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manXcat
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Joined: 02/17/18
Posts: 1,476
manXcat
Registered User
Joined: 02/17/18
Posts: 1,476
10/21/2019 12:35 am

A few things you can do, for the non-ectomorph bony spider-fingered.

[u]Don't press as hard[/u]. Doing so will flatten out fleshy tips exacerbating the problem and distract from 'finger English'. Pressing too hard is a common beginner error.

With than in mind, [u]trim your fretting hand fingernails super short[/u]. If mine get too long, they can obstruct the tips and invite pressing hard than necessary to fret a clean note which will spread out fleshy tips.

[u]Focus on correct hand and thumb placement on the neck[/u] which will assist correct finger placement. Initially it's common to have to [u]focus on curl and curvature to avoid inadvertantly touching adjacent strings[/u]. This will improve with exposure over time.

Heavier gauge strings require higher pressure to fret. Solution => [u]lighter gauge strings[/u].

As does high action. Solution => [u]setup[/u]

Acoustics require higher pressure to fret. Solution => [u]swap to electric[/u] (or fit lighter gauge strings).

[br]Consider an alternative guitar with [u]wider string spacing and nut width[/u]. Average string spacing is around 11mm. Acoustic and electric nut average is circa 43mm. These suit most hands, although narrower is common today in many guitars.

Other than that, it's just [u]perseverance[/u]. The majority of us experienced frustration inadvertently muting adjacent strings when starting out. [u]Your dexterity will improve[/u].