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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A 3-finger version of F
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 should begin 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 above F guitar chords it won’t kill the chord (it’ll still sound ok, just) but if 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.
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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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Join the world's best online guitar school 🌎
- Get your own personalised guitar learning plan (customised just for YOU).
- World-class online guitar courses. Learn at your own pace.
- Community Campus & Learning Forum - A friendly community! Connect with our team & students. 😊
- Beginner Song library with chordsheets, tabs and tips. (Songs suitable for all levels!)
- Regular live streams, seminars and Q&A sessions - Learn from world-class guitar educators. Get all your questions answered!
Click here to learn more about National Guitar Academy membership
Cool Guitar T-shirts 😎
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Want free guitar tips and video lessons delivered to your inbox?
Join over 100,000 guitar-learners and subscribe to our guitar-tips-by-email service. (It's free.)
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Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding.
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