Hi Gene,

I work with many students for whom the F is troublesome. In fact, come to think of it, I've never met a guitar learner who DIDN'T have trouble with the F in the beginning (and beyond!).

While it is good practice to set a goal of mastering the F chord over time, not having it down yet is not always a reason to avoid any song you want to try to play, just because it contains the dreaded F.

Honestly, the F Major Chord is physically more challenging and difficult for most guitar learners than the other basic chords. You can continue to work on the F, while also advancing your playing with the other chords you know at an appropriate, and faster, pace.

I'll come right out and admit that I'm about to introduce the idea of a short cut (which some would consider cheating), but in SOME cases, this suggestion can be a reasonable substitution to an F. Especially in certain genres of music. (What genres/styles interest you most?)

The chord "F Major Seventh", (Fmaj7) is a little less crowded and athletic than the F, and can be a reasonable substitution in some pieces.

Important to understand: the Fmaj7 has a different "chemistry" in terms of it's sound and mood than the F major you've been grappling with. It will have a different feel in the music than a true F chord.

It's fretted like this, low to high: XX3210

In some song-styles, like folk, country, pop, acoustic rock - this can be a reasonable, if not interesting and welcome at times, substitution.

I offer this temporary suggestion only because I've met so many guitar learners who steer themselves away from learning a song that they love, only because deep in the arrangement somewhere, lurks the dreaded F.

Keep at it. You'll get there. Meanwhile, keep chipping away at it, and also meanwhile, keep advancing and enjoying the skills that are coming more easily to you right now.

best wishes, Lisa