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F chord is evil

SpliffTasticSpliffTastic Posts: 36
edited March 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
I swear, the F chord was invented by the devil. My fingers just don't want to move that way. I've spent about a year "learning guitar" (mostly just talking about it), so now I've decided to take lessons. However, I want to be good on the basic chords before I start so that I don't have to pay for the simple stuff. But the F chord is just a pain in the ass. Oh well, I'll be happy when I know how to play.
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  • djyman15djyman15 Posts: 181
    i know before i started taking lessons, I wasnt very practical about chord shapes, arpeggios etc... Have you tried barring the first fret and just playing the 4 highest notes in the chord IE go like this

    Typical barre F chord

    133211

    Open F chord

    xx3211

    What could possibly help

    (1)(3)3211
    "Even if your heart would listen, I doubt I could explain"-Jimmy Eat World
  • Gossard_Is_GodGossard_Is_God Posts: 1,031
    It took me fuckin ages to learn the F chord. But after a while you will realise its well easy.
    Pearl Jam - London Astoria 20/4/06....One hell of a night :)

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  • durbandurban Posts: 18
    I agree with this thread...

    Always hated the F chord, whilst a Barred F is easier to play it just doens't have the same tonal quality as the open F, however it seems half the time the open F sounds muted not only for me but for most people who play it :)


    The F chord is evil!
  • abs2k4abs2k4 Posts: 7
    iam a begginer guitarist..i really have problems barring the 1st fret..any tips?.. whenever i bar and hold the frets with my free fingers i end up playing dead notes :(
  • durbandurban Posts: 18
    To be honest mate we all got that at first.

    The whole thing is that you need to strengthen your fingers for that position. Just keep playing, force yourself to try and play Bar chords even when you have a choice of an open chord.

    Just strengthen your fingers up and eventually it will be second nature.

    Its the same with most aspects, whether its chords or learning riffs, or just being able to play without your fingers hurting...its all about sticking with it, forcing your boundaries and keeping going.

    It takes time but its worth it.
  • He_Who_ForgetsHe_Who_Forgets Posts: 200
    the F-chord is the fucking devil. period.
    me you wouldn't recall, cause i'm not my former.
  • djyman15djyman15 Posts: 181
    hate to discourage you bud, but if you are playing a guitar with a thick neck, you have to eat your spinach and grow huge muscles like popeye before even trying to barre. On one of my acoustics, there is no way it can be done
    "Even if your heart would listen, I doubt I could explain"-Jimmy Eat World
  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    I got small fingers, so yeah its a bitch.
    'The more I studied religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.' - Sir Richard Francis Burton
  • pariahpariah Posts: 596
    Repaeat after me... P*R*A*C*T*I*C*E... you'll get there. just play lots of songs with F's in em.
    "Until you realize the importance of the banana king, you will know absolutely nothing about the human-interest things of the world."
  • SpliffTasticSpliffTastic Posts: 36
    thanks for the advice, everybody. I definitely need to practice more often. That's been my biggest problem.
  • PJamGrunge10PJamGrunge10 California Posts: 596
    i basically am teaching myself and at first F was hard for me, but now i can pull it off and ive been playin for a little over a year. but im still a little slow going to an F from another chord.
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  • KwyjiboKwyjibo Posts: 662
    cant say i had this much trouble playing F

    ... just F'in practice ;)
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  • KilmanKilman Posts: 18
    I love playing the F pentascale. It just sounds evil.
    If we all stop voting, will they all go away?
  • uninnocentuninnocent Posts: 1,565
    i actually like the f chord. and being the massochist that i am, i enjoy voicing it at the eighth fret:

    (5)-8-7-5-6-5
  • FinsburyParkCarrotsFinsburyParkCarrots Seattle, WA Posts: 12,223
    You could always forget about barring, play the F as you usually would and use your thumb to hold down the bass tonic note (on your fat E string). It sounds about the same...and Hendrix did it.
  • djyman15djyman15 Posts: 181
    ah the State of Love and Trust F chord, one of my faves
    "Even if your heart would listen, I doubt I could explain"-Jimmy Eat World
  • WiLL75WiLL75 Posts: 415
    Originally posted by uninnocent
    i actually like the f chord. and being the massochist that i am, i enjoy voicing it at the eighth fret:

    (5)-8-7-5-6-5

    That looks like an Always With Me, Always With You chord....
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  • FlaggFlagg Posts: 5,856
    I bet he F chord is the #1 reason why people give up on the guitar.

    For a lot of practice going back and forth between the F and other chords try I Am Mine or Red Mosquito.
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  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,291
    i just started playing and i will say the F-chord is a bitch. i have really small hands and trying to get the F on my accoustic is pretty much impossible.
  • evenflowrocksevenflowrocks Posts: 96
    Try Nothingman...Lots of Fs and Dms and Cs and then that A#...talk about getting from an F to another chord...geez my fingers are cramping right now
    www.myspace.com/evenflowrocks

    heathen frog psycho number ONE!
  • Gossard_Is_GodGossard_Is_God Posts: 1,031
    You play Nothingman with a capo so the chord shapes are mega easy.
    Pearl Jam - London Astoria 20/4/06....One hell of a night :)

    Reading 2006 - WOOOOW!!!!!

    Paris 2006 - Fucking amazing

    Wembley 2007 :D
  • dude_man_24dude_man_24 Posts: 20
    you guys are pretty shitty guitarists if you can't play an F chord.
  • mca47mca47 Posts: 13,291
    Originally posted by dude_man_24
    you guys are pretty shitty guitarists if you can't play an F chord.

    i'll admit it, "I am a shitty guitarist"
    I'm also a couple months into learning the damn thing.
  • evenflowrocksevenflowrocks Posts: 96
    Originally posted by Gossard_Is_God
    You play Nothingman with a capo so the chord shapes are mega easy.

    yes well with two guitarists both of us playing with a capo would sound wierd so I jsut try to play accents and shit...forgot my capo one night when we were doing an acoustic show and I was the only guitarist there, that hurt.
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  • FlizankFlizank Posts: 59
    The best way to learn guitar is by playing songs you know.
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  • ||Release_Me||||Release_Me|| Posts: 1,871
    Originally posted by djyman15
    hate to discourage you bud, but if you are playing a guitar with a thick neck, you have to eat your spinach and grow huge muscles like popeye before even trying to barre. On one of my acoustics, there is no way it can be done

    Same with me. My acoustic has a thick neck and just the worst strings that rip apart your fingers. My electric is OK and i can barre chords on it but there's not a chance on the acoustic.
    "This town deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to them."

  • SinisterMentalSinisterMental Posts: 6
    If you have small hands you probably won't be able to play an F chord with your thumb like Hendrix. Once you get used to it, though, you'll find that a barred F really isn't all that bad. It's like anything with the guitar . . . it takes practice and patience.
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  • uninnocentuninnocent Posts: 1,565
    Originally posted by djyman15
    ah the State of Love and Trust F chord, one of my faves

    i can't believe i forgot that's where i first used that f chord. it's in some dylan too, and in a lot of what i write. i just love doing things at the fifth.
  • gotz idgotz id Posts: 125
    hehe, F is the devil? ;)

    Try G7!!
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  • cecropiacecropia Posts: 12
    Lowering the action of the strings helps. Just low enough before the strings start buzzing. Also form the bar before you hit the neck. And of course practice...you'll always be in pain if you don't.
    "You'll be able to hook up with plenty of folks who are looking for plenty of folks who are looking to hook up with plenty of folks who are."
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