Problem with ring finger

I have this problem with the ring finger:

If I am going to do a middle barre', for example on the fifth fret, and I try to reach the seven fret on the high E,  with the ring finger, the two fingers tend to make a triangle and I can't put them vertical and parallel. (I really hope to gave the idea!)
I have to use the right hand to rotate the ring finger but I can't stay in that position more than few seconds.

Any tips to improve this ?

Thanks!

Hi Boggiano,

Finger dexterity takes a lot to be constructed. When I first started playing I've dropped because I though I wasn't "naturally" gifted with enough dexterity to be good at playing (time, practice and effort made me realize I was very wrong). So just keep practicing everyday the root position, trying to hit all strings properly. At first might seem like an impossible task, but the only way to achieve it is practicing daily for weeks, months and years (after +1 year playing everyday I still have some troubles with barre chords, although I've made huge progress compared to what I used to do when first started).

Bottom line of all I've just said: keep practicing daily and as much as you can.

Hope it helps,

Andrés

What chord are you trying to play here?  My first thought is to use your pinky for the higher frets.  But I'm not exactly sure what you are trying play.

In general you can try to improve finger strength & dexterity.  These tutorials can help with that task.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/1292/

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/1829/

But there is frequently a way to voice any given chord in a way that makes it more efficient or easier to play.

Hope that helps!

Hello Christopher,

it's not a chord but the partiture of "Forbidden games"

https://youtu.be/zoeRpQy5c7E?si=TDEU7TNi7d0lMF1x&t=12

As you can see his half barre is not perfectly vertical, but mine is almost at 45° when I put the ring finger on the freatboard. 😢

Simply continue honing your root position every day, making an effort to hit every string correctly. It may first appear unachievable, but the only way to succeed is to practice every day for weeks, months, and years. Even after playing every day for a year and a half, I still struggle with barre chords, even though I've come a long way from where I started.

I missed this earlier!  The exercises I linked should help your overall dexterity.  But on particular passage you could just move your pinky from the 5th to the 7th fret.  In the long term it's best to slowly build dexterity until you can do it the same way he is playing it because that's the most efficient way to play the passage.  Hope that helps!

Make sure you sit correctly when playing the piano. Consider adjusting the height of your chair and keyboard to ensure your arms and wrists are in a comfortable position. A correct posture helps reduce stress and increase flexibility.

Perform exercises to enhance finger independence. Try placing each finger on a different fret of the same string and practice lifting and pressing down one finger at a time.

The left hand rests on the neck of the guitar at the first fret with the thumb and index finger. The thumb holding the guitar does not have to be fixed in one place, but it must be able to glide over the neck. In some methods, the authors absolutely forbid students to use the left thumb to press the side of the piano opposite the other fingers, on the 6th string and sometimes on the 5th string. The music is very interesting, it is rich in quality. harmony and four fingers do not have enough time to express the lyrics and bass notes in different tones, so using the thumb is necessary.