i don't seem to understand all the trouble that you guys are having with the f chord . this chord is just as simple as the rest of the chords that people play everyday. go back and listen to the beatles and other artists that used the acoustic guitar as part of their music; they didn't seem to have any problem with it.

maybe you guys are using the wrong type of guitar or either you don't understand guitar practice. also the use of a capo makes a lot of difference in playing rhythm guitar. i have been playing guitar for 36 years now and i can barre the f and can wrap the f with no problem. i have a gibson j-40, a takemine ltd 90, which i had set up for stage use that i used for 10 years professionally and now i have a taylor big baby, all of them play like a dream. martins just don't get it except for playing g c and d, which is fine since bluegrass sounds great caped. they are usually set up with medium to heavy strings to give the brash and hard-driving sound of bluegrass music, not folk music. it isn't a good guitar for learning to play, but for the advanced pro. martins are usually made for playing bluegrass and they have the action of a BASEBALL BAT. i am not trying to be funny, but be serious,if you're serious about your music you will learn to master any chord that holds you back from playing what you want to play - even if it means playing a different brand of guitar.

like i said back in april, get a guitar that is right for the way you plan to use it.

my wife has only been playing 3 months. i got her a taylor big baby to learn on. she has already made great progress on her f chord and now she is starting to work on her barre chords, most players learn the barre system after their first year of playing.

if you have trouble playing the acoustic guitar, may i suggest that you purchase a good electric guitar such as a fender strat or a gibson electric. remember bob dylan started out playing on an electric guitar before he switched over to an acoustic do you see any simalarity there? the action on most good electrics is very good. and maybe that will help you with your chord problems. thanks.

please respond with some good info. thanks, bob.