F chord

Hi
I'm just working my way through the basic chords - Level 1 chapter 5- Playing full chords. I seemed to being doing quite well until I came to the F major chord. I cant get my fingers to establish the necessary fingering/fretting. ie padding E&B strings with first finger on 1st fret with sufficient pressure whilst fretting G on 2nd and D on 3rd with second and third fingers respectively. Any pointers/advice would be gratefully received?

Rick

my advice? Take it step by step. I remember the Open F & B full chords being the hardest.

Start with your index (first) finger on the high E & B string 1st fret, pick the strings to ensure they ring clearly then add your middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret then stop. Hold the position, make sure your fingers and knuckles are arched (at an angle) and strike the strings individually to hear if they're ringing cleanly.

When you're confident with your ability to produce the above correct notes, then add your ring finger to the mix at the 3rd fret D string. Practice slowly and don't worry, because your hands and finger tips will strengthen naturally the more you practice :)

Remember, the F & B Major chords are the hardest, so add one finger at a time, perfecting the angle of your fingers!

PS, how you hold your guitar can really affect how you fret notes i.e. making some impossible, to others being really easy.

Good luck. You'll soon be playing these chords fluently. I know, I had the same difficulty with the full F Major open chord.

The F chord is a tough one and is a lead-in to barre chords. You've hit a point where all players hit a bit of a wall, so don't worry. The good news is that once you get the F chord down, barre chords won't be as tough of a nut to crack.

Something that may help you out is realize that it's OK if your index finger goes out beyond the B and E strings and touches the G string, or the D string for that matter. This is because you are fretting those strings with your other fingers higher up the fretboard.

With that knowledge, you may find you can get better leverage with your index finger across the B and E strings.

Oh, one other thing, you need to build up some strength in your fingers/wrist/arm for these types of chords. So part of it is to practice and over time you will develop the strength. Don't worry too much in the beginning that you can't play the chord totally cleanly.

This tutorial may help:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1624

Good luck.

Hi Rick..
Your in good company with this question.
I would guess this is the most frequently asked question in any guitar training.
I even having bit of a time after a 2 month layoff due to wives illness. Going through the callus stage again also.
Keep at it, you'll have it in no time.

Originally Posted by: 1ne_2wo_3hreeHi
I'm just working my way through the basic chords - Level 1 chapter 5- Playing full chords. I seemed to being doing quite well until I came to the F major chord. I cant get my fingers to establish the necessary fingering/fretting. ie padding E&B strings with first finger on 1st fret with sufficient pressure whilst fretting G on 2nd and D on 3rd with second and third fingers respectively. Any pointers/advice would be gratefully received?

Rick

Hi Rick,

It's always a big step to go to barre chords, you will get there soon. One thing that might help with barring is; rather than using the fleshy front of the finger, try rolling your finger back (counter-clockwise) towards the head of the guitar a little so you are fretting with side of the finger which is harder because it's closer to the bone. make sure where you're fretting is right next to the target fret as well. you'll feel great when you get it!

Many thanks for all the advice on the dreaded F chord. It's helping and I'll keep working on all the techniques.
Thanks 1ne_2wo_3hree

Originally Posted by: 1ne_2wo_3hreeHi
I'm just working my way through the basic chords - Level 1 chapter 5- Playing full chords. I seemed to being doing quite well until I came to the F major chord. I cant get my fingers to establish the necessary fingering/fretting. ie padding E&B strings with first finger on 1st fret with sufficient pressure whilst fretting G on 2nd and D on 3rd with second and third fingers respectively. Any pointers/advice would be gratefully received?

Rick

Hi,

one thing which will allow you to apply less pressure and get a clear sound is to always fret your notes very close to the fret wire. Don't keep your fingers right between the 2 frets as that will require more pressure and produce a fuzzy sound.

I hope this will help you :)

That was the toughest chord for me when I first started out many years ago. What I did, and still do to this day, is angle my forefinger about 45 degrees so my finger points kinda up to the right (if that makes sense). Don't worry about your forefinger being perpendicular to the neck of the guitar.

Hi, I am newbie myself, so not sure if what I say helps at all. I think I saw this in a lesson somewhere, most likely here at GT.
Anyways, just barre the E and B strings, this part is easy and the angle method does help a lot. Then start by stretching your middle and ring finger over the fret board. I have noticed that I can barre the E and B strings, but when I try and do the rest of the chord i loose pressure on them, thus the stretch! I am slowly building up strength to do both as I start to add more pressure with my stretch.
Hope I made sense and this help. Good luck.

I avoid barre chords, if at all possible. Always had trouble with 'em, pesky devils!
Most people won't notice if you miss a string or two out. ;)

Originally Posted by: rumbledI avoid barre chords, if at all possible. Always had trouble with 'em, pesky devils!
Most people won't notice if you miss a string or two out. ;)

I avoid them too mostly. Using all 6 strings in a chord doesn't always sound great :)