Simple chord question

[granny_dmb41]

hey all, just a quick Q.
ive been playing for a while now but im having trouble w/ the barred F chord 133211. is there a trick to this or what lol? i just cant do it, like watchtower, halloween, etc. usually i just cant get the b string to play so i suppose thats about it. so i guess what im wondering is if its just me who cant do it or if there is something specific to do in order to play it?

[gumbomadness]

just make sure your finger is parallel to the fret. time will get it to work. If you dont get that b its ok.. because that not is a C, and you already are playing a C on the 5th string! no worries, jsut keep practicing.

[c_tietze]

Practice.

For now, you could cheat and use your thumb to bar the low E first fret then make a C chord shape using your index on BG on first fret, middle on G second fret, ring on D third fret and pinky on A third fret. Mute or let the high e string ring.

With bar chords it helps to curl your index finger slightly, concentrating the tip on the low E and the meat of your finger near your where your finger meets your hand to depress the high e.

[jellyfish]

hey all, just a quick Q.
ive been playing for a while now but im having trouble w/ the barred F chord 133211. is there a trick to this or what lol? i just cant do it, like watchtower, halloween, etc. usually i just cant get the b string to play so i suppose thats about it. so i guess what im wondering is if its just me who cant do it or if there is something specific to do in order to play it?

You can play this What ^ said!

-------------------------e
--1----------------------b
-----2-------------------g
---------3---------------d
--------------------------a
-1-----------------------E

*use thumb to fret Low E.

For practice on the "REAL" F, I would suggest putting your fingers in the barre position and hold it for five minutes. 10 minutes off. Five minutes on. The Start doing transitions with it. G to F, D to F, A to F. Practice that and you should be good

[littlefriend]

Just play it open.

x0321x

Works for me.

[granny_dmb41]

thanks all,
yea, i have been playing it open for a while, but when im playing with a video or something, ec. jimi thing. i just wanna be able to get the barred f down
but thanks a lot, ill practice up

[Duffman]

geting barr chords right isn't that important, you can just play 1332xx.

[Kukini]

I used to suck at that chord too, now I don't, just keep playing it.

[jellyfish]

Just play it open.

x0321x

Works for me.

One of my favorite chords...... But for the Bass in Watchtower I told him to Thumb the low E.

[littlefriend]

Sure. There's probably a hundred ways to play an F. It IS always good to know multiple variations of chords. Some formations work better in some songs than others, you know? That's the beauty of the instrument.

[Teego Time]

Go play some Jack Johnson. Seriously, the only reason I can do barr chords is because of Flake, Bubble Toes, and Inaudable Melodies.

Also, I find that if I roll my finger a bit (towards the top of the neck) it helps push down the strings more. But now I'm finding that I'm pressing so hard I'll actually sharp the bass notes a bit.

[mlb1399]

A lot of people commonly have problems with this one. My mom has been playing for 1.5 years and still cannot get it down. Joan Baez could not play this chord. The biggest thing I found that helped me, was to not have your finger laying flat on the fret but instead kind of put it on its side. Just mess around with your pointer finger covering the first fret and hit each string until you make them play. Then add the other 3 fingers. Some people do it the other way, put down your pinky, ring and middle finger then barre the first fret with your pointer finger. Good luck!

[a1075dd63aa12]

definitely learn to do the barre chord, it took me a while to learn, then i just played nothing but barre chords until it clicked. i think practice is about the only thing that can help, just a find a way that works for you