My issue is do I need to be covering the bottom two strings?
The E sounds muted and the B has no coverage b/c I can’t even cover it w the size of my hand being so big… My finger just loops around it.
How should I maintain solid contact w these two strings if I need to maintain the contact?
Thanks!
When you say “the bottom two strings,” do you mean the two thinnest? The 1 and 2 strings? Yeah, you really need those to ring out. Try this shape until you can get all six strings properly fretted. It’s one I often use on my acoustic, because barre chords are more difficult than on the electric. The 5 and 6 strings are not strummed.
Have you tried rotating your barre finger very slightly? Tricky to describe but if you hold palm in front of your, square on, then square on is the obvious way to try to do the barre. However if you rotate your whole hand by just a few degrees bringing your thumb towards you (assuming this is your left hand) and then try making the barre at a slight angle like that, it might help you make contact with the thinnest strings.
It also can help if you use your upper arm a little to pull your hand onto the strings rather than trying to use the strength of your fingers alone.
Hello Andrew,
I really recommend to you follow all Justins points about how to do it in this video. 
I know this will sound like dismotivation, but learning your first bare chord needs some time and some practice and one day it will just click. It wont hurt anymore and the fingers will go to the correct position just natural without extra pressure.
I think its really important to rotate your finger slightly like Matt is saying.
I believe you can do it, we all been there.
If I can recommend you nice tune for practice that F chord shape, Where Is My Mind by Pixies is really great! And Justin performed it so great I listened to his cover many times while driving in car. 
Edit: Since my comment here… I am listening to his cover again on loop. Its such a great cover. I love it.
Justins Lesson:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/the-f-chord-b2-901
Justins Where Is My Mind by Pixies:
Thanks all. My long ass finger bowes out. I’ll figure it out though… thx!
Do you have your thumb behind the neck?
My thumb is arthritic and up to now I’ve managed to cradle the neck in the palm of my hand to avoid pain. I can’t get the barre on the B and E strings with this grip because the ‘root’ of my first finger is too close to the bottom edge of the fretboard and I wonder if that’s your problem too?
I’m trying shifting my thumb to the middle of the back of the neck as Justin’s F Chord tutorial suggests but it’s thrown the other chords out a bit and hurts too. I may have to be content with that Mini-barre version as flagged up by markr31 above.
Recently gotten onto the F Chord with the beginner course, i was able to play the darn thing yesterday unwillingly but now my first finger is a problem again. When i manage to make the B string ring out, the low E string becomes muted. I try make sure my finger is bent and not straight, but i cant manage to put pressure on both points at once. And if i do, its because my wrist is bent, which justin advises not to do, and because im putting lots of pressure on it with both my thumb and arm.
Any tips? Good videos you could suggest that could help me? Lmk if my description is confusing
HI Nojus,
That’s ok that the E is muted. It will still be a F chord.
You can play F chord several ways.
4 strings, hold the e and B string down with index finger, mid. finger on the A note of the G string. Ring finger on the F note of the D string.
If ya wanna play 5 strings, switch your ring finger to play C on the A string and pinky to play the F on the D string.
Then there’s the barre which it sounds like your trying to do.
Try rolling your index (barre) finger towards the side a little bit. So that the creases in your fingers are tilted away from the strings. The side of your finger don’t have them creases and will allow you make your barre cleaner.
These all F chords I have described.
Take your time, do it one finger at a time and make it ring clean. Then add in another finger.
The F chord is hard. Keep trying, you’ll get it.
I’m pretty sure Justin has a lesson on the F chord. His explanation will be better than mine.
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/the-dreaded-f-chord-bc-161
I had that problem and it went away with continued practice. It was just a matter of building up strength in the small muscles of hand, forearm, even shoulder. I know where the muscles are because they all became a little sore as they grew!
I’ve been struggling with the F chord for over a month. I could get it to sound ok if I used a death grip and strangled the guitar neck; but that wouldn’t last long as my hand would get tired and I would lose the grip. Especially on the B and high E strings.
Then a couple of days ago, while browsing YouTube, I came across one of Justin’s old videos “Fail Proof Guide to Easy Barre Chords”… it’s pretty much the same material as in the current lesson videos, but there was one quick thing that he mentioned about the barre placement:
“Put the barre right on top of the fret. Then roll it slightly sideways.”
I was doing the roll before, but I guess I was locating the barre too far back from the fret. Once I started putting the barre on top of the fret, then rolling my finger, it sounded great and I didn’t have to do the death grip! Just made it through two practice sessions where the F chord sounds good, but I still have to work on the chord changes.
Posting this because I’m super excited about making progress, and hopefully this might help someone that is struggling.
Scott
Welcome Scott and glad you are nailing it. In the old intermediate course Justin did a full 20 minute lesson on the E shaped barre chord. Took me 6 months and a good set up on the dodgy acoustic I was using back then to nail it. Always barre on the edge of the finger and never place it flat on the keyboard. Pull your elbow back to assist with the pressure needed to fret. Once you’ve got this, the world is your oyster.
Cannot get any pressure on the B string arghhhhhhhhh
Is the B string lining up with the crease of your knuckle. You may need to adjust your index finger up or down a little.
Try getting the neck up. When I say up I mean really up there. I struggled with the same issue for a long time. One day just fooling around I began holding my guitar like a classical guitar, and it was like magic. I could finally play it. I think it has something to do with the way you keep your elbow when you’re holding it this way. For clarity sake I haven’t continued to play holding it this way but it did help me get my barre chords down for whatever reason.
OK, so am really struggling with the mini F chord. Barring 1st and 2nd strings really hard when other fingers are in position. Is it just a case of keeping on trying for weeks on end?
hello,
what kind of strings are better to learn the F chord ? I have custom light strings (folk guitar, MARTIN Cordes Authentic Silked, Custom Light, 92/8), my fingers don’t really hurt anymore (except a little bit finger 3 et 4 sometimes, and of course my muscles when i’m trying the F chord). I figured F chord is easier on other frets if I put a capo on (for example on the 5th fret…), so should I change for other chords or is it not useful ?
thanks ! 
I don’t have intelligent answer for you but you’re not alone. Big F, small F, mini F it’s all the same to me…. I don’t see how I will get able to do this, but like you keep practicing and trying to keep hope that one day it will work……
Hi Lisa,
Martin Custom Lights are 11 gauge. That’s what I play, but I’ve been at this for 3 years now. I started with 10s (Martin calls them “Extra Light”). I’ve never played silk and steel strings, so I can’t comment on that.
As I said, I’ve been at this for a few years now. I still do not get the F chord to ring out all the time. It takes practice, lots of practice. Rather than using a capo, a common approach is to practice the F at, say, fret 3. Once that feels pretty good, move it back to fret 2. When that’s pretty comfortable, go to fret 1.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself, and don’t let the F chord keep you from moving forward in the lessons!
My F chord seems to sound almost pretty good, except 2nd string which doesn’t make any sound 90% of the time and i don’t know why… should I put more force to push my 1st finger on it, it is the placement…
It’s most likely the placement. The string might be falling under the crease at your knuckle. It takes a while to sort this out, but try just moving your barre finger a little bit in either direction. Also be sure your barre finger is close to the fret. Also it might seem weird, but you will develop a sort of callus on the side of your barre finger. For me, that took a long time. So…patience and practice!!! Most of us struggle with the F barre chord. 
