I’m facing my first struggle in learning since starting with this F chord. I think I’m struggling at my index fingers ringing out every note. I’m only struggling with the F chord and the mini F. When trying the F, I roll the barre or my index finger slightly to the side but I end up muting the 2nd string. It also hurts a lot and I’m in electric lol. While with the mini F, I end up the same problem. Pushing both mutes either the 2nd or 1st string. Rolling it to the side mutes 1 string too.
I tried F chord shape practicing with other frets, sometimes it actually works but most of the time it really mutes the 2nd string.
Also I have a very weird pinky structure when playing the F. It doesn’t bend like an arc. My pinky kinda flattens out. It’s very uncomfortable tbh. Looks like this shape _/. It curves but the end flats out.
It’s my 2nd day though, so I’m still very optimistic. But this is the first stage where I felt it was pretty hard. I hope you guys can recommend something.
Hi @Arisyyy. Yes, the F chord and the mini F are difficult. You are only on day two, as Justin says this one can take weeks or months. I found a couple of things helpful.
Try the F higher up the fretboard
Use your strumming arm to pull the body of the guitar towards you, creating a bit of leverage against your fretting hand. You should find that you won’t need to do this forever, but it transformed things for me at first.
I am still struggling with the mini F having abandoned it for a while, although I came back to it later and am starting to get there after a few months. Yes, months.
You will get there but this one is probably going to take a long time as it does for many of us.
Sounding in that the Mini F is extremely difficult for me as well, barre F coming along much quicker than anticipated though. If anyone had any “ah ha” moments I’m all ears!
Mini F is a little beast. I‘m also doing better on the full barre F. Although, after several weeks of practice the mini does ring out clearly from time to time .
In my case, my index finger couldn’t press hard enough to make the high E string ring, in the beginning. After lots of practice, it’s getting better, but is still work in progress.
Be patient, it will come, eventually .
I gradually started learning the Big F but I am confused about the two versions below that I like to use (and currently learn), especially when changing to and from C. Can somebody experienced please shed some light What is the difference between those two and why and when to use either?
Yavor @ScorpioBG
I am working through the theory course and I think I have got far enough to answer at least some of your query.
Taking the last chord box, it is a 7th chord as it contains the Root, 3rd, 5th and 7th of the F major scale but the 5th on the fifth string is the lowest note which happens to be the note C and therefore this is shown as forward slash C /C.
As to the first chord box, not totally sure but it does contain all of the notes for F major chord but again C is lowest note rather than F , so might be called F/C, Richard @Richard_close2u is that correct.
Michael
Be careful - make sure to call it maj7 (not 7 which always implies dominant 7).
Correct - albeit you accidentally wrote C / C.
Yes.
@ScorpioBG
The chord diagram showing both E strings muted is wholly an F major chord, but a slash chord F/C.
That said, muting the high E string is perhaps a more difficult technique than playing a mini barre. But it is still a good and valid chord to play - if you do not want to hear the top note F within the chord sounding out.
Thanks Richard @Richard_close2u
As always keeping us right on theory, I was sort of aware that there are different 7th chords, will have a bit of look at this in a bit more detail.
Must confess the very last thing I thought I would be doing when I started to learn the guitar would be answering queries on theory. It is a fascinating subject and the logic of it appeals to my engineers mind.
Michael
Yavor @ScorpioBG
When to use different versions of the F chord, for me if you are not taking an exam on a song then it often comes down to personal choice or ease of changes between other chords.
I wouldn’t decry what Justin calls F chord “cheats” I think even that little know guitarist Eric Clapton uses them if you look on his video of his Unplugged album.
Michael
For me also the regular F chord is easier than “Mini” F. My first finger just couldn’t press both strings at the same time, one of them wasn’t ringing properly (buzzing or not playing at all).
My way around it was to place fingers in reverse order - I place the 3rd finger first, then 2nd finger and then with 3rd and 2nd finger placed my 1st finger is most of the time able to press both strings hard enough so that they play cleanly
Just wanted to share it in case it helps someone else ( I personally found some of the comments in other lessons helpful ).
I have come back from the future to recommend that one should take time to learn mini F. I am early in grade three (module 17).
I found mini F harder than the F barre chord so ignored it for a while (thinking I would stick with the barre chord) and then during consolidation decided I better learn it. I am very glad I did. It really helps when you get to Triads in module 17.
I think everything Justin includes in the lessons is there for a reason, the skills build on each other later.
Hello there, 1 year guitarist here, I am just concerned about learning the songs in the website, in the lesson Justin says to practice them, but I find it hard to memorize them and keep it in the repertoire, I am more into rock music so I spend my time learning more songs by bon jovi, Metallica, and other amazing bands , I do try and play the songs with the video in the practice routines. I just have not learnt the, to be able to play it somewhere, is that bad? Should I learn the songs fully or is it ok for me to move on?
You have the ability to time travel! In that case I need you to go back 20 years and tell me to learn F barre chord. I have spent my whole life ignoring the barre chord version of F and playing mini f and its hard to break old habits. Its not even a barre chord thing. I can comfortably play F sharp, Bm ect…
Seriously, my advice to people is to learn all the different variations of chords that Justin teaches. Having a few different ways of playing a chord will pay off in the long run and make your guitar playing sound better.
@Ironmanfan I would practice a song until you can play through it fully and with fluency. I would make sure you have a chord sheet at least and then keep your chord sheets (either electronically or on paper) together so you’ve got all your songs chord sheets to reference when you want to. It’s not unusual just to need a reminder of a song if you haven’t played it for a while.
Now in terms of whether you intend to play it somewhere that all depends on what your goals are. If it’s just to entertain yourself then play it to whatever standard you want. If you have ambitions to perform for others you need to have the song nice and fluent so you can play through it easily without even thinking about it (doesn’t need to be complicated). As as soon as you’re in front of people it’s a different pressure.
I will practice them thoroughly, thanks very much. Another small question that popped in my head, I’m currently in beginner 2 module 9, I tried some of the grade 2 songs Justin has recommended, I can play parts of them but not the whole thing, the grade 1 songs I find are easy because I completed it entirely. Does this mean the songs are intended to work one grade back? Meaning when I finish grade 2 completely, all the grade 2 songs should be less of a challenge than when I was doing grade 2.
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What is the difference between those two and why and when to use either?
