Hi all,
I haven’t been playing guitar for very long (maybe 3 weeks now), and I don’t seem to have too much trouble making the dreaded “F” chord. However, when I move around the neck into different positions, I have trouble applying the same technique. Although I feel this could just be a mental problem boiling down to practice more, what kind of exercises can I do to develop stronger muscle memory and also improve at making partial bars without accidentally muting strings?
Thank you,
David
I would not be worrying about barre cords at 3 weeks. Work on the open cords, calluses, thumb strength and other fundamentals for a bit.
For example, Justin has us using our thumb in a specific way while playing open cords specifically to strengthen your muscles in anticipation of playing barre cords.
Jumping too far ahead with fundamental skills will lead to frustration.
It takes some people many years to get that cord.
Don’t worry. It’s great if you don’t struggle with F chord at this stage, for me it took a long time to get comfortable with it. As for other chords I think the only thing you need is time. Keep playing and eventually, rather sooner than later, you’ll realise that you can play them all eithout any problems.
Just a shot on the dark here, but if you’re finding that barre shape more difficult farther up the neck than at the nut, it may be that the action on your guitar is excessively high, and needs a luthier to do a set up. It’s usually most difficult right at the nut.
But I agree that you’re getting ahead of yourself if you’re trying to do barre chords at three weeks.
You are running before you’ve learned to walk.
For further context, I’ve played Classical Piano for 20 years. I don’t think I’m lacking in the finger strength department. I don’t have problems playing open chords or switching between them.
I work regularly on finger exercises and diatonic scales at varying rhythms and tempos. I try to be very regimented in practice, concentrating on learning the notes of the fretboard and applying my understanding of music theory to get in the habit of reading music for guitar.
I want my hands to catch up with my musical knowledge and understand which skills also are transferable from piano.
I think it is likely the action on my guitar is too high. It hasn’t had any setup besides a new set of strings. I will take it to get looked at so I can rule out my equipment as the problem.
Yeah mate, knowledge is the relatively easy part. It’s the development of Competence that is the real journey.
Its can be a frustration for many, included myself at times. I just have to remind myself that knowledge and competence are two very different beasts.
All the best with the barre chords.
Cheers, Shane
Hi David.
Welcome to JustinGuitar and the Community. For structured learning with a supportive network of fellow students you have found a wonderful musical home.
Selective quoting …
You are truly in your infancy and, rightfully, should be nowhere near the F barre chord after such a short time.
… I don’t seem to have too much trouble making the dreaded “F” chord … when I move around the neck into different positions, I have trouble applying the same technique …
That you are making the F chord work is an impressive feat. That said, I recommend you stop pushing the bare chord so rapidly. If you can play F major then you have a full complement of diatonic chords in the key of C and have the opportunity to play thousands upon thousands of songs (if transposed to that key) and thousands upon thousands of other songs that do not rely upon a full diatonic set of chords.
Using just the most common guitar keys, you have the following chords available to you.
There are gaps in several of those keys yet none of the gaps would be filled by E-shape major barre chords. All of the gaps are minor chords. These are most readily played on one of two barre chord shapes that you have not yet learned and do not need to consider learning just yet.
… what kind of exercises can I do to develop stronger muscle memory …
Learn songs, learn songs, learn songs.
… I don’t have problems playing open chords or switching between them …
In that case apply your new skills. Play songs, learn songs, lots and lots of them.
Go here for dozens of song lessons and use the filter tools if that helps you narrow things down.
… I work regularly on finger exercises …
Good.
… and diatonic scales …
I recommend you remove scale practice from your practice time and spend your time on other foundation skills and techniques and songs. Guitar is unlike piano inasmuch as you do not need to learn scales as a foundation. Scales come along later on and the recommendation from Justin is to only learn one scale, one pattern and make music from it before even considering learning another pattern or another scale.
… I try to be very regimented in practice …
That is to the good.
… concentrating on learning the notes of the fretboard …
That is a good long term goal but need not be a central focus of your practice time at this early stage. If you are going to learn note names on the fretboard early on, concentrate on the open strings and up to fret 3 with the natural note names. These will coincide with learning the open position C major scale.
… and applying my understanding of music theory to get in the habit of reading music for guitar.
Having music theory knowledge is great. As is the ability to read standard music notation. Unless you are going to learn and play classical guitar then you will encounter very few occasions in which you will find or need to use standard notation for guitar music. It will be either TAB or chord charts. Justin has a great course of Practical music theory which is specifically aimed at music knowledge relevant to guitar.
… I think it is likely the action on my guitar is too high
That can make the playing more difficult, less enjoyable and less musical (having to press the strings further can make notes sound sharp).
Richard,
thank you for all the constructive feedback and guidance. I’ll be working on learning songs and tone down the pedagogical approach I adopted from piano.
Although I have an interest in Classical guitar, I assume the discipline is not very easy to approach without a proper instructor.
Thank you again,
David
It will take practice. I played bass guitar exclusively for almost 25 years before finally getting into guitar. I know a ton of theory and enjoy the intellectual side of how all music works. I am finishing my first year on guitar and just now am getting confident with the F chord. Here is what I experienced:
First - focus almost exclusively on F chord transitions in the one minute changes department until you get it consistent and fast. Then, keep it part of your regular routine, even if it is not every day, keep at it. I have noticed that if I go a week not playing that chord then it can regress. So, I try for 2-3 days a week of practice on just that chord.
B) Play songs that have F to help force the changes by keeping in time. Plenty of people avoid those songs or change the key to avoid it. Don’t. There are too many songs with it (think of all the songs in C, haha).
iii) Visualize. After all this, it wasn’t until about a month ago that I went searching on YT for answers. I found good advice to work on visualizing the chord shape just before you made the switch and think - first fret, bar shape, index finger will be in this position, etc). The idea was that many of us try to think of all that while our fingers are in the air and it is too late at that point to expect to get it all sorted quick enough. This was was the icing on the cake for me.
I hope some of this helps you.
I really like the visualization practice. I think part of what happens in my mind is that I just panic every time I have to actually use the chord outside of isolated practice. I started to work on changing using the I IV V Chord progression to start making progress with the one minute changes. It is currently really ugly, but I feel like I am in a better spot since I have a targeted practice idea now.
Thank you for the advice.
