After about 3 weeks of trying, I can finally play the F chord 90% of the time. At beginning of last week I was ready to give up - I didn’t think I was ever going to get it. But the last few days it has finally clicked. I stopped doing all the rest of the practice sessions while trying to learn the F chord - I will start on the practice again next week. Although listening to the sound of the F - I think it is now time to take my guitar in and have it set up properly. I will take it into the local music shop in a couple of days time.
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I find that when I hold an E-shaped F barre chord (i.e., at the first fret) for very long I get a bit of not quite pain but definite discomfort on my fretting hand at the base of my thumb. It feels almost like it’s going to start cramping up. I don’t think I am gripping the neck too hard, so I am wondering if there any other likely culprits I should keep an eye out for.
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Yeah it takes a while to build up the muscles and strength. Just like working out at the gym. Take it slow and learn some of the F chord variants.
Yep, not uncommon, I had over 20 years break from playing guitar, back then I could play most barre chords relatively well with a clear tone and for reasonable length of tie with no issues. Wet i picked the guitar up again in August 2024 it was back to basic and barre chord were a no hope for several months. I took at least 2-3 months of around 2 hour a day general practice before the strength in my hand came back and I could start to attempt barre chords.
I am still trying to get them clean and nice sounding after a further 15 months. Take it slowly and gradually build up, introducing a song with one or two bar chords, and if you get pain stop and come back to it the next day.
I think I got this in 5 minutes. I am not sure how but that was a great explanation
I need "F"in help.
I’ve been struggling with the F Barre for a few weeks and still can’t get it to ring out the high B & E. Maybe twice. One thing I noticed is that my index finger does not stay parallel with the fret. Especially when I try to roll my finger to the boney part. It creates an angle where the tip of the finger is near the fret on the 1st string (low E) but the knuckle on the 6th string (high E) is lower on the fret.
Any thoughts. Or am I just anatomically challenged. I tried copying in some photos but am having some technical difficulties.
Getting the F chord can take a looooong time for many, myself included. It took me many months before I had this chord sounding fairly clear and was able to switch to and from it well enough to use in a chord progression/song. On the F chord, most of us were anatomically challenged at the beginning.
Just keep making small adjustments to your finger positions, the amount you twist your wrist, where you place your thumb, etc. until you find the right combination that works for you.
DO NOT TRY TO MAKE IT SOUND CLEAR BY SQUEEZING TOO HARD!. You’ll just tire your hand out instead of learning the best finger position for your hand.
This is definitely one of those chord shapes where everyone’s grip is a bit different, because everyone’s anatomy is a bit different.
Based on the description of your index finger, I suggest rotating your wrist a bit more so the finger is fairly vertical. I tend to place the index finger down with one edge covering the fret, so when I roll it back onto the boney part, the finger is sitting just barely behind the fret.
To fix the problem with the B and E, try moving your index finger up or down a bit to see if you can find the sweet spot. Getting the right combination of finger flatness, amount of finger roll, even finger pressure, and vertical position takes lots of trial and error and can be quite frustrating.
YMMV
Not at all unusual. If the high B & E are muted you can still play songs with the F chord, it will sound ok if you have the other 4 strings ringing out.
Yes. It’s a case of just experimenting with finger position to find what works with the shape of your finger. Up, down, roll sideways a bit, or not roll sideways as much, curve the finger a bit or straighten it a bit. It’s a problem solving exercise to find what works for you.