I just recently started taking guitar lessons - last night, I learned my first chords. G7 chord and C chord. I made myself look like an idiot time and time again, then he sent me home and told me to practice over the weekend. But you see, I have FINGERS. Not straw-thickness twiggy spider-fingers, but thick, realistic, fairly normal human fingers. xD I can't play ANY chord and it sound right, my fingers block the strings on bottom and it ends up sounding like a bunch of twings with a very notes inbetween. It's hard, seriously! I can't practice something I'm 100% unable to do. o.o How do I play chords without my fingers getting in the way of the string below?
You may find it slightly painful at first but lift your wrist so that your fingers can't rest on the strings below and make sure that you push down fairly hard on the strings.
The first guy to reply has the right idea. Make sure you're hitting the notes of the chord with your fingertips, like if you made a spider-type shape with your hand on a desk. Don't let them hit the fretboard the way they would if you laid your hand palm-down on a desk.
To quote everybody in the world, practice makes perfect.
Like a couple others have said, grip the fret board sort of a like a claw. Nothing but your fingertips should be pressing the strings to the fret. Make sure to practice hard and often, as to build up some nice calluses.
Ahh, I always feel like a jerk when it takes me to long to reply. =S Sorry, I went out for a walk. Alright, well I'll be sure to try all of this in an hour or so when I start practicing more, still not sure my fingers are unstumpy enough to do it this way, but I'll try. xD Probably do need to cut my nails to help, that was a great tip too. Thanks everyone. :D
Do everything everyone above said. Also, when you have your fingers on the strings, pluck each individual string to see if it rings properly. If one doesnt ring properly, adjust the corresponding finger to get it to do so. Press hard and strike all the strings and hopefully the sound should come out as its supposed to
yah just keep at it. my fingers arn't thick, but my hands are small, so i had trouble and still have some troubles playing various chords, but sooner or later you'll make it work.
You have to try to arch your fingers so they don't mute any strings. It is difficult at first to do this, but keep at it and eventually it should feel pretty natural.
Make sure that your thump is not resting on top of the fretboard like I see some beginners do, make sure it's righ in the middle, under the fretboard, this gives you greater reach.
Guitar is very hard at first, but if you practice long and hard, it is so rewarding and chicks love it AMIRITE?
These are all great tips, especially the pluck-each-individual-string-to-see-what's-muted-first tip. Helped me out a lot when I was first playing. And don't feel bad. I still mess up the C chord every once in a while
As time goes on you will develop rock-hard callouses on your fingertips and certain muscles will grow stronger so you can play any chord with ease. When I first started playing, my fingers bled fairly often from playing so much. Try playing with your fingertips and don't squeeze the guitar neck with your whole hand.
Ahh, these are all such great tips but my fingers are just toooo.. squishy and people like. D= I tried for an hour and a half straight, repositioning my fingers constantly, trying to do everything said here and still not once could I do it. >.
As time goes on you will develop rock-hard callouses on your fingertips and certain muscles will grow stronger so you can play any chord with ease. When I first started playing, my fingers bled fairly often from playing so much. Try playing with your fingertips and don't squeeze the guitar neck with your whole hand.MotherSuperior
Ahh, well is there other ways to help develope harder callouses? Uh.. certain exersizes or anything? xD And would keeping one of those harder stressballs around for when I wasn't playing or while in the car do enough good to help build the muscles as well, or not do much?
practice jack johnson song to get barre chords down :)... i just seen him in concert on the 13th he was amazing :) jack is the reason i picked up the guitar and i dont regret it :D
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