hi, I’m just wondering, is the first finger pressing all the strings or only
pressing the 2 thinnest strings and the 6th string !
Mona @monadj123
Yes that is the strings the first finger needs to fret.
See below
By the way welcome to the community.
1 Like
thank you so much, it is much easier now
1 Like
Hi Guys,
I usually don’t search for any guitar tips on other sites than our community, but since I’m still struggling with the F chord I have checked out what I can find on the internet about it. I found this site with couple of tips, and one was especially helpful for me. The one with how you should put your index finger.
It seems that mine was too curly. There is a nice video of how you should place your index finger and where to put your thumb on a neck.
So, this is the link:
( Justin is also cited there 
)
And one more advise from my side. Do not drop off the F chord from your practice routine for grade 2 if you are still fighting with it. I did it for module 12 and 13 and that was a huge mistake, cause now I feel like I’m starting again the whole process.
Barre chords are my nemesis. Especially on acoustic. The F is so hard for me. But if i move down and play like an A barre or a G barre those are easy to get. But that F on acoustic is a pain in my a**
I’d say they’re everyone’s nemesis Jonathan, especially on acoustic! If you’re able to get good chords further up the fretboard then you’re doing well for technique and it’ll likely be a bit extra work in those positions to get your index finger strong enough for the F barre.
Good luck! It’ll get there, don’t stress too much on it.
Hi all.
Just a interesting ( to me anyway 
) thought.
Do we, as Guitarist’s, build a “bogey (man) chord” out of F?
Pretty much from the start of my guitar learning journey the F chord was “demonised” by all and sundry.
I learned to do it by starting at A and working down the neck, and trying not to focus on F till I got there.
I wonder how many others found, like me, I was concerned before I had even reached that stage of learning?
We all struggle but get there.
Cheers
Mike
2 Likes
Oh this is giving me so much trouble! I’ve tried lower down in the neck but its always strings 1 and 2 that I have problems with. When I am further down on the neck my first is mostly straight but i feel like when trying an F I can only get my index finger in almost an angle. Any ideas?
I can get a good sounding F barre. The issue is my speed and accuracy. I have to focus on placing my finger right . The only way i can get it to work is if the little e string pushes into the side of the first join. Hurts really bad too lol
1 Like
I understand , I started with buzzing on both strings (still do a lot) but learnt that my joint is to far from the fret. So, I started trying just my index finger joint until I found where it needs to be in order to get some semblance of sound from E and B, then see if I can flex that finger to sound E6, which ends just behind the fret. Once I mange to find where I need that finger I relax my hand and place the other fingers.
I can only do the chord 2 times because its a such a strain but, I’ll take that as a good sign. 
I can’t do it on the Accoustic though. !
R
Ah-ha, you’re further along than I’d interpreted in your post then Jonathan, nice one. It’ll still take a little time but at least you’ve got some satisfaction that you know you can get a good F!
You mean your you had the index finger too longer over the fret and needed to pull it back a little?
Still working on my F chord (E shaped barre chord) and Bm to sound better, the problem I was having that my little finger was lying too flat and muting the next string down. So I had a good look at what was going on. I think I was concentrating too much in getting the barre in place and this meant my knuckles where closer to me and forcing the other three fingers to lay too flat. So I am concentrating on moving my knuckles farther away, at first I thought it would make the barre more difficult to do but it doesn’t seem to be the case. So I will keep working on it.
Michael
No, it wasn’t close enough. Like trying to play any chord with finger tips, if they’re not close to the fret you’ll get buzz, same was happening with my knuckles but less now as I place that first for now.
I have a number of songs I play or am learning where the mini F barre chord is the sensible option, House of the rising sun, for example. But I have eventually found a song I want to learn with a full F barre chord although strictly speaking it is an E shaped barre chord played at the fifth fret so it is really an A barre chord. What helps a lot is the capo is on the fourth fret!!!
Interestingly the chords either side are C or G shape, just as Jason suggests in a later lesson.
Michael
How long did it take you to get it? Was it just a matter of developing the finger strength ?
Another issue i’m having is that the higher up the neck i go its like my finger is almost on a diagonal . I’m not sure how to fix this
lol, I’m not there yet…
R
Yeah just frustrating that the speed pf actually fretting the chord isnt there. I am trying not to get frustrated and be patient but i am my own worst critic for sure.
2 Likes
Aren’t we all!! 
2 Likes