Pressure on the frets

I am a beginner, so I believe that I am presing too much on the strings when fretting. Nevertheless, I believe this is something that will dissapear with time when I get confident, isn't it or shall I exercise fretting every time with less pressure? I ask this because in the CORE System it is said that professional guitarrists have sometimes this issue too.

This is actually one of the reason why beginners have pain problems when starting. They press to hard on the frets. This can also cause your notes to sound sharp if you have tall frets. This will resolve by itself over time but just remember, you dont have to press hard. Just make sure there is no note buzzing and thats enought pressure.

Originally Posted by: SebastBergThis is actually one of the reason why beginners have pain problems when starting. They press to hard on the frets. This can also cause your notes to sound sharp if you have tall frets. This will resolve by itself over time but just remember, you dont have to press hard. Just make sure there is no note buzzing and thats enought pressure.

Still, it's also important not to apply too little pressure. I've been playing for a year now, and I still apply a lot of pressure when fretting the notes (especially on the B and high E strings), because if I don't press very hard, the notes sound muffled.

Originally Posted by: RagonichaFulvaI am a beginner, so I believe that I am presing too much on the strings when fretting.

Most beginners do use too much pressure. But that is normal & to be expected. After all, most beginners don't have much finger strength or dexterity. And it's not just fingers! It's also hands, wrist, & arm.

But after a while you should work toward the goal of using just enough pressure to get the job done. More pressure is just wasted effort that will make your fingers, hands, wrist & arms cramp & make it harder to get to the next note or chord.

So, if you are just starting out, then press & squeeze hard to get the notes to sound. But as you gradually build skill, strength & dexterity, make a conscious effort to refine your technique by using slightly less pressure. Eventually you can get to the point where you use just enough. :)

Originally Posted by: KasperowStill, it's also important not to apply too little pressure. I've been playing for a year now, and I still apply a lot of pressure when fretting the notes (especially on the B and high E strings), because if I don't press very hard, the notes sound muffled.

One year... that sounds discouraging... I hope I can avoid it before...

Originally Posted by: CSchlegelMost beginners do use too much pressure. But that is normal & to be expected. After all, most beginners don't have much finger strength or dexterity. And it's not just fingers! It's also hands, wrist, & arm.

But after a while you should work toward the goal of using just enough pressure to get the job done. More pressure is just wasted effort that will make your fingers, hands, wrist & arms cramp & make it harder to get to the next note or chord.

So, if you are just starting out, then press & squeeze hard to get the notes to sound. But as you gradually build skill, strength & dexterity, make a conscious effort to refine your technique by using slightly less pressure. Eventually you can get to the point where you use just enough. :)

Thanks Cristopher,

I'll keep on with it. The same as Kasperow, I press more on the 5th and 6th strings. I expect to increase flexibility with time to avoid it. I am focusing in scales when I don't watch the videos in order to achieve strength, flexibity and dexterity.

Regards,

There's a fun way to test out how much finger pressure you really need. Keep your thumb off of the back of the fretboard. See if you can fret notes and chords without having your thumb touch the guitar at all. Sounds impossible, but its actually quite doable, and once you try it a few times you may find that you can ease up on the amount of finger pressure when you go back to placing your thumb behind, or wrapped around, the fretboard.

That's a great idea slippin lizard! It's something you figure out over time, but this exercise makes it obvious.

I've found recently that when I'm using a lot of vibrato, I'll sometimes release my thumb from the back of the neck so to make it easier. I guess it allows me to use my arm and not just my fingers and wrist to get the desired effect. So yes, it's very doable.

Thank you very much for your thoughts!

I'll give it a try.

Originally Posted by: RagonichaFulvaI am a beginner, so I believe that I am presing too much on the strings when fretting. Nevertheless, I believe this is something that will dissapear with time when I get confident, isn't it or shall I exercise fretting every time with less pressure? I ask this because in the CORE System it is said that professional guitarrists have sometimes this issue too.

The problem will not disappear by itself, you are right in assuming that you must practice to play with less tension; pros do this too so it is not a biginner issue :)

1) Fret a note with a good amount of pressure and pluck the note
2) repeat step one and keep reducing the amount of pressure with each attempt
3) when you reach a point that there is so little pressure that the note produced is no longer clear, add one "step" extra pressure

that's how much strength you need to use!

Keep this at the back of your mind whilst practicing.

Also bear in mind that you may suffer serious injuries if you exert too much pressure so do take this seriously.

Also the more relaxed you feel tension wise, the faster you will play!

Happy playing!

Dave

Great tips & advice Dave!

Thank you for the advice, david!

good advice here.

Also make sure your finger tip is right up at the fret, it should almost look as if the finger is on top of it, ofc it isn't because that would dampen the string.

The closer your finger is to the fret, the less pressure is needed to get a clean note.

:)