Why is F the dreaded chord instead of Bb?

[Mystery123]

I can do F easily but Bb or even B is still horrible and sloppy.
I am now trying one finger barre but very tricky not to mute high e.
Bb, B need one finger to barre and skip a fret to press 3 fingers, very difficult.
My dreaded chord is Bb now.

F was difficult but not too hard as it doesn't skip a fret and E shape is much easier to barre than A shape.

[JonPR]

Why do people hate F more than Bb? Because F is a lot more common. It's the IV in key of C, a pretty common key. A lot of songs you might want to learn as a beginner have an F in them. Very few have Bb. Otherwise you can be sure Bb would be hated even more than F.

I agree the 1st fret barre Bb is harder than F. But once you've mastered the F barre, then you can play Bb much more easily with that shape on 6th fret.

B? Seeing as the most common occurrence of that is V in key of E, I recommend using B7 instead (x-2-1-2-0-2). If you really don't want the 7th in there, muting the 3rd string (instead of fretting it) is easy enough.

If you find a song where F and Bb are the most common chords - use a capo! Play E and A shapes on fret 1, or D and G on fret 3.

The times when I actually need that 1st fret barre Bb are extremely rare.

[JimCA]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I can do F easily but Bb or even B is still horrible and sloppy.
... Bb, B need one finger to barre and skip a fret to press 3 fingers, very difficult. ...

Yes, my 3 fingers are too fat to fit with the barre. But now I also mini-barre the 3 strings with 3rd finger. Initially couldn't back-bend enough to avoid muting high E string. But in time I've nailed it (by playing A with just 3rd finger).

Bb is the 4 in the key of F, so not that uncommon.

[Big Band Guitar]

Keep at it and it will come.

They are important moveable chords.

Using a capo will only make it possible to avoid learning those important forms.

Playing the G in the Bb chord would make a 6th, most times not all that bad.

[funkapus]

As others have mentioned, the F comes up a lot more often than the Bb. I have lots of songs I play where an F is required. I only have one where I need a Bb

I agree that it's hard, and like you, the problem is avoiding fretting the first string two frets too high. Playing it elsewhere on the neck, as one person suggested, isn't an option for me because of the other chords around it that I need. So, when I'm by myself, I practice it a lot. When other people are around, I take advantage of the fact that I can't yet get my third finger clear of the first string to mute the first string instead. Note also that if you're not playing the first string, you don't need the barre. The first finger only has to depress the fifth string. x1333x is a perfectly acceptable Bb.

[rick-slo]

Familiarity breeds contempt.

[merlin666]

And how about those Eb and Db chords using the respective D and C shapes. I have given up on this stuff a long time ago, and commend those who spend blood, sweat, and tears on the CAGED system.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I can do F easily but Bb or even B is still horrible and sloppy.
I am now trying one finger barre but very tricky not to mute high e.
Bb, B need one finger to barre and skip a fret to press 3 fingers, very difficult.
My dreaded chord is Bb now.

F was difficult but not too hard as it doesn't skip a fret and E shape is much easier to barre than A shape.

Hi all

When I started playing I only thought there was one way to play any chord, till I got to the F chord. Then I learned there was a shortened version, and a barre version.

I think I was pretty typical, and secretly longed for the day I'd own a guitar that you didn't need vice grip pliers to hold the strings down at the first fret (didn't know about setups either).

I avoided songs with Bb and transposed or used capos to manage other songs I enjoyed playing. Sharps were king and flats were avoidable.

Well…that was over 55 years ago, so these days I can play anything in a chart (or my brain) several ways, in different spots up the neck. Being a finger styler makes it a lot simpler since I can just finger and play the necessary notes.

[macmanmatty]

what about Ab the Grand Daddy of Barre Chords?

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Mystery123

I can do F easily but Bb or even B is still horrible and sloppy.
I am now trying one finger barre but very tricky not to mute high e.
Bb, B need one finger to barre and skip a fret to press 3 fingers, very difficult.
My dreaded chord is Bb now.

F was difficult but not too hard as it doesn't skip a fret and E shape is much easier to barre than A shape.

Who cares if you mute the high e on a Bb? Don't get hung up on one note. There's tons of them in any given tune.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by TBman

Who cares if you mute the high e on a Bb? Don't get hung up on one note. There's tons of them in any given tune.

Hi Barry…

Yeah…muting the high 'e' is a workable solution. I've done it lots of times…

Sometimes I even do it on purpose.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by JonPR

Why do people hate F more than Bb? Because F is a lot more common. It's the IV in key of C, a pretty common key. A lot of songs you might want to learn as a beginner have an F in them. Very few have Bb. Otherwise you can be sure Bb would be hated even more than F.

I agree the 1st fret barre Bb is harder than F. But once you've mastered the F barre, then you can play Bb much more easily with that shape on 6th fret.

B? Seeing as the most common occurrence of that is V in key of E, I recommend using B7 instead (x-2-1-2-0-2). If you really don't want the 7th in there, muting the 3rd string (instead of fretting it) is easy enough.

If you find a song where F and Bb are the most common chords - use a capo! Play E and A shapes on fret 1, or D and G on fret 3.

The times when I actually need that 1st fret barre Bb are extremely rare.

This right here. I have a very hard time with that chord as well, or even B which is why I avoid playing in E most of the time. I’ve tried the 3 fingers skipping the fret, and the double barre method and it’s just not clean.

[macmanmatty]

I play a 3 fingered B shape index makes the barre ring hits the 4th string pinky hits the 2nd and 3rd strings.

[mattbn73]

All the notes in the chord arent equal. The third is the one which seems to get muted in both forms by beginners, and ironically that's the most important note in the chord. It's a color tone, and there is only one of them in those voicings.

In the beginning, aim for that one note to be heard well , and consider all the others "extra credit". Work on improving it from there. 1st sitting our probably the least important. Muting it out on purpose is fine.

[Bikewer]

For most beginners, that first-position barre is a bear... Because the action at the nut on their “starter” guitars is too high.

Many years back, when I finally took my little Yamaha in to the local technician.... A setup made a world of difference.