F has not been easy so I have been trying it higher up on the fretboard. Kind of by accident I started sliding the F up and down looking for a spot where it seemed easier to play. This helped. I also discovered that if I started with F and slid it directly up to the 5th fret where it is A and then the 6th fret where it is B flat and then back down going fret by fret to the 3rd fret where it is G it sounded a lot like Dock of the Bay. Had to work on timing a little but it sounds pretty good and added some fun to the F struggles.
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This is a common issue. It is all about the curl you get on your finger ends from each knuckle.
When playing an open C major chord, your 3rd finger is elongated and the knuckles keep the curvature shallow, not flat but not very arched. So pushing the tip up to touch the low E string is just an extension of its projection towards its rightful place on the A string.
When playing an F barre, the 3rd finger needs to be much more arched, the knuckles curled much more inwards. This should prevent the 3rd finger from reaching too far beyond its correct position, it should not by default push upwards to the E string.
Try practicing just this by playing an open E chord using fingers 2-4 only - the same shape as you would employ in a 6th-string root barre chord.
Hope that helps.
Cheers 
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Approved Teacher
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Just started this lesson this weekend and it drove me to join the forums! I WILL Learn it though, because many of the songs that will make or break my enjoyment of guitar seem to include this monstrosity (or its âcheatâ cousins)
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You will! We can! It is hard!
My only thoughts lately are to keep playing things with full F barre cords in them.
And donât stop.
I was just feeling that the F barre was coming together consistently and proceeded to wander into a few weeks of non-Fâing endeavors.
I have paid the priceâŚ.
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Can only agree here, it has been the longest chord for me to get through but I do feel like Iâm progressing now. I think I did the F chord module back in January, Iâm on module 12 now but still have OMC for F to C, Am, D and G on my practice routine as well as trying to nail a couple of F songs.
Practice is the only way here, it took me a number of weeks to find the right spot for my index finger to consistently achieve the barre properly. Have faith and itâll get there!
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Iâve been working on the F barre and mini F for a couple solid weeks now. With the barre my main issue is getting my index finger more parallel with the first fret. My right forearm (playing as a lefty) doesnât want to supinate (turn the palm up) which affects getting my index finger more parallel with the first fret.
When I put down the e-shape with my other fingers, the index finger wants to slant away from the first fret (base of the index finger moving toward nut). This compromises barring the B and E strings as I canât keep the base of the finger close to the first fret.
I broke my right wrist several years ago and possibly lost enough range of motion to get the wrist/forearm supinated to make a good barre. I can get all the F barre notes to ring on occasion but with ridiculous pressure and contorting myself. This is the case on both electric and acoustic.
Anyone else have this sort of issue with the F barre?
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Actually yes. One of the bigger difficulties I have had with the F barre has been supination. Granted, I have not broken my left arm ever, but I still found this a stress that made proper positioning difficult. Perhaps my left (dominant) arm is tighter.
I stretched a lot and played a lot and over time it has significantly improved. Time like 6-8 months.
However, possibly more important, I adjusted my guitar position such that the Neck is higher up, closer to but not quite classical positioning. Much easier.
What I would suggest is to put your left hand into the âperfectâ F barre cord position, regardless of where the rest of the guitar is. Then, while holding the cord, move the guitar into a playable position and see where it is. Try to find a reasonable compromise in how you hold the guitar and your ability to finger cords.
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I had my left wrist broken and dislocated in a car accident about 20 years ago. when the cast came off, if it wasnât for the therapist I would have never gotten the range of motion back. I just coudnât inflict that kind of pain on myself.
when I do a F chord I have to lift the neck up quite abit and raise my index finger on the fret board and it has a little curve to it.
Ivâe been trying to do stretches for my wrist and I think that helps.
maybe try that some and maybe move your finger up or down, roll it back or foward and find a good spot. everyones hands are different so iâd probably experiment till ya find what works best.
Dave
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I hope with continued practice I will get the index finger more parallel but I really feel the stretch in the forearm and bicep (supinator muscles).
