F**king F chord sux!!!

bellosjam

Sorry, just had to get that out...my hand hurts and i'm going to have a beer or two before going to bed. Maybe i'll buy a harmonica tomorrow... :x

MaxGoldenrod

I agree

HailHailOZ

Hell yeah! Could I add B minor. Not painful but awkward.

AzWicker

pussies

Gardenparty

AzWicker wrote:

pussies

heh heh

keep at it gang! it gets better

mfc2006

Gardenparty wrote:

keep at it gang! it gets better

truth!

DriftingByTheStorm

would just throw out that a lot of the "pain" and discomfort you have when learning to use bar chords comes from holding the guitar in a poor position, or holding your wrist in a poor position, or both.

Make sure your neck isn't too far out in front of your body, or that your guitar isn't leaning forward.
Try to use a strap to support your guitar, and if not make sure you are sitting correctly to hold and support the neck - thus relieving pressure on your wrist.

Make sure the thumb side of your palm isn't too high up on the back of the neck of your guitar toward the low E string, and conversely, make sure that same side of your wrist isn't pushed out too far back from the high e string.

Once you are using proper hand mechanics,
the rest is just finger\hand strength and calluses, which you will get just by using those muscles\skin.

and yeh.
it does suck.
i remember those days of not being able to fret a full barre, and being real pissed about it.
lolz

brianlux

Mixing in some open f chords when you're playing helps keep your hands from getting sore and varies the sound which often adds a little flavor to most songs anyway.

LukinFan

It will get easier - I promise. The F chord made me almost want to quit. Very frustrating. I took a couple weeks off fromt he guitar, took some advice from some people here and now I can play it - different versions too.

Last-12-Exit

F chord? What have I been playing? Lol

i_lov_it

bellosjam wrote:

Sorry, just had to get that out...my hand hurts and i'm going to have a beer or two before going to bed. Maybe i'll buy a harmonica tomorrow... :x

Practise for 8 Hours EVERY day! like Many famous Bands...and you'll get there!

nane

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

would just throw out that a lot of the "pain" and discomfort you have when learning to use bar chords comes from holding the guitar in a poor position, or holding your wrist in a poor position, or both.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_14jY4AwnojA/SbkWZKJmyOI/AAAAAAAAAwo/P2XtUuDmdcg/s320/violao+2.jpg

That's why some guitars comes with this line on the back of the neck.
This is a guide to position your thumb and make the chords correctly. Try practicing in this "formal" way and when you're used to do bar chords you won't need to obey this "rule".

spencersinger

I agree I hate the F Chord. But it doesn't hurt me to play it, It's just really difficult to switch to or switch out of, especially when going back to any other open chord. It's easy to just go up the neck to a new bar chord though. It does just take practice and patience. But if we are ever gonna play Better Man we have to get the F chord lol

Lukinz

You can also play the F up high at the 8th fret same fingering you use for a B at fret 2.

Plus sometimes you can get away with just playing the 6th and 5th strings when you play the F at 1 so you don't have to use the whole hand pressure. Depends on the song.

But like everyone else said, just takes many repetitions.

big mick

Keep trying - a tip - don't barre the chord ,play 1st fret b, 2nd fret g, 3rd on d and a and only play middle 4 strings, way easier, figure out some cheats and make them work, I've been playing for nearly 25 years.

DURP

big mick wrote:

Keep trying - a tip - don't barre the chord ,play 1st fret b, 2nd fret g, 3rd on d and a and only play middle 4 strings, way easier, figure out some cheats and make them work, I've been playing for nearly 25 years.

That's the way i learned to play F and it's not that bad.

What got me was A till i found a comfortable position. That seemed to be alot of my problem just playing with what is comfortable.

Like power chords i use my index on the A or E then my ring finger on the other two strings. It works for me better than using ring and pinky.

bellosjam

OP here...stuck with it and now the F chord is officially my BITCH!!!!

LukinFan

bellosjam wrote:

OP here...stuck with it and now the F chord is officially my BITCH!!!!

doesn't it feel great?! Congrats!

uninnocent-

bellosjam wrote:

OP here...stuck with it and now the F chord is officially my BITCH!!!!

Congrats! It's definitely worth the hard work.

Here's your next challenge:

e-0
B-6
G-12
D-10
A-8
E-5

Good Luck!

he.who.forgets

just curious as to how everyone plays the F...
Like this?
--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

Or this?

--1

---

--1

---

--1--2

---

--1--3

---

--1--3

---

--1

---

Sorry, I don't write out tab very often so if that last chord doesnt make sense, I just mean barring the entire first fret.
I actually find the bar chord easier, it's just slower for me to switch to while playing.

rollings

he.who.forgets wrote:

just curious as to how everyone plays the F...
Like this?
--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

Or this?

--1

---

--1

---

--1--2

---

--1--3

---

--1--3

---

--1

---

Sorry, I don't write out tab very often so if that last chord doesnt make sense, I just mean barring the entire first fret.
I actually find the bar chord easier, it's just slower for me to switch to while playing.

Both ways. Depends on the song.

If most other chords are open then the first F "depicted" above would be used,

but if moving up the fretboard then the second depicted F is used.

but ya know, now that you mention it, I've been playing "10 a.m. automatic" by the black keys, and I think that the barred F is called for, but I just play the open F it.

ed243421

he.who.forgets wrote:

just curious as to how everyone plays the F...
Like this?
--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

Or this?

--1

---

--1

---

--1--2

---

--1--3

---

--1--3

---

--1

---

Sorry, I don't write out tab very often so if that last chord doesnt make sense, I just mean barring the entire first fret.
I actually find the bar chord easier, it's just slower for me to switch to while playing.

i like it sloppy

i cheat sometimes and play this

--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

like this

--X

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

you get the chunk of the sound you need without that last high note

and, f is usually played with a "c" and all you need to do is move middle and ring fingers to A string 3rd fret, like:

--X

---

--1

---

O

---

---

2

---

---

3---
X

---

i do this for

off he goes
audioslave's - like a stone
society
the man who sold the world

sounds fine to me

uninnocent-

rollings wrote:

Both ways. Depends on the song.

If most other chords are open then the first F "depicted" above would be used,

but if moving up the fretboard then the second depicted F is used.

Exactly, it all depend on the song. If I'm playing Down on the Corner then it's a full-barred chord. For something like River of Deceit it's usually just the lighter version so I can move up the board a little easier for the G.

rollings

bump

brianlux

ed243421 wrote:

he.who.forgets wrote:

just curious as to how everyone plays the F...
Like this?
--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

Or this?

--1

---

--1

---

--1--2

---

--1--3

---

--1--3

---

--1

---

Sorry, I don't write out tab very often so if that last chord doesnt make sense, I just mean barring the entire first fret.
I actually find the bar chord easier, it's just slower for me to switch to while playing.

i like it sloppy

i cheat sometimes and play this

--1

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

like this

--X

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

3

---

O

---

X

---

you get the chunk of the sound you need without that last high note

and, f is usually played with a "c" and all you need to do is move middle and ring fingers to A string 3rd fret, like:

--X

---

--1

---

O

---

---

2

---

---

3---
X

---

i do this for

off he goes
audioslave's - like a stone
society
the man who sold the world

sounds fine to me

This, similar to you last one, often works well:

--X

---

--1

---

----2

---

---

4---

---

3

---

--X

---

peacefrompaul

The low F is fucking epic