hello there,
ok so im 39 years old and have tried to play the guitar several times throughout my life and never stuck with it for very long..
im also left handed but do many things right so i chose to go with a right handed guitar for ease of getting one and figured im new so it cant hurt i guess.
anyways i started back up 2 days ago and trying to get an hour in every day so we will see how it goes.
ok so the web site im using is justinguitar and has me practicing 3 chords. D A and E. im having a blast working on these but im having a hard time keeping the tips on my fingers from touching other strings. i feel like i really have to push hard onto the frets. doing this smooshes my tips and that flattens my fat fingers out.
wondering if it gets easier once the tips harden some? maybe i wont have to push down so hard? some times its like im choking the neck.
any suggestions for a beginner to practice would be devine
thanks
It gets easier with practice. Here are a couple of things I found out.
1) It's more about finger placement than force
2) Be sure your guitar is set up well - if you can't do it yourself, take it to someone who can
You might also have an issue with the guitar and your hands. I played with a guitarist who had very thick fingers, and he had to choose guitars with wide spacing at the nut. He eventually had a custom guitar made.
I also gigged with a left handed person. He learned the "leftie" guitar first, and years later took up the normal guitar. He could switch in the middle of a song.
But he played better with the normal guitar and was convinced that the normal guitar was a left handed instrument, and the guitar that are sold to left handed people are really right handed instruments.
BTW, Jimi Hendrix ate and signed autographs with is right hand.
Keep at it, it gets easier when your fingers get smarter.
Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<
You've nailed the problem - you're fretting too hard.
As Notes said, getting a proper setup can help. But if you're just starting out, a little bit of this can't really be avoided, because your fingertips haven't developed callus yet. As they do, your fingertips will get harder, and you won't have to press as hard to get a good sound from the fretted notes.
Do some single string exercises, trying to press just hard enough to get a clean sound. That will help you get used to the touch that's needed. And then be patient - it'll sound better over time. Depending on how much you're practicing, 2-3 weeks of daily practice should get you enough callus to get a cleaner sound.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
