The CAGED allows you to take five foundational chord shapes and slide them up the neck of the guitar to make other chords. If you learn the CAGED system well, you'll have a lot of potential all over the guitar neck.
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In this video, watch as Marty Schwartz takes you through forming the F chord, keeping it clean and tidy, and switching between F and C chords.
The F major chord is a big step forward on your guitar journey. Once you learn F major, you'll have most of the chords used in the songs you love—and your first barre chord. Barre chords are extra handy since you can keep the same form and slide them up the neck to play different chords.
Playing F major can be a challenge if you haven’t tried barre chords yet. While tough at first, with a little practice, your fingers will stretch and it’ll become second nature.
Luckily for anyone who may not feel quite ready for barre chords, there is another way to play F major in the first position (the way Marty explains in the video).
The easier way to play an F major chord in the first position requires you to place your index finger on the 1st fret of the B string. Next, place your middle finger on 2nd fret of the G string. Lastly, place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string and your pinky on the third fret of the D string. Strum only the four strings you’re fretting and voila! An F major.
The full F major chord in the first position requires you to barre the first fret, meaning use your entire index finger to press down all six strings. Once you have that part down, add the middle finger on the second fret of the G string. Lastly, place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string and your pinky on the 3rd fret of the D string. Strum all six strings to get that full major sound.
F major chord is made of three notes—F, A, C. Like any major chord, the three notes in F major are the 1st, 3rd, and 5th of the major scale.
The F major chord is commonly used in the key of F (where it’s the root note), the key of C, where it’s the IV chord, and the key of Bb where it’s the V.
The F major chord can be found in many songs you know and love. Here are just a few:
Marvin Gaye – How Sweet It Is
Elton John – Tiny Dancer
Foo Fighters – Big Me
Taylor Swift – The One
The Temptations – My Girl
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The CAGED allows you to take five foundational chord shapes and slide them up the neck of the guitar to make other chords. If you learn the CAGED system well, you'll have a lot of potential all over the guitar neck.
COMING UP
To keep your chord changes clean, you can hone in on certain "anchor" spots for your fingers as you change chords. Learn how to move between E, A, and D chords, and make your playing seamless.
