Hey, there! Thanks for the pictures. That helps a lot!

In general what you've described & what I see look like decent finger positioning. Every individual has slightly different finger lengths, strengths & dexterity. And there is a wide variety of guitar necks, shapes, lengths, profiles.

So, in general, beginner guitar learners should just play the notes & chords any way they can to get some sound happening! :) Then as your finger strength & dexterity increase & you need to do more complex things, you can gradually refine your technique to improve on little things like positioning.

With all that in mind, here are direct answers to you concerns & questions.

Originally Posted by: eugen.pfleiderer

I find it very difficult to place my index finger perpendicular to the fretboard as is suggested in the beginner's course videos.(If I understood correctly.) This is especially evident on the low E and the A strings. It gets better on the higher strings.[/quote][p]I can see on your first picture that you've got decent position. But one potential problem that might hinder you playing is that your thumb is pretty high on the back of the neck. If it works for you, then fine. If it's hindering your motion & playing, then you might consider adjusting it down further.

Visualize an "axis of power" that runs from the tip of your fretting fingers to your thumb. In general they should move in opposite directions in order to get the most clamping power & leverage. If you are playing on the lower strings, then move your thumb slightly down. When you playing on the higher strings, move your thumb higher. When playing in the middle or a lot of strings, then you'll need to find the most advantageous place near the middle.

I cover this concept along with other mechanics of fretting hand here.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=605

Originally Posted by: eugen.pfleiderer

Is this something that is likely to rectify itself with more practice? Or is the way my index finger presses against the string in the below picture acceptable too?

[p]It will get better with practice. But you might adjust your thumb down a bit to see if that helps. Also, consider that you might be clamping too hard! Just enough pressure is all you need.

[quote=eugen.pfleiderer]

...but as I place the other fingers on the next frets it is almost impossible for me:

Do you have any hints or suggestions?

[p]That's not necessarily a problem unless it's uncomfortable or hindering your ability to play certain notes.

However, once you have another finger higher on the same string you don't need to keep everything perfectly perpendicular or even right on the note.

Also, you might need to move your hand up the neck a bit as you add fingers. Your thumb could be a bit lower as well to help get all those fingers on the lower strings.

Hope that helps! Please ask more if necessary. Best of success!