Barre chords and the F chord, without the death grip.

To play a barre chord, lay your index finger straight across the strings just behind the fret, rolled slightly onto its thumb-side edge, and let the weight of your arm pull the fingers into the neck instead of squeezing with your thumb. For the F chord (133211), the index only has to sound strings 6, 2 and 1, because the other fingers cover the rest. Build up to it in four steps: Fmaj7, a four-string F, a five-string F, then the full barre. Check every chord string by string, and practice the full shape higher up the neck first, where it is easier, before bringing it down to fret 1.

Fingerings below list frets from string 6 (low E) to string 1 (high E), with x for a string you do not play and 0 for an open string.

Why the F chord stops so many players

F is usually the first chord where one finger has to hold down several strings at once, and it arrives at fret 1, right next to the nut, where the strings have the least room to flex and take the most force to press. Most players try it with the open-chord technique they already have: pressing harder with the fingertip and squeezing with the thumb. That produces a sore thumb and dead strings, and it is why the barre feels like a strength problem. Stage 5 of the GuitarHub guitar curriculum opens with a lesson called Barre Is Leverage, Not Strength, and that is the right frame.

What actually needs to be pressed

The full F major chord is 133211:

• Index finger barred across all six strings at fret 1.
• Middle finger on string 3, fret 2.
• Ring finger on string 5, fret 3.
• Pinky on string 4, fret 3.

The ring, pinky and middle fingers fret strings 5, 4 and 3. So the barre only has to sound three strings: string 6, string 2 and string 1. Knowing that changes where you put your attention. You do not need even pressure along the whole finger. You need it at the very end (string 1), near the middle crease (string 2), and at the base (string 6).

The creases of the index finger are the usual reason a string dies. If string 2 or 1 thuds, slide the finger a few millimeters toward or away from the headstock, or move the whole barre slightly up or down across the strings so the crease falls between strings instead of on one.

Leverage instead of squeeze

• Index close to the fret. Right behind the fret wire, not in the middle of the space. The closer it is, the less force a clean note needs.
• Roll the index onto its edge. Turn it slightly so the harder, thumb-side edge of the finger meets the strings instead of the soft flat pad.
• Thumb low and loose. Place it on the back of the neck roughly behind the middle finger, not hooked over the top. It balances; it does not clamp.
• Let the arm do it. With the elbow relaxed at your side, let the weight of the arm draw the fingers back into the strings, as if gently pulling the neck toward you. On an electric with a strap, or a guitar braced against your body, this supplies most of the pressure.
• Use the minimum. Press until every string sounds, then ease off until one starts to buzz, then add back just enough. That is the pressure the chord needs.

The four-step path to F

1. Fmaj7 (xx3210). Ring finger on string 4 fret 3, middle on string 3 fret 2, index on string 2 fret 1, string 1 open. No barre at all, and it gets the fingers used to the F shape.
2. Four-string F (xx3211). The same shape, but the index now flattens across strings 2 and 1 at fret 1. This is a small barre, two strings wide, and a complete F major chord.
3. Five-string F (x33211). Add the bass: ring finger on string 5 fret 3, pinky on string 4 fret 3, middle on string 3 fret 2, index barring strings 2 and 1 at fret 1.
4. Full F (133211). Extend the index across all six strings so it also frets string 6 at fret 1.

Move to the next step only when the current one rings clean four times in a row from a cold start. In the meantime, use the step you have in your songs. Every one of them is an F chord.

Start higher, then slide down

The full barre shape is easier around fret 5, where the strings flex more easily under the finger and the frets sit closer together. Play the same shape at fret 5 (577655) and you have A major. Once it rings, move it down one fret at a time: A flat at fret 4, G at 3, F sharp at 2, and F at 1. Each step shows you exactly which string fails first as the shape gets harder.

Check it string by string

Strum the chord once, then pick each string from 6 to 1. Fix only the first string that fails, then check again. Common culprits: string 2 or string 1 under an index crease, string 3 when the middle finger collapses flat, and string 2 touched by the underside of the middle finger. Arching the middle, ring and pinky fingers more steeply clears the strings under them.

The E shape and the A shape

The F chord is the E shape: an open E major chord moved up one fret with the index barre playing the role of the nut. Move it anywhere and the root on string 6 names the chord, so the E shape at fret 3 is G and at fret 8 is C. Lift the middle finger and you have the minor version: F minor is 133111.

The second barre shape is the A shape, with its root on string 5. B flat major is x13331: index barre at fret 1, and the ring finger flattened across strings 4, 3 and 2 at fret 3. B major is the same shape at fret 2, x24442. The minor version comes from the open A minor shape: B minor is x24432, with the index barre at fret 2, middle on string 2 fret 3, ring on string 4 fret 4, and pinky on string 3 fret 4.

With those two shapes, you can play every major and minor chord, placing the root on string 6 or string 5. The first movable shape drill trains exactly that placement, and the fretboard notes guide covers the note names on both strings and how these shapes fit into the CAGED system. Stage 6 of the curriculum, Whole Neck, builds both shapes in five positions.

Changing into F

C (x32010) to F (133211) has an anchor. The ring finger is on string 5 at fret 3 in both chords, so it stays down. The middle finger moves from string 4 to string 3, still at fret 2, the pinky drops onto string 4 at fret 3, and the index lays flat across fret 1. Practice it with one-minute changes and the techniques in the chord change guide, then put the change on a ladder with the tempo ladder builder.

A ten-minute barre session

1. 2 minutes, squeeze and release: form the barre shape at fret 5. At 60 BPM on the metronome, press for four beats, then release to light contact for four beats, without lifting off the strings.
2. 2 minutes, string check: pick each string and fix the first one that fails.
3. 2 minutes, slide down: fret 5 to fret 1, one fret at a time, checking at each stop.
4. 3 minutes, changes: C to F one-minute changes, using whichever F step you are on.
5. 1 minute: a song with an F in it.

Barre practice brings a new kind of soreness at the side of the index finger and the base of the thumb. A little tenderness is expected. Aching in the wrist or forearm is a signal to stop, and the finger and hand pain guide covers the warning signs and the setup changes that make barre chords easier.

Questions that come up

How long does it take to learn barre chords?

Expect weeks of short daily practice rather than days, and expect the F chord at fret 1 to come last. The four-step path on this page lets you play songs with a smaller F along the way, so the weeks are spent playing music instead of waiting for one chord.

Is it OK to play the small F instead of the full barre?

Yes. The four-string F (xx3211) and the five-string version (x33211) are both real F major chords, and plenty of songs sound better with them. Learn the full barre as well, because the same E shape becomes every major chord up the neck once you can hold it.

Will lighter strings make barre chords easier?

Lighter strings need less force, so yes, and a professional setup that lowers the action and the nut slots often makes an even bigger difference. If chords at fret 1 feel much harder than the same shape at fret 5, the setup is worth checking.

Why does my thumb hurt when I play barre chords?

Usually because the thumb is squeezing the neck to supply the pressure. Move the thumb lower behind the neck, roughly behind the middle finger, and let the weight of your arm pull the fingers into the strings. Pain that stays after rest, or spreads to the wrist or forearm, is a reason to stop and get it checked.