That pesky "F" chord

The F chord I originally learned was played by Barring the entire first fret. They teach a shorter version here where the 1&2 strings are held down with your first finger. Starngely this seems to be tougher than my original F chord. If I get the 3rd and 4th strings to sound good then the first two strings are messed up. If i get the first two strings ok then the others don't work. is it just practice or do i need to build up my finger tips or is it something else?

pesky for sure.. It still gets me every now and then..
practice will give you tougher fingertips..
check how you hold the guitar. make sure you do not roll it too high when your looking where you place your finger.. You can also raise the neck higher that will give a little different angle for your wrist..

try going from a C to F and back to C .. that is basiclly rolling your index finger down to cover the F fret and stepping middle and ring finger from the E and C to the A and F .. Just relax and it will come to you soon.. then threw in the G chord

link to - (CFG progression)
http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=11137&c_id=1&ch_id=6&s_id=441

You'll probably get more tips This is one of the most talked about chord problem...

Good Luck and keep on pickin'
Gordon

I just checked the setup and it was off quite a bit. The F chord is easier now but still not perfect. I noticed that even though I have quite a bit of callus built up on my finger tips the strings still sink in to my fingers quite a bit. I hope this goes away. That seems to be what is causing the problem now. I just can't get the right amount of pressure on those the High E and B strings and still get to the G and D stings. I can get it to sound right but I'll never be able to play it smoothly like this.

What did you find out of whack with the set-up..?
Let us know about your equipment.. guitar mainly.. string guage
You might try fretting the E and B string first (pick to check clarity) then fret the G and D string. (strum) If the F and C note stay clear, adjust finger on the A and/or F note. I'm not an instructor so this is all from my experimentation. Also work on the F chord after you have warmed up doing some of your favorite exercises.. Get relaxed..
Good luck and hang in there..
Gordon

When dealing with chord troubles, the best thing is to always make sure the guitar is set-up well. This means having the neck looked at to ensure it is in good shape, as well adjusting the action, intonation, and all the other good stuff that goes into guitar maintenance. This can be checked in a one-stop trip to a music store and than you are good to go.

Once you know the guitar is in good shape, it simply takes practice, practice, practice. The "F" is very important to learn and get down because it helps open the door for the use of "barre chords." Unlike G, C, D, Emi, etc; the notes in an F chord do not lend themselves to an open position shape and you simply can't get out of getting that barre chord shape down. Once you do, you can play an endless amount of songs and chord shapes. Keep at it.

The barre chord and the shape played on the 1,2, and 3 strings are from the same shape. The latter is simply a condensed version. Honestly, either will work but for the sake of practice take the process slow and work to get the barre chord shape down. You will get it with time. You are developing new muscle memory and you simply need to get it under your fingers just like you did when you first picked up the instrument.

Again, make sure the guitar is set up well; and than dig in to those barre chords and give it time. You will get there. Best of luck! :)

It might help to learn on an electric, if you're not doing that already, it's a lighter guage and won't tire the fingers as much. I found it also helped me to start by playing a few strings of the barre chord at a time, instead of the full shape right away. like maybe the A-G strings or G-e.