F is for...

"Fascinating..."

So, yeah, my hand doesn't want want to cooperate. I'm trying to do the simple F chord where the index finger presses (successfully) upon on the first two strings, and it just isn't happening. I've watched the video on it ad nauseum and have been really working with that left hand, but all I get is "plunk." Any help would be most welcome.

Also, my transitions are really coming in, but I've noticed that my right hand wants to dely its reaction to the left hand making the chord shapes. I know that I'm supposed to be hitting the base note as my hand is making the change, but, please, tell that to my right hand. Again, any help would be welcome.

Thanks,

Ember

keep practicing and take your time, it will all come together. muscle memory will kick in eventually.

I find lots of short practice sessions better for complicated chords.

I had trouble with F's and barre chords the first time that I tried to learn to play. I have recently picked it up again and a friend told me to take my old guitar into the shop and have it "set up", this should run $30-40 with new strings, all in. You might be able to get it for less, you shouldn't pay more. Most commercial places charge the same for acoustics, acoustic electric and full electric, even though the electric are a lot more complicated.

The action on your guitar may be too high to be comfortable. In other words, the stings are higher off the fret board then they need to be, making it harder than normal to hold them to the frets and make clean chords. The tech will belt sand the back of the saddle and put it back in the bridge, he may also adjust the nut and tighten or loosen the truss rod to get everything as square and comfortable as possible. Tell him you're a beginner and want light strings with less tension and he'll put something on that hurts the least.

I you're not sure if this is a solution, try an electric guitar out if you know someone that has one or try one at the guitar store. Or try a nice silky Martin or Taylor while you're at the guitar store. If it is easy for you to do the "F" with one of these guitars, then you just need to get yours adjusted (called a "set up"). It should take the store 15-30 minutes to do it and they'll clean your guitar, put new strings on it and check it all out.

Of course, you'll also need to practice, practice, practice.

Thank you for your help. I will definitely check this out.

There are different ways to play the F-chord. Here are the cheats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IncRRg9RFqs

What helped me is this video and the associated excercises:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRpBHNqwWlk

The guy is a bit weird, but I like his approach from C to F, in stages.

Ha ha ha, the first three chords I ever learned (my Dad showed them to me on his guitar when I was a kid), were C, G, and F.

I thought F was AN EVIL JOKE.

Alas, with time and practice......

Have fun - Lisa

The F chord is appropriately named. I think it's the bane of beginners and intermediates alike. Although the instructor might have a fit over this, I came up with a cheat that works for me while I work on developing the coordination and strength to do "f" right.

My hands are too small and chubby to do a finger one barre that covers the "f" and "c" note while reaching around the "e" and "b" strings to put finger two on "a" and finger three on "f". My cheat is to use four fingers instead of three. Rather than attempt to cover the "e" and "b" string with one finger, I use one finger for each string. Finger one hits the first fret of the "e" string (f) and finger two hits the second fret of the "b" string (c). This makes it easy to reach over the "e" and "b" strings with finger three to hit the second fret of the "g" string (a) and finger four over to the third fret of the "d" string (f). This provides me enough clearance to play a simple "f" chord. If I want to go full-on "f", I can reach around the neck to cover the first fret of the low "e" string with my thumb.

The cheat is hopefully a temporary maneuver so I can keep progressing on some songs. I'm still practicing the "f" chord each day in hopes that it starts to click.

bd

RE: Change the guitar for a better "f". That is working for me. I started playing about a month ago using the 1985 Epiphone classical guitar my son left at the house when he took off for India to play gigs in coffee shops and explore. The classical guitar was a lot of fun to learn on, but the "f" chord was the first barrier I couldn't break. The second barrier was that I couldn't learn all shapes in the A minor pentatonic scale because the body comes up to the 10th fret, blocking me from playing pattern 5. I used that as an excuse to buy an acoustic Taylor. One of the selling points, I could play an "f" chord on the Taylor. Still an effort, but I could tell that the Taylor opened opportunities where the Epiphone put up barriers. It also beat out my emotional favorite, the Gibson J45 Studio; to me, better feel and sound.

Now, I'm working through Lisa's lessons to reinforce what I've already learned on my own in the last month, and to correct the mistakes I've taught myself. I haven't made it to her "f" chord instruction yet; hoping it will be as valuable as her chord transition strategies.

bd