F chord guitar

Volodymyr Shalayko
Feb 9, 2022
3 min read

The F chord (F major chord) is perhaps the most commonly used chord and is played using four fingers. The index finger is used as a barré by placing it over all the strings in the first square. We put the middle finger on string 3 (G string) in the second square, the ring finger on string 5 (A string) in the third square and the little finger on string 4 (D string) in the third square. As a tab, this would be noted as 133211.

In the chord diagram, the characters X and O are included. The X means you don't play this string. The O means you don't play this string but you do play it. In guitar terms we call this an open string. Because the F chord is formed of open and fingering strings, we also call it an open chord. If you pick the chord correctly, you can play the chord.

Fingersettings

If you turn the chord diagram F it will look like this:

E string - 1 finger on first fret (the thickest string)
A string - 3 finger on third fret
D string - 3 finger on third fret
g string - 2 finger on second fret
b string - 1 finger on first fret
E string - 1 finger on first fret (thin string)

How do you play the F chord on your guitar?

How do you play an F chord? If you listen carefully, all the strings you strike will sound clear and warm. If, when you strike a chord, one of the strings is muffled by the other fingers, you will notice that the chord no longer sounds clear. Try to place your fingers better. The video below is played through the interactive media player.

Guitar songs with F chords

There are many songs that are played with the F chord. Below a list of easy, difficult and ProTabs songs in which the F chord is used. With the ProTabs songs you can play along synchronously, which makes it interactive and even more fun! Experience for yourself how easy and fun playing guitar can be!

Easy guitar songs with F chords

Difficult songs with F chords

ProTabs guitar songs

Variations with F chords

There are several variations on the E chord. We cover the most common ones, also take a look at the minor, minor seventh and major seventh variations.

Barre chords

Just as we have open chords in F, we can also play the F chord with a barre. A barre means that you put the index finger straight over all the strings and can play numerous strings with one finger. In most cases, the open chords are shifted by means of a barre so that you get a different timbre with the same chord. Curious how the barre chord is played correctly? Take a look at our lesson series!

Power chords

Power chords are often used in rock music. Often this is a simplified version of the barre chord. In stead of playing all strings, a power chord allows you to play only three. Because you're only using three fingers, this will help speed things up. It's also a great start to learning the positions of barré chords. Check out our lesson series for more information on power chords.

Other Major guitar chords

Besides the F chord, there are 6 other root chords that are commonly used. Learn them all to be able to play as many songs as possible :)

Want to learn to play guitar and chords effectively join Guitar Tabs and follow our full guitar lesson learning schedule. Through video lessons we will help you step by step with the correct chords.

Good luck!

Levi van Gitaartabs