The F Chord for guitar is slightly more challenging to play than some of the other open chords we have learned. It is vital to know this chord as it is used in many popular songs.
One of the first songs that I played along to was the opening to the song “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song begins with the chords G-D-Em-F and C. By the end of this lesson, you can go ahead and give that a try!
The challenge with the F Chord is that if we are to play the chord properly, we will need to play it as a barre chord. We can play the chord as an open chord, but the best way to play the chord is a barre chord. It has a fuller sound, and we do not have to mute any strings if we hold the chord as a barre chord.
However, some variations do make it easier to play. We will start with the easy way first.
If you need to revisit the basics first, see all guitar string notes.
How to Play the F Chord on Guitar
There are three different ways to play the F chord. First, you can play as an open chord, which is the easiest way to play the chord. Second, you can play as a partial barre chord. The third and most common is the F major chord played as a barre chord.
We will look at all three ways.
Open Chord
The notes of the F chord are C, F, and A. As with all of the open chords that we are starting with, they are all three notes. Below is the chord chart for playing the open F chord. This first version is one variation of the F open chord and is the easiest way to play. If you have mastered the C chord, then this should be an easy transition.
Start with your first finger on the second string, first fret. Then place your second finger on the third string, second fret. Place your third finger on the fifth string, third fret, and then put your fourth finger on the fourth string, third fret.
When you look at the chord chart above, you will see that it is very similar to the C chord. Fingers one and three are on the same strings as C. The difference is finger two is on the third string instead of the fourth string. Your fourth finger is on the fourth string, third fret.
Since this is the “easier” version, the low E string (sixth string) and the high E string (first string) are muted – we do not strum these strings.
When you are playing a song with this version, you must be strategic about your strumming – do not strum the first and sixth strings. It will not sound right.
Partial Barre Chord
Now let’s look at another variation of the F chord. Below is a more standard version of F. This version has the same notes as the first chart, and the finger placements are nearly the same. The difference is that you use your first finger to hold down the first and second strings on the first fret.
This second version is a more accessible version of a barre chord. This version is still easy to play. You will need to work on using your first finger to hold down the two strings. Instead of holding down all of the first fret’s strings as a barre chord, hold down the first and second strings on the first fret. (See diagram below)
Barre Chord
Playing the F major Chord as a barre chord is the most common way of playing the chord. That does not necessarily mean that it is the right way to play, though. The barre chord has a fuller sound since you do not mute any of the strings when you play the chord.
It comes down to what type of song you are playing and what is chord before and after. Sometimes it more accessible to play the open F chord than the barre chord. Many songs from Neil Young use the open F major Chord.
It is still essential to building your guitar playing skills by learning how to play barre chords.
The first thing you notice about the F chord is that it is the same as the E chord but moved down one fret. Since E and F’s distance is a half step, the move from an E Chord to an F Chord is a half step or one fret.
To play the F Major barre chord, use your first finger to hold the strings across the first fret. Place your second finger on the third string, second fret. Place your third finger on the fifth string, third fret, and then your fourth finger on the fourth string, third fret.
It will be hard at first, but work at holding the strings – you will get it. Just simple strum down on the strings and make sure that your fingers are not muting any of the other strings – you should have a nice clean sound.
If you’re ready to move on, see next B Guitar Chord or take a look at the G Major Scale for Guitar