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October 2005
Posts: 4048
Location: Utah | Try holding the guitar differently. Instead of having the guitar sit on your right thigh with the neck pointing pretty much straight out to the left, move the instrument to your left so that it is more between your legs and sort of resting on your left thigh, with the neck angled upwards.
This will change the angle of your hand and wrist because your hand will be a lot higher. You will find that you can exert more pressure with less of a bent wrist. You can put a thick book or a little footstool under your left foot to raise your thigh a bit. This might also help the guitar feel more secure in this position. |
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April 2006
Posts: 1017
Location: Budd Lake, NJ | Actually, there is a "cheater's" Eb; play a regular C chord, like this:
- - - 0 X 0
- - X
X X
G C E G C E
Now, just slide it up 3 frets and don't play the higher E string. You have to be careful not to catch that high string if you're strumming, but it works for me.....much easier than trying to barre it. (Of course, if you're into Charles Ives-type music, you can whang on that open E string all you want........ :D ;) )
--Karen |
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September 2006
Posts: 347
Location: Reno, NV | Id start by taking a look at your guitar setup. Measure your action at the 12th fret (6th string open). Get that down to 3/32 by removing shims from under the saddle. Then get some 11's strings, such as the D'add EJ26's. Guitar setup is half of the battle, if not more. |
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Joined:
May 2005
Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
So what is the difference? It's microtonal. Apparently violinists, singers and other musicians who can control microtones will adjust for the needed difference depending upon the note's function in a scale. Some pitch charts I found on the internet show the difference, some do not. I suppose keyboardists and fretted instrument players are SOL if this sort of thing bothers them to any degree. Fortunately for me, my ear's not quite that good. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Try it like this:
x x - - 1 1
- - - 2
- - 3
I'd do it like that with a "mini barre" on the first fret till you got the hang of it. You can play a lot of country tunes with this one (CFG pattern) Once you've mastered the mini bar than do it like this:
1 - - x x x
- - - x x x
- 3 4 x x x
You'll find punk songs played this way, and it's called a power chord. Then once you've mastered this one then do the full on barre. Of course, try doing barre chords using a song with a GCA progression first, then you should have built up the strength for the barred F chord. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Just play it. Keep playing it, then play it some more. Play songs that have an F chord in them, even if your F sounds funky, and just play the song thru. You'll get more comfortable getting to and from the the chord easily, one day -- Voila!! It just comes. All at once, and you'll be like "Hey, that's not so hard!" I'd steer away from shortcuts, you're gonna want to know how to play it eventually anyway, and will have to learn a 'NEW' F chord if all you do is learn to play 4 of the strings. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I agree with the above.
The only way t'do it, is to just Keep At It. |
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January 2005
Posts: 161
Location: Atlanta GA | I had trouble learning the F chord as well. Also I have been giving a friend some lessons and he has trouble with the F chord. I don't know what it is about that chord... But as some have said already, just keep trying and it will come. I actually look forward to fingering that chord now. Start with the C chord and just bring everything down one string. You have to change the angle of your wrist on th eway down. (or at least I do) |
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March 2006
Posts: 1634
Location: Chehalis, Washington | Actually, I've found that using the thumb can make a world of difference in both barring chords and experimenting with alternate basses.
Try this type of F
T - - - 1 1
- - - 2 - -
- - 4 - - -
You simply hook your thumb over the top of the neck and hold down the low E string with that. If you really don't want that low A you can mute it using either the tip of your thumb or your 3 finger too. The cool part of this setup is that you can easily fret it up the fingerboard as well...notice you've got all the strings covered.
You've got to build strength in your thumb as well...try using a D/F# to practice with. I play a progression of D/F# to D/G(G2), like this:
D/F#:
- - - - - -
T - - 1 - 2
- - - - 3 -
D/G:
- - - - - -
- - - 1 - -
2 - - - 3 4
That has helped me build a lot of strength in my thumb, and I regularly fret/mute the lower two strings in many chords that I play. Then fingerpick this pattern: D/F#, D/G, Em7, Asus - A, repeat.
