F Chord Cheats

Beginner Grade 2 Module 9: Time to learn The F Chord
21

Thanks a lot for the advice. Sorry for the late reply. Didn’t notice your answer at first. :slight_smile:

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22

Looks like I’m not the only one that can’t do the “mini” F. I’d have an easier time doing the full barre and playing it that way. Correction: I do have an easier time…a much easier time. I can’t make my fingers bend that way, even further up the neck.

I wonder how important it is? I’m not giving up and maybe after playing a while my fingers will become malleable enough. I’m mean I thought the F barre would be the hard one. The “mini” F is a cheat in name only.

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23

I have been playing all of 15 months, if that, and if I had a dollar for every time I said “ no way will I be able to do that” about something I am currently doing, I would be, well, I would at least be able to buy me and a mate a few beers at the pub.

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24

I can’t get either the B or the high E string ringing at all for this mini F…

Seems I am not alone, so keep calm and carry on…

:smiley:

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25

Three weeks for me on the F Chord and F Chord cheats. After trying out different positions, the F Chord rang out pretty good after a few days.
But who came up with this Mini F Chord “Cheat”? I can get the Chord with a lot of physical effort, but the position of my index finger is really unhealthy. My fingertip seems to be too small to press both strings, b and e, down. The tip is a little flat, not fleshy, so I have to place it in an certain uncomfortable angle and need a lot of pressure. No way to change chords with this.
But I’m telling you, that nasty little beast will not win the game…

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26

That’s it, exactly. Either the B or the E string, but not both… :slightly_smiling_face:

Same at 5th fret…

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27

Look back through this thread. I recall there are a few suggestions. It is an awkward cord, but it finally came together for me. Use it in “Sound of Silence”. It will drive you mad, but will teach you to nail the cord.

Try different thumb positions. That made a huge difference.

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28

Thank you, Joshua, I already saw your suggestions while following this thread. I first tried out to find my own solution. Placing finger 1 first, check out, if e and b are ringing out properly, then place the other fingers. This works, but using so much pressure can’t be healthy. So today, I’ll try out what you are suggesting in your previous posts :slightly_smiling_face:

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30

That’s the key for me! Thank you! Less pressure needed!

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31

So to move on from module 9 I need the mini F…

Been playing U2 With or without you using F7.
As change to C after the F.

Can make the barre F about 40% of the time ring on 5 strings. Sometimes 6.

Mini F is a completely different story.

A song with a mini F.

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32

F mini Is nearly impossible to me. I can get the “big F chord” like 70% of the time, but i nave managed to play the mini F chord correctly for exactly… 0 times.

Don’t know what i’m missing here…

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33

I can now get a few F 's sounding right, the mini F is still next to impossible. Moved onto module 10 a week or two ago.

Welcome to the community. You could pop over and introduce yourself…

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34

Anyone has tried mini F on a nylon guitar? More distance between strings so it’s hard to make stings E and B ring together with finger 1

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35

I have not, but I will try tonight.

My thought is similar to above where I was putting my index finger a little higher to touch the third string lightly. I suspect it is a matter of making sure neither of the first two strings falls under a joint crease.

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36

Thank you

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37

That’s the ony F i can even make a sound with (Fmaj7)

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38

The mini F is making me crazy! I’d rather just do the F chord normally.

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39

I’ve just starting learning the F chord for a song I want to learn. It’s fair to say the side of my first finger isn’t enjoying it much! As well as practicing the full barre (I’ll need to learn it sooner or later) I’m also experimenting with using my first finger on the thin 2 strings and hooking my thumb over the top for the thick string. This second option seems to work quite well for me, the question will be whether I can do the changes to and from it fast enough to make it viable in a song. Watch this space I guess!

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40

Hi Adam,

You are in good company,… and it also took mé much longer before the mini F than the Barre F ran smoothly,…be patient and keep practicing,…there will come a day, :smiley: …
And welcome here I wish you a lot of fun :sunglasses:

Greetings,Rogier

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41

Hi Rogier, I have no problems to play the full barre, only my changes are not fast enough yet. So I neglected the mini F for now, because that little bastard annoyed me. Is it worth to force to learn it on the long run, is it needed later for embellishments or things like that? Maybe you know that as you are more experienced than me.

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