The F guitar chord is notoriously difficult for beginner guitarists. In this free lesson you will learn:
How to play the F guitar chord correctly
The best F chord for beginner guitarists to use
A simple 3-string version of the F guitar chord
3 bonus tricks you can use to make your F chords sound better
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How to play the F guitar chord properly
Let’s look at the correct way to play an F guitar chord first, then we’ll look at the easier alternatives. Sound like a plan? Let’s do it.
Ok, this is how an accomplished guitarist plays an F chord. (By the way, did you know that the full name of an F chord is “F Major”? Most of the time people just call it “F”.)
F Major
(If you don't understand the above image please read our article "How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds". It will make everything clear!)
In real-life the F chord looks like this:
As you can see this is a difficult chord – it’s simply not possible for a beginner guitarist to play an F guitar chord (in this way). Clearly we need to find easier alternatives, so let’s get to it!
Some easier ways to play an F guitar chord
This is the most widely-used easier version of an F chord on guitar:
F Major
As you can see, we no longer need to totally barre the first fret, so that’s a huge relief for a beginner guitarist. Even so, this chord still requires solid concentration and a good level of dexterity to play.
If you’ve been playing the guitar for only a few hours this will still be a very difficult chord for you to assemble quickly and consistently. We need an even easier alternative.
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Ok, now we’re getting to a lower barrier of entry. This chord is called “Fmaj7” (pronounced “F major seven”).
Fmaj7
As you can see, this is significantly easier than the first version of F that we looked at.
In a moment we’ll look at the easiest-of-all ways to play an F guitar chord, but firstly there’s an important point I need to flag to you.
F Guitar Chord – String Selection
Note that when playing both the above versions of an F guitar chord you should only play strings 1-4. Your strumming/picking shouldbegin on the 4th string.
(Remember that an ‘X’ on a chordbox diagram means “don’t play this string”.)
Let’s have a quick refresher on string numbers:
If you play the fifth string (the A string) when playing either of the aboveF guitar chords it won’t kill the chord (it’ll still sound ok, just) butif you accidentally play the 6th string (the E string) it will wreck the chord.
For tips on how to do this well read my free lesson:How To Skip Strings When Strumming
The Best Easy Versions Of This Chord
A super-simple, 3-string version of F
This version of an F guitar chord is fantastic for children and adults with learning difficulties or smaller hands:
This version of F doesn’t sound as good as the earlier versions, but it’s passable, and it will act as a stepping stone towards the better-sounding F chords. .
Remember: F is a tough chord, so don’t worry if you’re struggling with it. Learning guitar takes time!
The F guitar chord is one of the very toughest chords for a beginner guitarist to play, so don’t worry if you find it challenging. That’s perfectly normal.
With this in mind, I tell my new students to skip all songs that feature an F chord until they’ve been playing guitar for at least a month.
After 4-6 weeks most people have mastered simpler chords like Em, G, Am, D and C. By that stage they have developed enough control and precision in their third finger that they can perform the above easier F chords without it being too tough.
For the vast majority of adult learners, Fmaj7 should be the first goal. It sounds great and is much easier to play than a full F chord.
A Pro Tip For Using Fmaj7
Note how closely a Fmaj7 chord resembles the shape of a C chord? This is one of the things that makes Fmaj7 a handy chord to know, because F and C are common bedfellows, they crop up together often, along with G.
You can combine Fmaj7, C and G in the following way. It sounds great and allows you to maintain a similar handshape as you play. (This makes things easier for you and allows you to play with more fluidity.)
Check this pattern out. When you have F and/or C and/or G near to one another, try playing F like this:
…and C, as normal, like this…
…and use this version of G (called Gsus4)…
This is a great example of using broader chord knowledge to make things easier and sound better. (You’ll do this a LOT as you progress as a guitarist!)
Common versions of F
Now let’s look at some sevenths:
Here are some other cool-sounding F chords .
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The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and often succeed), it's with far too much struggle and effort than is actually necessary. Even extremely influential guitarists can have a hard time with barre chords.
The six-string F chord is one of the hardest standard chord shape to play on the guitar. When many people try to play the F chord on guitar (and often succeed), it's with far too much struggle and effort than is actually necessary. Even extremely influential guitarists can have a hard time with barre chords.
The easy F chord starts with your index finger on the 1st fret of the 2nd string. Then use your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string. Your ring finger and pinky will play the 3rd fret on the 5th and 4th strings respectively.
The F major chord is a particularly challenging chord to play on the guitar because it requires you to make a bar or mini-bar (we'll get into this later), which makes it hard to execute cleanly. In this guide, we'll be tackling the dreaded F major from just about every angle so you can master this unruly chord.
We can play a simple triad shape across strings 4, 3 and 2. If I replace the A note on string 3 with the open G I create what is called an Fsus2. Adding an open string 1 to these shapes creates an Fmaj7 (commonly used by beginners to replace an F chord) or Fmaj7sus2.
Start by making a barre across the all six strings by placing the edge of your first finger flat against the strings, just behind the second fret. Then, take your other three fingers and place them in front of them, in that same E major shape in front of them.
Start with your index finger on the 1st fret 2nd string, 2nd fret of the 3rd string with your middle finger. Then your ring finger and pinky will play the 3rd fret of the 5th and 4th strings respectively. When you're playing this easy F chord on your guitar, you won't play the low or high E strings.
It might take you weeks, if not months, to master this chord. It's a process - so be patient with yourself! The key is to get the finger placement right and to make the F chord ring out clearly.
The best way to strum a guitar is to use a pick. To hold the pick properly, curl your fingers towards your palm, place the pick on the first knuckle of your index finger, and grip the pick with your thumb so only a few centimeters poke out. Then, strum your guitar strings between the sound hole and the bridge.
The easiest F chord on a second fret capo is a chord on the top four strings, mimicking an E flat major on an un-capoed guitar. So the notes would be 3rd fret fourth string (1st finger), 5th fret third string (second finger), 6th fret second string (fourth finger), 5th fret first string (3rd finger).
One way of avoiding F is to use a capo – you could capo the third fret and play a D major chord, or the fifth fret and play a C major shape. You could also capo the first fret and play E, but in each case all the other chords in the song will need to be adjusted to the new key.
Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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