Please don't laugh...
MayDay10
Posts: 11,672
My new-found obscession with PJ'smusic has inspired me to learn guitar. I feel I am making real progress every day, but I have hit a major beginner roadblock:
How the "F" do I play the F major chord?
I know how the fingering goes, but I cant seem to play it.
Any suggestions?
Sorry to waste a thread. Im sure you are all at least a decade past that point.
How the "F" do I play the F major chord?
I know how the fingering goes, but I cant seem to play it.
Any suggestions?
Sorry to waste a thread. Im sure you are all at least a decade past that point.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
barre the 1 fret with your pointer and do like an e chord w/ the other 3.
im no teacher.....case ya cant tell
It's always the hardest chord for beginners to play. You need the most finger pressure to press down at the first fret, so it's physically the hardest.
Try fingering just the high four strings:
E-1
B-1
G-2
D-3
A-X
E-X
But if you keep trying barre chords, your finger WILL strengthen eventually. Learn to barre with your index like that on the upper frets first and you will soon be able to stretch those fingers out more on the lower frets, where the spacing is larger.
You, and any guitarist would do well by learning to play all the open chords with your pinky, ring and middle finger, so that you can barre them anywhere. You'll eventually be able to play the Ab Barre like this:
E-4 with your pinky
B-1
G-1
D-1
A-3
E-4
Ouch!
When you're really stretched out, these will make the F chord look easy!
Play these chords from this:
E-5 pinky
B-5 pinky
G-3 middle
D-x
A-4 ring
E-2 index
to this :
E-5 Pinky
B-5 Pinky
G-2 middle
D-X
A-3 ring
E-1 index
You'd be amazed how far your fingers can stretch. I know some Jazz players with pretty small hands that can do amazing finger stretches.
The important thing is to warm up your fingers before you tackle the F chord
Another VERY important thing to remember is to concentrate on using the minimum amount of finger pressure on the string as possible to make the notes ring. Players tend to get tense when they play and press harder than they need to,, thusly tiring the fingers out too fast, whether playing lead or chords
Have fun:D
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
That would be my recommendation, as well.
e--1--index
B--1--index
G--2--middle
D--3--ring
A--X
E--X
Try this next:
e--1--index
B--1--index
G--2--middle
D--3--pinkie
A--3--ring
E--X
Once you've got that down, try barring the whole 1st fret with the index.
Alternate F chord:
e--X
B--10--ring
G--10--ring
D--10--ring
A--8---index
E--X
*Tries*
*Tries harder, tongue out of mouth*
...
*Succeeds*
AAAAAAH you son of a bitch that HURTS! They ARE cool chords though. Thanks
Any particular song those come from?
e
b - 1
g - 2
d - 3
a
E
That's it. sounds like F. Easy to switch to.
Guess I better start fretting with my last 3 fingers to get ready to fly with the barres!
A thousand songs! Those two chords are used as an ending to songs (Usually some sort of jazz or ballad.) Learn them in any key,,(play'm higher up on the fret board at first so your fingers don't come out of their sockets:eek:)
An F chord needs three notes,,, F,A,C. You don't really have to play all six strings every time you play a chord, and you'll find that in a band, less is more.
Like Cleverpj moniker says
e
b - 1 (that's your C)
g - 2 (that's your a
d - 3 (the root=F)
a
E
That's an F chord as long as you're muting all the other strings.
Play the low E on the first fret with your thumb, and you're adding another low F for some bass in the chord. (It's considered bad form to play with your thumb like that,,, but go ahead and do it:D)
Just for the hell of it because I'm waiting for a phone call,,,:
e
b - 1
g - 2
d - 3
a
E-x
When you play that with all the strings ringing,,,(Mute the low F) you're playing an F major 7th. Take those three fingers and slide them up one fret,,, play that first,
e
b - 2
g - 3
d - 4
a
E-X
then this:
e
b - 1
g - 2
d - 3
a
E-x
Voila! The end to a hundred more songs! Like "the girl from ipanema"
Off to work,, have a good one all.
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
Bb is never that fun either!:)
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
i hated learning F....infact, for a while i just gave up and played chords that didnt really work in it's place, but it's really not that hard all all....once you get the hang on it
i've been playing for over a year, and while i can make up solo's here and there, i've never attemped to learn barr chords or B....as i say my fingers are too small....im sure i could do it though, just need to be bothered to actually sit down and do it
I KNOW you can do it!
It is amazing how small fingers can stretch. I spent some time studying with Robert Fripp, (A nice Englishman)
He is an amazing guitarist, one of the best around,and is a very short guy with small hands. I swear his fingers coming out to make some of the stretches he does!
I guess it takes dedication.
Guitarists get jealous when they see Jimi Hendrix using his thumb to barre chords!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
a short english stubby fingered person, sure that wasnt me?? hehe, i do have titchy hands....not stubby fingers, well they might be, i dunno, but just tiny hands in general.....but ilike em that way....and i know what you mean about Jimi.....grrrr
sorry
learn well the ways of Stone and Mike *nods*
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
I'm glad you're happy the way you are, Bambi Girl:)
Here's a short fingered F, too
e-x
b-x
g-2 - middle finger
d-3 -pinky
a-3 -ring
E-1 -mister index finger
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
awwww bob ..you're just the best!!
you should have seen the patience with which he taught me all those chords...and everytime it sounded like *plluuubbblluubllluub* he was still encouraging me!!!! love ya bob!
btw...my F-chord doesn't sound that bad anymore...;)
move it up and down the neck.
up 2 frets is a G, up 4 frets is an A, etc etc
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
I think it gets easier when the front/side of your index finger gets callouses... no?
Yup! Your fingers will get toughened and they'll get stronger, too.
Whenever you think you're overextending yourself,,the previous stuff that you think you didn't know gets easier!:D
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
Callouses are a big help, as they develop it really makes it possible to play a lot better without getting sore fingertips.
The biggest things, though, are finger strength and dexterity. When you first start playing guitar, you play one note at a time with the index finger fretting the string... plink-plink-plink... but as you work on things, you build up your strength, agility, dexterity. Things you thought were physically impossible before come fairly naturally after the first few months. You'll be wondering how you ever got your fingers to bend that way... and hold down a string and play chords, notes, fills, riffs...
Most music stores sell finger-training tools like spring-loaded strength builders and fingerweights that give your fingers a work-out. Most people would laugh, but a musician (guitar, bass, keyboard/guitar, woodwinds, horns... etc) really does need to have good finger movement. It's just something that gets better as you work on it.
I saw Squirrel learn barre chords before my very eyes.!
That was the running theme of Squirrel's guitar lessons in Austria!
*plluuubbblluubllluub*:D:D (the sound of someone learning the F chord!)
Ahhh, you reminded me of a great trip!
Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
__________________________________
hehe...they're really coming you know!
granny was here today and i played her some stuff...she loved roadhouse blues
Helping other people is what the human race should be focused on, if we want to progress.