|
Post by cgb on Jan 9, 2021 21:33:19 GMT
I think it depends on the song for me. I don't have very big hands and I've always struggled fully 'choking' the neck and bringing my thumb over the top. Whilst I've managed to hit individual notes on the 6th string with my thumb on bass lines etc a full F chord has always been a bit of a stretch but I have got used to it after playing some songs recently (a John Smith number being one) Alternating with a C shape I find the 'choking' F can be much more fluid in changes.
|
|
|
Post by skyetripper on Jan 10, 2021 12:33:29 GMT
I've been watching this thread for quite a while, and among with many other players on here, the Barre F chord has always been trouble for me, which is unfortunate because it's my 'preferred' way of playing F.. (Hangover from learning to play on a classical guitar where the string tension makes barre chords a touch easier.)
I have large hands with long fingers and thumbs, but ironically I've never managed to get away with thumb over the neck for an F. It always seems like my thumb is in the wrong position and can't fret the 6th string. Maybe my thumb is 'too' long?
My only contribution to this is a note about set up. I've played many acoustic guitars from various makers, and I find the majority are set up from the factory / maker with what I think is too high an action at the first fret. This gives intonation issues (particularly on the first couple of positions on the B string) and makes F and Bb chords harder to play than they need be. I'm very careful about reducing nut height to not take too much off, but I have altered most of my guitars to give around 12 to 15 thou clearance over the first fret, and I find this makes the barre F more comfortable. Never had any buzzing issues as a result either.
I should really get a Fylde or another maker who uses a zero fret, but from experience, this causes other problems in the long term depending on how you play...
|
|
andrewjw
C.O.G.
Posts: 4,726
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":""}
|
Post by andrewjw on Jan 10, 2021 22:21:03 GMT
The string spacing at the nut is really critical... if the slot for the bottom E string is cut too "inboard" then it makes getting your "thumb over" exponentially much more difficult. The same also applies to the top E string but is not so noticeable...at least for me. Nut width in mm is not really a very accurate indication on its own as to whether a guitar will suit you... it should be combined with the measurement from bottom E to top E nut slots to give the complete picture. Fortunately as long as the basic nut width is what suits you changing the nut with accurately and more "outboard " cut slots at bottom and top E ( together with appropriately distanced slots for the other strings) can transform a hard to play guitar into one much more user friendly .... made all the nicer if the fret ends are properly rounded off.
|
|
|
Post by cgb on Jan 11, 2021 22:01:30 GMT
Agree with the above with regards nut spacing vs nut width on some guitars. I have an old 'red label' Yamaha which was my main player for years, and the 1st and 6th strings are miles away from the fingerboard edges at the nut. I should sort it out really (it is overdue some fretwork too...)
As for the intonation issue, you're spot on with the nut height tending to be a major cause there, and it does make your thumb work even harder to get that bass note down!
|
|