action too low, you can actually make matters worse by getting fret buzz or worse, a string will fret out.

I agree with trying bars further up the nexk. Also agree that playing a "baby" F by not barre'ing the entire neck will help.

Be careful not to set the action too low, you can actually make matters worse by getting fret buzz or worse, a string will fret out.

Whoops, I forgot to mention that :oops: Thanks for pointing it out

I also put the bar finger down last, it really does help.

I tried some bar chords each day but not too much in one sitting because of the frustration and too much at once would bother my index finger joint.

The first fret is the last place to try and learn to bar. The G at the 3rd fret is much easier.

A little each day and one day it JUST HAPPENS, like everything else, practice. Like one day I just decided I was tired of sitting down and practicing and I just stood up and that day I was able to do it. 8)

ya. that F chord is tough. in fact, any chord down by the third fret is tough.
it's the angle of the wrist and arm.

most beginners use way too much pressure.
yes, good pressure is needed for sounding the notes clearly, but dont strangle the neck.

a more nuanced pressure is desired. shifting to another chord becomes more effective.
think pressure/ease/pressure. when changing chords.

back to F.

I generally dont barre that chord. I play the open form with success.
I through my thumb over the top of the neck, making sure my index finger is pararell to the fret when covering the E and B string.

that works on both acoustic and electric.
however, when I am overdriving in electric I will barre that F. the lower strings seem to benefit as I get better low end growls.

when barring down there. check your thumb postion behind the neck. most have the thumb pointing upwards or at a slight angle towards the head stock. try making your thumb more pararell to the neck.
that postion will add a little more pressure while easing the awkward angle of the hand and wrist.

hang in there. it does get easier and easier.