Hi everyone. I'm completely new to this and am working through the basic lessons. I have tried everything I can to make the notes clear on theses chords without damping a string but I am not succeeding. I have rectified the possible errors in finger formation, cut nails etc. as in the "obstructions" lesson. Do I just wait perhaps for callouses to form or should I be looking in to a replacement guitar with wider string spaces? This was mentioned in an early tutorial.
Any suggestions welcome!
Hi nturner, welcome!
Sounds like you are experiencing what every single one of us has gone through at the very beginning. Every one of us comes into this and after about a day we all want to say my fingers are too fat, my fingers are too short, my fingers are too long, my guitar is no good! Your guitar may indeed need to be setup and can probably be made easier to play, but for the vast majority of hand sizes and shapes it is just a matter of adapting and practicing.
Keep in mind that you are training your fingers to do something entirely new so it will take time and a lot of practice.
So stick with it and don't let yourself get discouraged. If it takes you a day to learn something then it takes you a day. If it takes a week, then it takes a week. If it takes a month, then that's how long it takes! There is no timetable here. That being patient bit of it is the hardest part for me. I have been learning now for about 7 months and it seems like I should be much more advanced than I am, but... that's where I'm at and I have to accept that and allow myself to get better at my own slow pace.
Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
Dave...
It takes as long as it takes unless you quit - then it takes forever and you will never get there.
Well, you took the words right out of my fingers . . . those were my exact thoughts last night when I couldn't seem to do anything to keep from dampenng the strings next to my string and fret targets.
I just chalked it up to a bad night and keep reminding myself everyone says "just keep playing - it will come". I guess I have to trust that.
I am taking a lesson today and want to discuss hand and finger"posture" to at least see if I am making it worse with bad technique.
But, I have vowed I will keep trying and practicing for a year from today to see where it leads me. If it is right back to this post - then so be it. I do trust it will come around.
Glad to know I am not the only one.
