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
1 Like
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.
2 Likes
I find the mini F to be impossible. I have not once played it properly without muting strings or messing something else up. The full barre F is much easier for me.
1 Like
I can’t get the second string to ring out to save my life on the full F. Even if I move everything up to the fifth fret.
Very common issue. Usually the cause is the crook of the 2nd joint of the finger doesn’t allow you to press the string down fully. The answer is to adjust the finger position up or down until you find the sweet spot. Everybody has a slightly different shaped finger, you will need to experiment to find what works for you.
1 Like
This one is a bit hard for me too. It’s getting easier but it takes awhile because it feels like your barre finger wants to move in a different direction than your middle and ring fingers. I can do it, but I have to press hard. I’m trying to train myself to lighten up on it.
I’ll second that - not only easier - it also gives you succes as you slowly move down
After a few months I can get the F barre chord mostly first time. The F mini is a different kettle of fish, but Im making good progress on that. BUT…Im finding playing a chord progression using either F chord difficult. I can’t get my fingers to move fast enough to keep up with the song. I use Justin’s App for song playing so I can slow the tempo but this is going to take a long time. I beat my self up for not getting it quickly, so any advice or is it a matter of persevering and keep practicing?
1 Like
There is no easy answer. I can’t make the change to F with any speed either. A possible solution is to move earlier, so that will mean missing the last strum on the previous chord so that you can get to the F on time.
Hi Chris, thanks for that. Its helpful to know its not just me struggling with this. I’m a late comer to music. Started playing bass about 16 years ago and decided to learn guitar about a year ago. Absolutely loving it…apart from the F chord! I’m approaching 68 and have read about the problems older people have learning. But I’m not giving up. Practice and perseverance is the order of the day. Cheers
1 Like
Hi! When I play the F chord, my elbow is pressed against my body, and I don’t have the freedom of movement that Justin explained in the lesson. Am I doing something wrong?
Well this is strange. So I can’t even get my first finger to lay across the strings at all. Even when I put my other fingers down first, my first finger is almost angled down and diagonally. Like I can’t get my finger to lay across all of the strings in the first fret in general. Is this just something inherently my anatomy won’t allow? IDK if I’m making sense.