Here it is, the dreaded F chord! Most beginners struggle with this one and with good reason - it is an improver/ intermediate level chord and very much a step up from basic open chords! 

‘Barring’ means pressing down more than 1 string, usually with the first finger. This is hard, but is the gateway to being able to play any chord on guitar. This lesson shows how to play the full F barre chord. We’ll also look at an easier option and what chords happen with the F barre chord when used in real songs!

Easier F chord options

The F barre chord can take weeks or even months before we can use it in real songs. This is natural. However, it can be a real hold up if we want to play songs that just happen to have an F crop up in them. So, this page includes two easier options that you should be aware of that will definitely be easier and still sound like an F chord! 

It is important to know that these easier options are not ‘cheating’, they are still real chords! The only thing that matters is that they are appropriate for the song. One of these involves thumb muting. This is where the thumb lightly touches the thickest string. This is a technique I introduce in my Beginners Course Level 6 with Slash chords.

Which F should I use and when?

The F chord hybrid can be used anytime in place of the F barre chord as the notes are the same. However, the F major 7 can only be used in some depending on what musical key you are in. F major 7 is most commonly used in the key of C, i.e. alongside the chords C, G and A minor for example. Long term, musical keys will become the answer to knowing which chords go together well, which is one reason why the play along track in this course are so important!