So 3 and a half months after my journey began Iâm tackling the dreaded F chord! 
Must say the first time I was like WTF this is literally impossible! But now after a few days I can actually play it most of the time, just takes me a while to get my fingers in position 
that thumb/hand muscle gets pretty shredded though, guess that will take some time to strengthen. I find placing the barre by itself is not difficult but as soon as I place fingers as well strings tend to get muted, the stretch is not easy. So far I can only play it by placing fingers first and then barring, not the other way round.
Iâm wondering why Justin didnât introduce the alternative F chords in grade 1? The F Maj7 is not too tricky, similar shape to C. The one with the mini barre is hard though.
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Hey Chris,
Been there with the sore hand getting an F barre chord to work (especially on my acoustic guitar). Have you tried Justinâs finger stretch exercises? I donât remember where the lesson appears but you can search for it I believe. I do the finger stretch before practice every time. It helps.
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Well done you to get this far in such a short space of time. You have certainly raced through those lessons 
I must be doing something wrong as it took me 18 months to get to the F barre chord.
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Oh good advice! I did it for a couple of modules but didnât keep it beyond that, hard to find the space in the routine sometimes 
I might try swapping it with a 3 min finger stretch I do at the beginning of my routine, see if I get better results.
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Im partially(very) doing the F chord⌠i bar the top two strings and play those.
im planning to ease me ol fingers into it. only been at this two months.
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Well Iâm far from perfecting the material before moving on! Trying to ride the wave between learning new things, practicing them, and maintaining momentum
For Grade 1 I was spending about a week on each lesson/module and then spent 3 weeks at the end for consolidation, plus some ear training. Now in Grade 2 Iâve been spending two weeks so far per module. Will probably have a longer consolidation period at the end of Grade 2 as well.
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Hi Chris:
The F chord is still a challenge for me half the time and I often play the mini F. Some artists play the min F because the movement is quicker from a C Chord. Keep practicing the 2 minute changes and donât rush through it. The luxury we have is all the videos are there to play anytime you need them. I just finished grade 2 and often go back to prior lessons to review and tie in what is new to what I learned in the past. If it still is really painful, maybe the tension on the nut is too stiff, which makes it harder to fret the note. It may be worth checking or trying an electric guitar to learn with. Another trick I learned is use your right arm (at the bend of your elbow) to push the top portion of the guitar towards you. The headstock should be moving away from your body while the rest of the guitar pivots towards you. It makes the strings come towards your fretting fingers of your left hand. Some complex barre chords are nearly impossible without this trick. I tried it and it works really well. Could be a game changer
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3-4 months into guitar the F chord is a hard challenge! Barre chords are hard but heaps of fun once you get the hang of them
Justin will spank me but you can subsitute an F power chord or other fingering
just play higher 5 strings
or play the mini bar
or this one
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Hi Chris.
Cool that you can play that F that fast after picking up the guitar.
Another thing you can do to make it a little bit easier on you is to put on a capo on first or second fret.
The barre chords tends to be a little bit easier to play. Youre action becomes a bit lower.
It is a good trick to excersise barre chords, you can do more of them without getting tired that quickly.
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@Stuartw Hey Stewart⌠that person is me small world. However they had incorrectly mentioned a couple weeks lol. I was 9 weeks in at the time. Think they corrected it later on :).
As I mentioned on the other thread, Dec 29 was the first time I picked up a guitar and started with the beginner course. Progress is a lot more slower now with me spending at least a couple weeks on the modules or more.
Cheers!
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âŚâŚ why didnât I take the blue pillâŚâŚ
Ok, so this is the reason Iâm revisiting the early modules, my technique for barre chords is âoffâ, my thumb is way up the back of the neck. When I try to âcorrectâ and bring in behind second finger, it puts a massive angle in my wrist.
-
And if I straighten my wrist, I canât reach the low e with my index finger!
Is this a case of everyone has different anatomy, find what works for you or dude you are way off and youâre going to struggle xyzâŚ.
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