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On this page I am going to show you7 ways for how to play the F chord on guitar.
I'll show you the easiest way to play the F chord a few common variations, and even how to play the F bar chord. We'll also get into popular chords that go with F, popular songs that use the F chord, and what notes make up the chord.
Why is the F chord so hard?
You've heard about the dreaded F chord 
and I want you to know that the F chord
is not as hard as people think!
The reason people struggle to play the F chord is because they either have poor guitar technique that causes their fret hand to not work properly or they try to learn the hardest F chord in the hardest position possible...
How To Play The F Major Chord For Beginners
Here is how to play the F chord in the easiest way possible. Place your 1st finger (index) on 2nd string 1st fret
Place your 2nd finger (middle) on the 3rd string 2nd fret
Place your 3rd finger (ring) on the 3rd string 3rd fret
** Your thumb should be directly behind your 2nd finger (index) and the curvature should be in your fingers not your wrist.
Not sure on how to read a chord diagram?Click here
How To Strum The F chord
To strum the F chord above without strumming strings 1, 5 or 6 You can do the following
First, lightly rest your wrist on the bridge of your guitar just before you strum. This will help you feel where your picking hand is so you can skip strings 5 & 6. This will take some practice to do quickly without looking.
For not strumming the first string, you can either touch the string with your picking hand or let your 1st finger drop down slightly so that it is lightly touches the 1st string.
Here is another common way to play the F chord that is slightly more difficult
In this variation you add a C note in the bass by placing fretting the 5th string 3rd fret. You could play the easy F chord above and then add your 4th finger (pinky) to the 5th string 3rd fret but you may find this a but awkward.
So instead, place your 3rd finger on the 5th string 3rd fret and your 4th finger (pinky) on the 4th string 3rd fret.
As you can see from the diagram the C note is now the lowest sounding note. This essentially turns it into a slash chord written as F/C. Meaning it's an F chord but the C note is the bass note.Look at you getting so good at music theory! 
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F Chord Tips
The 1st tip to learning the F chord and making smooth transition is to learn easier versions first. In this lesson I have chords laid out from easy - Intermediate - hard so be sure to book mark this page for reference as you progress.
The 2nd tip is to to make sure your thumb is behind your first and second fingers. You don't want your thumb on the outside of your index finger as this will cause your hand to not be able to stretch or work properly.
The 3rd tip is for bar chords. When playing bar chords and your index finger (1st finger) needs to do execute the bar you want to apply pressure to the side of your finger. If you squeeze directly in your finger will bend and the strings on your knuckles wont ring out!
F Major Barre Chord Guitar Easy
This next example is what I like to call a "level 2" F chord. It's exactly like the first F chord you learned but now we are going to turn it into a barre chord
Simply press your index down across the B string and E string and press to the side of your finger all while continuing to squeeze your middle finger straight in.
See video for breakdown
F Major Barre Guitar (A Shape)
Now we are going to move on to bar chords and you are going to learn how to play the F barre chord properly.I am going to guide you through different variations of the F major bar chord with easy variation getting progressively harder.Just so we are clear, when you use one finger to press multiple strings this is called a bar chord or sometimes spelled barre chord.
This example is sometimes called the "A shape" bar chord in reference to the A major chord in open position. I have two way to play this variation however, as you can see one variation uses 2 bar while the other only uses one. As you can see, the variation with 2 bars the index is pressing down on the 1st string giving you that last bit of top end on the high E string.
To play this variation of the F chord, use your index finger on 5th string 8th fret and lay your 3rd finger (ring) across strings 2-4 on the 10th fret. * Remember to have your thumb splitting the difference with your index and ring finger and keep your 2nd joint on your ring finger high so it can SCOOP and lay flat.
How To Play The F Chord Without The Barre
This voicing will prepare you to play the hardest voicing for the F major barre chord.
We are going to do everything EXCEPT barre which is why it will prepare your hands for it.
To play place your first finger on the low e string first fret, then your third finger on the fifth string third fret, your fourth finger on the fourth string third fret and your second finger on the third string second fret.
Don't strum all the strings as you can see from the diagram.
F Barre Chord (E Shape)
Ok, so you're ready to tackle the hardest version of the F chord. Interesting enough, this is usually the first barre chord that players start with and not only is it one of the hardest variations for a bar chord but specifically the F chord in this shape is the hardest bar chord of them all!
The reason this one voicing is so hard is because you have to play across all six strings and play on the first fret. This means your fingers have to stretch the most AND its hard to leverage the pressure for the barre chord due to your hand being far away from your body.
To play the F major bar chord in this position, The trick is to have your thumb in the correct position splitting your 1st and 3rd fingers and press your index finger slightly back so you are on the SIDE of your finger. ** To play this chord properly this all must be done with ONE motion.
place your first finger (index) on 6th string 1st fret and lay (bar) your finger across all strings. Then place your 3rd finger (ring) on 5th string 3rd fret, your 4th finger (pinky) on 4th string 3rd and your 2nd finger (middle) on 3rd string 2nd fret.
Now you know how to play the F major chord!
Scratch that, you are like an F chord pro as you know a lot of ways to play the F chord on guitar!
Easy Songs That Use F Major
Tom Petty - Free Fallin
The Beatles - Let It Be
Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
F Major Chord Progression Guitar
Here's a few chord progressions that sound great that use the F chord. Feel free to change up the orders and experiment with the sounds!
F - Bb - C
C -F - G
Am - F - G
F - Bb - C - Dm
C - F - Am - G
Dm - Bb - F - C
If you need help learning these other chords, click here
What Keys Have A F Major Chord?
Major keys that use a F major chord:
Key of F Major
Key of C Major
Key of Bb Major
Minor keys that use a F major chord:
Key of D Minor
Key of Am Minor
Key of G Minor
What Are The Notes Of A F Major Chord?
A F chord or F major chord consists of 3 notes that are derived from the F major scale.
The F GA Bb C D E
When you number the notes of a scale they are called SCALE DEGREES. So to make a F major chord we need the 1st, 3rd and 5th "degrees." 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 All major chords use the 1, 3, and 5 notes of a their corresponding scale. When these 3 notes are being played harmonically (played at the same time) you are playing a F major chord! Notice from the chord diagrams above, ONLY the notes F, A, and C are being used. If you have another note such as a G note or a Bb note it is no longer F major chord!
F G A Bb C D E
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