The F chord for guitar is one of the most intimidating chords for new guitarists. It is a bit more advanced than the standard "cowboy chords" we all start out with.
The thing that is most difficult for beginners is the use of a fretting technique called barring. Barring, or barre chords, are when you fret multiple strings at once with a single finger. Most of the time, when just starting out, a player's fingers are not quite strong enough to play these chords smoothly.
Fortunately, you can play several different versions of the F chord for guitar until you build up the finger strength to play the full barre chord. You will build your strength and your confidence through this 5 stage process.
How To Play The F Chord For Guitar In 5 Stages
Like we said, this process was designed to help beginning guitarists play the F chord right away and build their strength to the barre chord. Here is the simplest, 3 note version.
F Chord (3 Note Version)
We will start off with a simple version with no barring at all. It only involves 3 notes with the additional 3 strings muted.
- index finger (1) fretting the C note on the B string at the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
- mute the low E, A, and high e strings
F Chord (4 Note Version)
This version of the F chord is a little more difficult than the 3 note version. This version will have a bit more body to it with the addition of a lower C note played on the A string.
- index finger (1) fretting the C note on the B string at the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
- mute the low E and high e strings
F Chord (4 Note Alternate Version)
This is the first version of the F chord you will learn using the barre chord technique. This is also the first version that most people learn (and then become frustrated).
It's a great way to get started since you will only need to barre the 2 thinnest strings.
- index finger (1) barred across the B and high e strings on the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
- mute the low E and A strings
F Chord (5 Note Version)
Now we're adding that additional low C note again. This version of the chord is a bit more satisfying because you get an almost complete tonal range when you strum.
- index finger (1) barred across the B and high e strings on the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
- mute the low E string
F Chord (6 Note Full Barre Chord)
This is the full on F barre chord for guitar. If you have mastered the previous versions, you are ready for this one.
You will notice your middle, ring, and pinky fingers are making an E shape. This E shape barre chord is also moveable up and down the neck. Depending on where you barre, you can play every chord.
- index finger (1) barred across all 6 strings strings on the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
Variations Of The Chord
You probably will want to be able to play the F chord in different positions other than on the 1st fret. Here are a couple more ways you can play this chord a little further down the fretboard.
For example:
Just like with the E shape barre chord, this C shape barre chord is also capable of moving up and down the neck and making different chords. If you want to play an F chord using this shape, you will need to barre on the 5th fret.
- index finger (1) barred across the G, B, and high e strings on the 5th fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the F note on the G string at the 6th fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the A note on the D string at the 7th fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the root F note on the A string at the 8th fret
- mute the low E string
Here's another example of a barre chord shape you can move around the neck.
This F chord uses an A shape barre on the 8th fret. This is, again, another example of a chord shape that can be used anywhere on the neck to play any chord you want.
- index finger (1) fretting strings all 6 strings along the 8th fret
- middle finger (2) fretting the C note on the D string at the 10th fret
- ring finger (3) fretting the F note on the G string at the 10th fret
- pinky finger (4) fretting the A note on the B string at the 10th fret
The Theory Behind It
To build a major chord, you have to take notes from the major scale. Specifically, you have to use the I, III, and V notes. This is known as a major triad.
The F major scale looks like this:
Using the major triad formula mentioned above (I, III, V) we can deduce that an F chord is made up of:
- the root note (I) F
- the 3rd (III) A
- the 5th (V) note C
Complementary Chords
Everything in music is based around scales. Just like we use the major scale to build the F chord, we can also use the F major Chord scale to build a chord progression.
A standard Major Chord Scale looks like this:
The way this is read is:
- I is major 1st
- ii is minor 2nd
- iii is minor 3rd
- IV is major 4th
- V is major (or perfect) 5th
- vi is minor 6th
- vii° is minor 7th diminished
If you want to use the F Major Chord Scale, you would follow that same pattern of major and minor and apply the notes from the F major scale.
For example:
Note: Anytime you see the scale numbers in lower case (eg: vi Vs VI) it means you play a minor version of that chord. Additionally, whenever you see the degree symbol (°) that means the chord is diminished.
Practice Progression
If you want to really enjoy the new chords you've learned you will want to play other chords around them. Using the F major chord scale from above, we have made a sample progression for you to play around with.
The progression we chose is made up of them I - IV - vi - V or F - Bb - Dm - C. The chords below are all barre chords but you can also play them open if you are more comfortable with that.
The way you would play the above chord progression is:
A Couple F Chord Variations
Finally, we have a few other F chord variations you can try out to give your playing a little more flair.
The first one is F7:
This F chord is played similarly to the full F barre chord but using an Em chord shape instead.
- index finger (1) barred across all 6 strings at the 1st fret
- middle finger (2) on the A note on the G string at the 2nd fret
- ring finger (3) on the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
The next one is Fm:
This F chord is played similarly to the full F barre chord but using an Em chord shape instead.
- index finger (1) barred across all 6 strings at the 1st fret
- ring finger (3) on the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
- pinky finger (4) on the root F note on the D string at the 3rd fret
Finally, we have Fm7:
The Fm7 is a super simple barre chord to play using the Em7 shape. Plus, it sounds great. You only need 2 fingers to play it, too!
- index finger (1) barred across all 6 strings at the 1st fret
- ring finger (3) on the C note on the A string at the 3rd fret
Songs That Have The F Chord
While it can be tough to play, it is well worth the effort. As you can see, there are a ton of popular songs across several genres and styles that use the F chord.
- Thank U by Alanis Morrisette
- Stand By Me by Ben E. King
- Adam's Song by blink 182
- No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
- Mr Jones by Counting Crows
- Try by Pink
- Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
- Starboy by The Weeknd
- Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots
Final Word
The F chord can certainly be troublesome if you don't have much experience playing the guitar. But, as you have seen today, you can work around the difficult frettings all the while strengthening your fingers so you can play any barre chord you want.
