Finger placement

Guys. I'm already frustrated. Trying to learn the proper finger placements on the board, so, say 1, 2 and 3( index, middle, ring) for the life of me I can not get my fingers to spread properly? I have super long fingers lol so what am I doing wrong? I've watched and watched vids and can not do this simple thing!

Hi Scorpyos and forum

I am a beginner too and having the same problem of spreading my fingers.

Hope somebody out there with a suggestion to move forward.

Regards

Yachtie

First off all if you struggle with the C and G chord drop them for later, start with A and D and E but use this alternate fingering which I use already for about 40 years ( long fingers to )

A chord middle on 4th string 2nd fret, index on 3rd string 2nd fret and ring on second string, advantage of this fingering is that to go to the D chord the index stays in place ( only moving 2 fingers ) and to go from A or D to E you slide your index back to 1st fret and move only the other 2 fingers. Once you've got the hang of this then look at the C and G chord.

Herman

Hey, also quite new here since 4 weeks playing the guitar. I also stuggle with going from A minor to E minor and back. Especially the index finger which causes soundproblem when placed on the 5th string 2nd fret. Because it's placed further DOWN the neck you have to press really hard. And then still the sound buzzes sometimes.

So I looked up on here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV_EABwevy4

Pivotpoint is still the middlefinger here.But instead of putting the index on the 5th string 2nd fret, you put the ringfinger here.

This technique makes a good note while not having to press so hard.

Then going from Aminor to Eminor is still easy and no buzz because now the placement on the 5th string is now futher UP the neck.

I only wonder if this may or may not cause trouble as we go further in the lessons. Why did mrs. McCormick not mention that there is also another way of placing fingers?

Originally Posted by: kochj79

Hey, also quite new here since 4 weeks playing the guitar. I also stuggle with going from A minor to E minor and back. Especially the index finger which causes soundproblem when placed on the 5th string 2nd fret. Because it's placed further DOWN the neck you have to press really hard. And then still the sound buzzes sometimes.

So I looked up on here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV_EABwevy4

Pivotpoint is still the middlefinger here.But instead of putting the index on the 5th string 2nd fret, you put the ringfinger here.

This technique makes a good note while not having to press so hard.

Then going from Aminor to Eminor is still easy and no buzz because now the placement on the 5th string is now futher UP the neck.

I only wonder if this may or may not cause trouble as we go further in the lessons. Why did mrs. McCormick not mention that there is also another way of placing fingers?

I think there's really no rules as to what fingers use to play a chord. Even Lisa advocates using different finger placements (for instance in G chord) for different purposes, depending on the song you're playing.

Tbh I've never used index & middle finger to play Em. It makes more sense to use middle finger & ring finger because it makes transition to both E major and A minor easier. I might consider using index & middle if it makes chord transition easier, for instance if you move from C major to E minor (so you move only one finger instead of two). But then I think it all comes down to whatever floats your boat and makes your life easier.

Reaching is definitely a problem for me, but I'm also having problems with not interfering with other strings, especially with my ring finger. Does that get better with time and practice? Because I feel like no matter how carefully I place my fingertip, I'm impeding the string below.

Of course, I've been playing for all of four days...

Originally Posted by: skygazer69

Reaching is definitely a problem for me, but I'm also having problems with not interfering with other strings, especially with my ring finger. Does that get better with time and practice? Because I feel like no matter how carefully I place my fingertip, I'm impeding the string below.

Of course, I've been playing for all of four days...

Hi skygazer, it definitely does get better with time and practice. I felt exactly the same as you and scorpyos and yachtsmaninspira are feeling at this point. I think almost all beginners go through this at the beginning. In fact, I am 6 months into the journey now and I still fight the "I will never be able to do this" and "why am I not getting better" demons. The thing is, I definitely have gotten better and learned a lot, but it often doesn't feel that way until I take a step back. So try to accept that learning to play guitar is not as easy as it seems like it should be, but stick with it and you will get better very gradually. I am told that it is worth it!