For the first time, I feel like I am really close to being able to form a full barre F chord. I’m not quite there yet, but starting to feel like it is possible. I’m switching back and forth between electric and acoustic. I actually feel like I’m as close to hitting it on acoustic as I am on electric. The part that I am having the most trouble with, I think, is muting the 3rd string. Sometimes I am able to get all of the other strings to ring, but I have not gotten that 3rd string to ring clear with the others even once.
I have to admit that I have been lingering just a little bit longer with consolidating Grade 1 because I am really anxious about barre chords, with F being the first one. I’m still not ready to completely leave Grade 1, but I am ready to start moving forward into Grade 2 and all of the challenges therein while I continue to consolidate and solidify Grade 1 skills.
I can do the mini barre version, although not well enough to use it in a song at all. Sometimes I am able to hit it the first time, but most times I have to lay the fingers down and manipulate just a little bit to produce a good sound.
I am going to have to take some video and start a learning log and/or AVOYP very soon.
@Dave911 it sounds like you are progressing well with an “E shaped” barre chords (to give them there proper name) I’m sure you already know but if you move that barre chord up the neck you’ll be playing a different chord e.g. playing that shape on Fret 3 is a G barre chord, Fret 5 an A chord. All dictated by the name of the note on the 6th string where you barre it.
I wouldn’t worry about how competent you are at the moment. The key is you understand what is required and will continue to practice as you move through the next module. It would not hold you back significantly in terms of songs.
To be honest I rarely use mini barre at all whereas I use barre chords all the time. If I need an F and I don’t use an F barre chord it tends to be an Fmaj7 I’ll play (bit like a C shaped chord).
Absolutely start a learning log and I’d encourage you to post to AVOYP a couple of sample recordings. It’s good practice and it’ll really help you focus on improving things.
Man, I’m still having trouble getting the F cord to ring nicely. Must have watched a Justin + a dozen or so other videos, checking out how others lay their bar. Finger high/low etc. Can’t seem to get a good amount of pressure on the B string. Just a Justin said the difficulty arises from…
Really need to just sit down and practice it over and over but I’m not sure on the technique
The first few times I tried the F-chord I thought this is just now going to happen for me. I thought there was somthing wrong with my hand… my fingers just won’t flex that way. And then one day I got all strings to ring. Yay! And then promtly went back to ‘no way this is going to happen’… finally after many more tries and cramped hands I can get it to ring out more than 50% of the time.
Still no clue how I can ever hope to change to the F* chord while strumming… but maybe there is hope after all.
I recorded myself during my Lesson 11 practice session:
Great job man, but I think your thumb is still in the wrong position.
I can hold down (and play cleanly) the F-chord effortlessly. Could hold the chord forever, there really is no excessive force applied or tension in my hand. A completely relaxed grip.
EDIT: You can see in your video that your main problem is straightening out that first finger. It’s very rounded when you attempt the grip, and this is partially (perhaps mainly) because of the overall angle of your hand and wrist.
It shouldn’t be just a hope but certainty. You will be able to do what you want to do as long as you keep it in your mind this what I call “gym mentality”. You do the exercise over and over systematically and at some point it starts working, not just the technique but strength as well. You making your fingers stronger by repetition, it’s exactly like the gym. Acoustics require brutal strength, you just need to build it, it is individual matter, it not next week then perhaps in the next couple of months. But it is going to happen .
I thought we were going to be learning the open F chord and I was like “That’s not so hard” and then he threw that barre chord on the screen. Eek. I’ve never been able to barre well.
Not sure if I’m in the minority here, I can pretty much get the full F barre to ring out every time, my problem is more with the mini F barre, trying to get the high e and b strings to work is a real headache, particularly when trying to change to/from a D or A minor. I’ve taken to spending an hour at a time just going back and forth between F and other chords to try and build the muscle memory, it’s driving me nuts!
I am with you on this! Although the big F has taken a lot of work, the mini F is tough. I either lose the b or e string or mute the b string with my middle finger. Then I get them and the ring finger has moved too high and the g string doesn’t ring right.
I am almost there, though. Lowering my thumb on the back of the neck to curl my middle finger more and letting my index finger roll a little to use the side more, like with the full barre has helped!
It might be improper technique, but I found that playing the mini F is easier if I roll my 1st finger slightly to the side, as with the full barre. I tend to do the same when playing major triads with a string 1 root note.
Just came back to this, but still can get even close.
Anatomically impossible for me.
If I put the first finger barre on, I nearly need to dislocate my elbow and the point of my elbow is near my bellybutton. Or I nearly dislocate my shoulder rolling the other side.
Hands are rather big, so it is not a small hands / short fingers thing either.
But cant get the barre down, let alone combine it with the fingers.
My joints simply dont bend in a way to get this down
Going to give up on this unfortunately.
Don’t give up! What you describe is not unusual. The problem is your position holding the guitar.
I remember the same thing happening to me. I couldn’t imagine how anyone does it, but there is a way.
Remember, the guitar is under your right arm and the head of the guitar should be closer to over your left knee. Then raise the neck up a little.
One way to sort it out is to hold the guitar neck in what ever ridiculous position you need to to get your fingers in a (somewhat) comfortable E barre shape.
Then maneuver the guitar into a reasonable compromise between your hand holding the barre and your comfort with the guitar. You may find the guitar position very different that what you have been using.
Welcome to the community Spike
To add to what jamolay said.
Have to tryed playing it at the 5th fret? Move the whole chord
shape up to the 5th fret. This is an A barre chord and is easier
to play. If it is still really hard your guitar probably needs a set up.
When adjusting your 1st finger for the barre, your shoulder and elbow should not have to make any big movement. They should hardly move, unless you move the chord grip along the fingerboard, and should be as relaxed as possible.
On guitar or bass, almost every time I have had a problem fingering something, I have found that changing the position of the guitar has been the key! So many times I’ve been peering at the frets and struggling only to find that if I rotate the fretboard into a proper playing position… where it’s harder to see… the shape gets easier.
Are you saying the playing on Fret 3 is a G barre chord, that sounds like an open G chord, and the same for Fret 5 an A chord sounds like an open A chord. If that is the case I’m not hearing this as they sound different.
That is correct. They should sound pretty much the same. For a beginner an open chord will probably sound “brighter” and less full than the barre version. Once you can comfortably play barre chords you can switch between the same open and barre chords without noticing a lot of difference.
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