Thanks for your help!! I've taken your advice and just continued to practice the chord the correct way. I think it may help once my fingers harden a bit also - the pad of my index finger is so soft that I can't hold the strings down -- they just cut into the pad! I have a-l-m-o-s-t got it -- I can make it work if I roll my index finger with the strum so that the pressure is on the B string and as I strum the E, I roll my finger to place more pressure on that string. I know it's a cheat...but I'll keep working at it until I can get it right :)