F chord on guitar – 4 easy cheats for beginner guitarists

F CHORD ON GUITAR – 4 EASY CHEAT WAYS TO PLAY THE F CHORD

So you struggle to play the F chord on the guitar and need some easy cheat F chord alternatives? Not a problem, this cheat guide provides you with the best alternative F chords to get your song sounding great right now!

1. The first easy F chord cheat.

I really recommend playing your fingers down in this order, 3rd, 2nd, then 1st.
If you get used to placing your ‘root’ finger down first, any songs you play in the future will sound a lot smoother as your first strummed note will also be the first note you fret for each chord, make sense?

2. Easy F chord variation 2.

This is the more used F chord alternative. it’s not a million miles away from its big barre chord brother as you’re still barring, but only two strings instead of all six.
This variation is used by Jimi Hendrix, but Hendrix would use his thumb for the bass note (taken from the F barre chord) if you can use this shape, you’re on a good path to building up your technique for the more full barre chord shapes and will develop less need for these four easy F chord cheats.

3. Easy F chord variation 3.

I really like this one, the sound is great and if you can already play your E chord, then you just think of it as E major moved up one fret.. you do need to be careful not to let any open strings resonate, otherwise you’ll end up with a Mexican stand-off sort of sound. great fun! But it will no longer sound like an F chord.

4. Easy F chord 4.. that looks like a D chord!???

You’ve noticed it straight away! And what a fine lesson that would be on movable chords… much like the E & A chord shapes, the D can move up the neck too! There is a little secret to this shape that not many talk of… It’s awfully similar to the shape used in sweet child ‘o’ mine intro riff.. more on this some other time.

Well. I hope that’s helped you to get your favourite songs down a little better, this guide is just to help you have alternatives to the F barre chord, but I would strongly recommend you keep going with the F barre chord, once you’ve learnt and mastered that shape, you’ve essentially learnt 12 other chords with it.

Happy strumming!