I thought I was using my fingertips to fret notes, but maybe not enough.
I'm still having a bit of a problem at timeswith one finger fretting a note touching an adjacent string. Not enough to deaden it, but still noticeable.
OK, say you are looking at my fingertips with them pointing at you, nail on top. The line is the edge of the nail facing you, the backslash is the callus groove, albeit at the wrong angle. In reality the angle is around 45 degrees, with the base of the angle within a millimeter or 1/16 th inch of the nail. On the middle finger the distance from nail to callus grove on the left side of the fingertip as illustrated is 5 mm or ¼ inch.
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What does your fingertip look like? Is your groove more parallel to the nail?
Yes - not completely parallel cos you need to squeeze your fingers into a very small space to be able to fret an A-shape, but certainly not 45 degrees either
Best,
A :-)
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I just gave it a try, looks like my fingertips hit the fretboard at almost perpendicular, like about 75-80 degrees, unless of course I'm holding down more than one string. At 45 degrees I can't help but mute adjacent strings.
Eric
Dave,
everyones fingers are different.Mine are very thin I hardly every mute out a string unless my postion is really bad.I don't think the micrometers is necassary just put them down until they don't touch another string .It usually has more to do with how you bend at the knuckle than precise angle placement .
ButchP
If you are deadening strings, it is probably not the angle that is the problem (have to see to know for sure). More likely it is that you are laying your fingers flat across the strings. Your fingers should be arched over the strings.
Put your hand down on a table and pretend it is a spider. I know that sounds silly, but try it. Now lift your hand up and look at the arch in each finger. Or touch your fingertips gently to your palm and then naturally open your hand maybe halfway. This is how you fret guitar. The fingers curl gently over, and approach straight down, not lay over the strings. Of course, there are exceptions like barre chords where you lay your index flat across several strings.
For most chords you want your thumb on about the center of the neck. There should be a small gap between your palm and the neck of the guitar. You do not grip the neck like a baseball bat.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
My fingers don't usually mute the other strings unless I am trying to specifically want them to. What's happening is probably one of those things that eventually magically goes away as you get better.
By the way, how long have you been playing guitar?
