Am to F chord change: learning the barre F

The four-chord loop Am, F, C, G, with the full barre F in it, strummed down, down-up, up-down-up. The F is the first barre chord most players meet and the one that stops many of them: one finger has to hold down all six strings while three others shape the chord. Coming to it from Am is the easiest way in: the F's three fingers make the same shape, one string lower and a fret higher.

Am to F: the barre change: 4 bars of 4/4 in E standard, written at 80 bpm.

The strum: an arrow down or up for each strum, a cross for a muted one, a dot for a single note, and a faint arrow where the hand keeps moving without touching the strings.

Practise it at 48 bpm

Opens in the player looped and counted in, with drums playing along, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 80 bpm. No account or microphone needed.

Goal tempo: 80 bpm
Starts at: 48 bpm
Length: 4 bars, looped
Tuning: E standard
Time: 4/4
Level: Intermediate
Plays with: Drums

How to play it

Make the Am shape a string lower and a fret higher with fingers 2, 3 and 4, and lay the 1st flat across the 1st fret.

The F here is the full barre: the 1st finger lies flat across all six strings at the 1st fret, and the other three make the Am shape moved a string lower and a fret higher: the 3rd finger on the A string's 3rd fret, the 4th on the D string's, the 2nd on the G string's 2nd fret.

A barre needs position more than strength. Roll the 1st finger slightly onto its bony side, keep it just behind the fret, and let the arm's weight pull the guitar into it rather than squeezing with the thumb. Check each string on its own: the B and high E under the barre are usually the ones that buzz.

Each chord gets a bar of D-DU-UDU, so there's a whole bar to settle the F, and the C after it is a short move: the 3rd finger stays where it is on the A string's 3rd fret.

Mistakes to watch for

Squeezing the neck between thumb and finger until the hand cramps. Less pressure, better placed, works better.
The barre finger too far from the fret, so the B and high E buzz or go dull.
Stopping when the F doesn't ring. Strum through a muffled F rather than breaking the time; it gets cleaner with each loop.

A speed plan

The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:

That's 16 loops and about 4 minutes before you're playing at 80 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one. Strums are checked for when they land, not for which strings rang.

Questions

How fast should I play Am to F: the barre change?

The goal is 80 bpm in eighth notes, which is 2.7 strums a second. Start wherever every strum is clean: the player begins at 48 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.

Is there an easier F chord?

Yes: Fmaj7 on the top four strings without a barre, or a small F with the 1st finger barring only the B and high E. They're good stepping stones, but the full barre is worth learning: the same shape moved up the neck gives you every major chord.

How long does the barre F take to learn?

Often a few weeks before it rings clearly, and longer before the change is quick. A few minutes a day works better than one long session, which only tires the hand.

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