impossible F cord?

Yes, it's a common problem.

Place your middle, ring, and little fingers first. Then lay your index finger across for the barre.... and focus on where you need to place it to get the first and second strings to sound. You can then 'curve' your finger a bit if you need to for the sixth string root - the barre is really needed across just three of the six strings.

Rotating your wrist slightly, so the barre is created with more of the side of your finger might also help.

The difficulty of a chord doesn't have much to do with how often it's used. The goal of a songwriter is to make a song that sounds good - and in part, that means it sounds vaguely familiar. So today's songs build on yesterday's sounds. Go back a few years and a lot of popular music wasn't guitar based (I'm not even talking the big band era - think Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, etc.) - so chords used have a lot more to do with standard musical form than with easy guitar fingering.

flintstone, just hang in there and keep at it i'm new at this stuff and have battled the f chord for months and all of sudden i'm playing it clean. ok so maybe my change is not the fastest but hey im happy to hear that clean chord...just listen to the guys like note boat and nils and all the others, tons of knowledge...

Yeah,
Just keep working at it, try what Noteboat said. It takes a lot of work and a lot of persistance to gain the strength in the hand, and also to find the exact posistion that works. One day it will just click though.

As mentioned previously in a number of recent threads on this topic, also have a look at your overall position (ie. your posture and the way in which you hold your guitar).

Personally what worked for me was to get it down pat in the classical position first. Also try not to tilt the fretboard back toward you too much (a common problem with newbies like me so they can see the fretboard :oops: ).

Also the tips suggested by Noteboat help as well. Good luck; it'll fall into place soon enough. :)

thanks everyone! its great having experinced people help out with these problems. its hard to beat raw experience in anything...especialy guitar playing!

Don't feel bad....I am having the same exact problem. My teacher even put that as my number one goal for next weeks lesson. Looks like I will be practicing that a alot.

MrClean

The topic for my lesson this week is barre chords as well, but sadly I havent practiced yet. What is it about the F that makes it more difficult that any other barre? I'm asking out of ignorace because as I said.. I havent tried yet.

I guess I better get practicing. My session with my instructor is only two more days away.

Geoo

Keep in mind also that a poorly setup guitar can make it very difficult to hit that barre F at the first fret.

I recently had a nut-height adjustment performed on one of my guitars. It made all the difference in the world.

the barre F chord is a difficult chord to make because the wrist is put under alot of twisting. it hurts period.

it is a great chord. when formed correctly it has great sound. Tom Petty's Heartbreak has a F in it. and when played those low notes really emphasize the tune.

anyway. one thing to think about is the thumb position. try and get it to point toward the headstock. it should be in the middle of the neck too.

it's a tough chord but a good one.

i dont have a teacher other thatn me but im trying to learn that barre F chord too.

What is it about the F that makes it more difficult that any other barre?

Geoo
It is not "Technically" more difficult than other barre chords but maybe slightly more difficult "Mechanically" Since you are barring the 1st fret where the strings are stiffer than farther up the neck.
I always suggest to someone struggling with the F chord to practice the same shape at the 5th fret and work your way down eventually to the 1st fret.

It is not "Technically" more difficult than other barre chords but maybe slightly more difficult "Mechanically" Since you are barring the 1st fret where the strings are stiffer than farther up the neck.

If you can make sure your guitar is set up correctly. I did mine under the guidance of my guitar teacher and it's a lot easier. Not perfect, but it's getting there