I spent quite some time honing my skills in Grade 2, Module 8 and finally self-certified myself a couple of days ago to move on. En route I’ve been completing my chord diagram book and playing a number of songs from Justin’s two Beginner Songbooks. That has been helpful as it has introduced me to a few chords that I haven’t got to yet in the course so hopefully that’ll help out when I formally get to them.
So now I’m onto the dreaded F chord and so far it isn’t a totally hellish experience. I’m finding that I’m more likely to play it cleanly if I don’t overthink it. The issue is almost always those two thinnest strings in the first fret and I know that a slight roll of the finger resolves it. I can see how it can become a bit of a nemesis because for me at least there is a really fine line between it “working” or not, all based on the rotation of my index finger.
I’ve been alternating between it and the other major chords just to practice transitions from other chords to and from F. It’s generally OK if I go slowly in a sort of “Chord Perfect” way, but the wrist rotation compared to every other chord I’ve come across means it isn’t natural yet,
I’m having to very deliberately place fingers each time so far, but there are signs of improvement. However, the switch from D to F in House Of The Rising Sun is painfully slow. I’m using that, You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Californication as my practice songs and it’s hard going, but I’m stubborn so will get there.
Hi Charlie, just make F chord sound as good as possible without hurting yourself and once you find the right position work out the speed. Good you are seeing some progress with your first barre chord.
I’m still grafting away with the F and the hard work is paying off. I’m not as fluent with transitions as I want to be but there is progress on a regular basis.
My perseverance with cycling to and from F from every other chord I know is beginning to commit the chord shape into muscle memory and I have benefitted from getting my third finger in place first and then letting all the others find their bearings.
It’s a relatively monotonous cycle of practice but a curiously satisfying one because that dangled carrot of progress keeps hooking me. By mixing this up with some songs I’m getting some variety but that repetition is proving to be the key. I like to think that by the end of June I’ll be happy enough to move on.
I applaud the attitude to the necessity to persevere and practice this, Charlie. It pays off and patience is an invaluable virtue. Maybe you can find a song that makes use of an F just once in the progression and ideally the chord before is one that you have practiced the change to F and do well making it. Being able to also play a song makes for a little more fun along the way.
I’ve really been on this F for a while now! It’s a long, slow road but still really rewarding. My process of switching to and from F is definitely making the quality and quantity of chord changes inprove. I have been mixing in a few songs too and my favourite is currently in the 2nd Edition of the Beginner’s Songbook: “I Can’t Help Falling In Love” which has shifts to and from F, from Am, C and G.