For the F chord, I end up playing it non-barred most of the time. It's much easier to do moving parts and hammer-ons that way. Sometimes it does help to build the chord one string at a time until you have the strength & dexterity you want. |
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March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | i think cheating is not the best way to learn to play on guitar.
You want to play good & clean then work hard. if it doesn't help - work harder. if even that doesn't help - talk with your god, maybe he will give you motivation to even harder excercises.
i've had problems with simple song - money for nothing - i couldn't learn start of this song for 6 months (i was making errors every time), but when i've finally learned it, i was really satisfied.
You will satisfied too when You'll finally nail that F |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Oddly, it was the C, F and G progression that I mastered before all others way back when. Keep at it and you'll develop strength, coordination and feel in your fingers. Ultimately, you will then be able to use this chord configuration as the basis for many other chords, e.g., 6ths, 7ths, 9ths, minors, major and minor 7ths, etc. Furthermore, if you can master the barre C/D and A chords and their derivations, you'll be able to toss out the chord chart book because you'll know them all! |
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November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
It's depends on the relative key you're playing in. Ah, that old relativity stuff again.
Like; "In Arkasas, when you marry a girl, is she still your cousin?"
Re: "F" chord efficiency.
Try fingertip pushups until you can do them on any one finger. Should be no trouble then, though you may pull the guitar out of tune or rip the neck off the body. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I've said it before, and I'll say it again:
Massage Helps.
(GIVING, not receiving)
It really strengthens the fingers. |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I'll be at your place at 6, Clifford. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I'll warm up the jumper cables . . . |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and that's why there's only one "Marathon Man" Massage Clinic. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Massage/Dental Clinic |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | <> |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Is it safe?... Is it safe? |
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November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Well, at 10,000 volts it's definitely sterile. |
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March 2002
Posts: 1380
Location: Central Oregon | Fifty years ago (when I was nine) my hands weren't strong enough to play barred chords so I learned to cheat & use my thumb to grab the big E when in the F position all up & down the neck.
Like so-
T---11
---2--
-34---
Later on as my strength developed I learned to do the barred chords. Now I do them whichever way is most conducive to playing a particular song or riff. I rarely play a barred chord when a cheater will work simply because it's faster for me to grab the big E with my thumb than twist my wrist for the barre, in most cases. I've never understood why some folks get bent out of shape when you use your thumb, it's there, why not use it? Chet Atkins used his thumb, Merle Travis used his thumb, Tommy Emmanuel uses his thumb. I suggest you learn both ways. If you ever learn to Travis pick you'll need to learn to use your thumb anyway, there's simply no other way to play some stuff in that style. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Originally posted by Nils:
I've never understood why some folks get bent out of shape when you use your thumb, it's there, why not use it? My hands and fingers are simply not big enough. There are very few instances where I use my thumb on the E-string (hitting the F# in the Am6 chord in the opening riff to While My Guitar Gently Weeps comes to mind as one exception). It is just much easier to barre it, which then allows me room to noodle around with other fingers within the chord. For my style and with my small hands, if I have my thumb planted on the E string, I am very limited in what else I can do within the chord. In addition, when playing in a group, the bass player covers everything down low in any event. |
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May 2005
Posts: 486
Location: North Carolina | Originally posted by Nils:
I've never understood why some folks get bent out of shape when you use your thumb, it's there, why not use it? . Agree whole heartedly.
There's a self appointed Master of All Things Guitar on the internet who insists vociferously that this causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Nonsense. The hand was engineered to grip, and this is a gripping motion. To me it makes more ergonomic sense to grip than to pinch (barre), which is a much more stressful action.
What WILL cause CTS is if you do not keep your wrist straight doing either of the above |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | Who freaking cares how you finger a chord as long as you hit the right notes? I don't really think about it, but probably 60% of the time I don't use a barre F. I go for 133211 using TRPMII. I have small hands, but no trouble reaching this even on a 1-13/16. Dave |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I agree, Tupp, but at the 12th fret on a thin-necked LP, neck width is 2-1/8" and a bit chunkier than it is down closer to the nut. It is here that I can't use a thumb. I recall seeing a picture of Hendrix nearly wrap his thumb across the entire set of strings in this region. Same with Segovia. |
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Struggling with the F chord
