Thumb over the neck for F in open position

[VinAcGu]

The above definitely shows that if a human being really wants to achieve something they will find a way regardless of how ridiculous it may seem to be.

Another problem I see with the method (thumb over) is that for large fingered people this technique can become natural if they practice it long enough even if at first it feels awkward. I see lot's of folks on YouTube and in Instructional videos who with a thumb hooked over and reaching down to A (!) can maintain a good arch in fingers on the treble strings.
For short fingered people even if they keep reaching over, squeezing the neck and twisting fingers they may be able eventually grab that F but that will be at the edge of their abilities and that's no good for a relaxed performance. May be good for proving to themselves it can be done.

By the way I just checked the DVD (Stefan Grossman's Fingerpicking Country Blues Guitar) I've picked up for learning FS blues and 5 out of 10 pieces he teaches are in the key of C meaning that dreadful thumb over th neck is in half of the compositions. Thank you Mr.Grossman

[Hotspur]

What sort of position are you holding the guitar in? It's almost impossible to thumb-over if the guitar is relatively high. It gets much easier as the guitar gets lower.

[JohnnySmash]

I learned a new trick one night. The F chord only required the first four strings but I did the whole F barr chord with out thinking.But I only played the notes on the first four strings. The notes came out so beautiful and clean. If the F bass on string 4 works for what you are playing, be nice to your hands and play it there. Otherwise go for picking/struming on the 6th string.Johnnysmash

[Bern]

Anything is possible and if it's not, there is always an alternative.

[ras1500]

I've been trying to play a F major chord with the high E string left open; I guess you can call it a Fmaj7/C. Thus, can't use a barre F. However, watching it played on YouTube showed the low E fretted with the thumb. Well, try as I might, I just can't get my thumb behind the first fret to push the string down. My thumb sort of ends up on top of the fret. So, like the man said "I don't try to play what I can't and I just play what I can." I've resolved myself to just not playing the low E string when fingering that chord.

[RevGeo]

It's just one note. Ever since I had a serious bout of tendonitis in my left hand and arm I no longer do the thumb over bass note thing. If it hurts I don't do it, and that hurts me.
I play a lot of ragtime fingerpicking and so far the thumb-over police have not come to gigs and hauled me off. Neither has the audience seemed to notice. I use a barre F quite a bit, however.

Rev George

[Blueser100]

I have small hands and can do the thumb over F chord fairly easily but I have a couple of tips for you:

1. You only need enough thumb to produce a clean F note. In other words, you don't NEED to wrap the thumb flat onto the fingerboard at the first fret. My thumb sort of sticks up, with just enough "hook" near the fret wire to produce the clean F note. Experiment with placement and see where your sweet spot is.

2. In order to do #1 above, I can't physically produce a clean high F note in that chord because my hand is in the way. So I sacrifice that that F and concentrate on these notes:

x-------------
1-------------
----2---------
----------4---
--------3-----
x-------------
T-------------

or this:

x-------------
1-------------
----2---------
--------3-----
x-------------
T-------------

[Marz]

Here is a technique I read on Stafan Grossman's forum (basically a condensation of ideas):
"... I keep my palm on the neck when doing the thumb-over F shape..." Then as far as your thumb goes, "... just hook it over the inside of the thumb just over that first knuckle, but that will come naturally if you've got your palm on the neck. you barely catch the string with the side of your thumb..." Also, "...Things that can help: Neck more parallel to floor, classical position is difficult. Tilt face of guitar more upwards, look closely how Stefan, Ernie et al play. Neck goes in hand like baseball bat, wood touches palm. Relax hand! Use any part of thumb that works. I use side roughly level with cuticle. Some of the more arcane grips are really hard, most CAN be substituted with barre chords and sound exactly the same. Use your judgement..."

I have trouble with the thumb over F and I have long fingers, but continuously working through those tips has helped me.

[Blueser100]

Yes what Marz said. In addition to that "hook" thumb position I mentioned already, it helps if the palm is up against the back to get the extra leverage.

[fatt-dad]

When I use the "thumb over" grip for an f-chord shape, it's something other than my thumbtip that's holding down the #6 string. It's like the side of my thumb and it takes some time to get there (it'll come though).

The bar-shape f-chord doesn't give as much flexibility in fingerpicking 'cause the pinky's tied up.

f-d

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by fatt-dad

...The bar-shape f-chord doesn't give as much flexibility in fingerpicking 'cause the pinky's tied up.
f-d

Hi fatt-dadd...

I teach intermediate and advanced fingerstyle, and the pinky sure doesn't have to be tied up (or down) by a barre chord at the 1st fret (or any other fret).

If you are finger styling, you don't have to (and probably don't) play all 6 strings for barre chords, so that pinky is easy to free up with selective right hand technique.

And there are at least 2 barre-shape F chords, one at the 1st fret, and another barred on the 8th fret.

Despite all the advice we are shelling out in this thread, there are players who have hands too small to wrap/play Thumb-Over chords.

And not being able to wrap the 6th string doesn't slow proficient players down...but it can/does lead to creative fingering positions. I even had a student who could not cover all 6 strings with a full barre on a 1¹¹/₁₆'' fingerboard because his fingers were so short.

I have had several students who cannot wrap a D/F# with the thumb, and one just plays the D part with fingers 2-3-4 and the F# with 1...and she manages to hammer that ornery F# on string 1...by sliding her pinky up and back.

Without meeting VinAcGu (original poster in case we've forgotten), and seeing how the guitar is postured, and measuring the hands against the fingerboard, we are all just shooting in the air hoping to hit something.

And the original poster has neither responded (nor apparently logged in) since the day the post was made. Hope they get the help they need...