F Chord Guitar Tips Easy Finger Positions for Beginners

F Chord Guitar Tips Easy Finger Positions for Beginners Sign up successful 1. Barre chords are too hard. Can’t I just play a different F shape? This is a good point, and to be honest, sometimes you shouldn’t bother with all six strings. Maybe three or four notes are plenty for the sound you’re looking for. But there are other times that you really need a full six-string sound, or perhaps you need the low F to keep the bassline across the chords shaped the way you want. In case you don’t want or need all six strings, below  are a couple other options. Included are the six-string F shape, two Fs with fewer strings, and a common chord that is often played when guitarists don’t want to play the full F chord. Beware, this last example is actually an Fmaj7 chord (notice the open E on the first string).   2) Do I have to press down all six strings with one finger? No. This is where many people struggle when first learning the F chord. If you look carefully at the chart above, youll notice that there are only three strings with dots on the first fret. This means that you can hold down the low F (first fret, sixth string) with the tip of your index, and curve your finger slightly above the center strings and press the two highest strings with the base of your curved index finger. You only have to press down half the number of strings as most people think! It may take some time practicing  but it will save you a lot of energy.   Once this technique is mastered, it’s possible to actually cover all six strings gently (muting them all) and then while strumming, isolate specific strings to press down one at a time with the same finger position muting the rest. It sounds tricky, but it can definitely be done! 3) If I can’t make all the notes play, I should just squeeze the neck more, right? Another big misconception among guitarists is that barre chords, like the F chord, require lots of pressure from the thumb pressing forward on the neck. This often works, but takes much more energy than players usually realize. Because of this, after a few measures of a barre, beginning guitarists often complain of pain or cramping in the thumb or wrist. The pressure you put on the back of the neck works against your fingers pressing on the strings. Because of our natural reflexes, our body tells our fingers to press extra hard, so the notes tend to ring but with lots of extra work on our part. Resist this urge when practicing and playing the F chord. Many guitarists can play barres without their thumb touching the neck at all!   Conclusion Now that weve proved wrong some of the common myths about the F chord, have fun practicing it! Keep in mind that it will take a lot of time and effort to comfortably play the F chord without thinking about it too much.  A good guitar teacher  can show you every variation of the F chord, so if you have any problems with the normal F chord, youll be set up for success. If youre just starting out as a guitar player, check out the 5 basic guitar chords for beginners.  Share about your previous experiences with the F chord and other barre chords in the comments below! Post Author:  Kirk R. Kirk is a classical, bass, and acoustic guitar instructor in Denver, CO. He earned a  bachelors of music in Guitar Performance at The College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati and he is currently pursuing a masters degree in performance.   Learn more about Kirk  here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher