F'in Nightmare!

[jezmatron]

Anyone got any tips on playin the F chord on guitar. Obviously I'm a beginner and It's killin me that I can't do it! All my books say this is an easy one cos the fingers don't have to be so close together, but it's that and the fact that finger 1 has to be stretched across the whole fret that I just can't manage! Anyone got any tips?

[bananasquash]

http://www.guitarseek.com/getlesson.php3?id=6
heres a siite tht shud help but ye i found tht so gave up:) but yh try ths site

[Hiss]

I've been playing just over a year and i still can't do a F chord. (or a B) to get around this most of the time, my teacher has said you can get away with playing a F major 7. look it up, give it a try, works for me!

[Dr Wu]

There's no easy way to play guitar without pain.

I'm afraid the barre F is just one of those rights of passage chords that you have to persevere with.

Try playing a C AM F G type progression, switching from open chords to the barre F will soon build up the strength in your left hand.

Just think, when you've got it then all the major/minor/minor sevenths/major sevenths etc etc are there just with slight variations of the fingering and sliding your hand up and down the neck.

You could start with say a barre A (same position on the 5th fret) as it's a wee bit easier since the frets are closer together then as that gets comfy slide down to the G, F# then the dreaded F itself....good luck!!

[Scarlett]

When I first learnt the guitar I played the "easy" version of F. This is without the barre finger. Just press the top 2 strings down (the high E and B) with your index finger on the 1st fret, and play the rest of the chord as normal. Careful not to play the bottom (low) E string though as it will sound odd. So the shape is a bit like a C, but squashed further down a bit.

[Scarlett]

Also whilst doing this, if your hands are big enough, you cancurl your thumb around the top to play 1st fret on low E string, making an F sound.

[tin church]

play 'e' with the last three fingers ...than move-up a fret with the same shape and use your index finger as a bar......it becomes 'f'

[jezmatron]

Thankyou everybody, I will give it a shot with all your advice and post later how I get on.