Fat fingers

Ok while my fingers aren't fat but they are on the large side of average and I'm having tremendous difficulty fretting clean notes. I appreciate this is a common issue for beginners, which I am.

my middle finger causes the most problem when trying to press down the D and G strings anywhere in the first three or four frets. There just seems to be no tolerance for not being absolutely precise with placing this finger. In fact after trying for a few minutes the tip of my finger flattens out and it is impossible to cleanly place it. I've tried everything with respect to technique with no success.[br][br]

will this improve as the tips of my fingers toughen up or am I better suited to a ukelele?

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].

Thanks for that. All good advice. Aside from changing to lighter strings or to a guitar with a narrower nut I'm working on the other points. I will persevere. Results to date are disappointing but not discouraging. FYI I am working with a narrow neck steel string guitar.

Do you know the width of its nut or the string spacing spec?

I'd fit, most probably a move down to lighter if not equivalent, at least 12-53 gauge strings so you are operating from a known datum. Even a single size segment shift lighter will make a significant difference without unduly upsetting bridge tension or nut slot fit. Fresh strings are also much nicer to fret, quite distinct from their 'day vs night' tonal advantage.

Also measure that your guitar's action is within spec. After, if you do change strings.

Sorry i didn't read all of of this, but what i glanced over sounded like some good advice. But i do know if you work at it long enough perseverence will win out in the end, and what once seemed like big problems will just work out. Not much sound advice on my end, mainly just keep truckin'on!

Originally Posted by: stevelankford313

Sorry i didn't read all of of this, but what i glanced over sounded like some good advice. But i do know if you work at it long enough perseverence will win out in the end, and what once seemed like big problems will just work out. Not much sound advice on my end, mainly just keep truckin'on!

I agree with this, I have been learning / playing for about 2 months and trying to play a clean open C chord seemed to be impossible for all the reasons mentioned by OP. Regular daily practice (only about 30mins or so) and without really noticing, the clarity of the chord has improved, as has the muscle memory of my fingers. It's just practice and more practice!

I had a similar problem due to my large hands when i first started and was advised to get a 12 string guitar and remove 6 of the strings the logic being there will be qa lot more space. I never did this and kept at it and after a while it all worked out and now any chord no problem and i am sure the same will happen to you,remember hendrix had massive hands and he could play a bit.

Just a level set from someone who has been playing since the early 80's and has been a pretty solid player for nearly as long; the open C chord is a deceptively difficult chord to play. It's the index (pointer) finger that gets you.

Yes, it seems like an easy enough chord but that index finger wants to pull the other two down and away. If you have average sized hands, it is the challenge.

I've never really played an open C chord that I felt comfortable playing. You wouldn't know it. But it is pretty much my least favorite chord. So much so that some songs I've performed in the past, I will choose a slightly different C shape so that I don't even have to mess with it. On top of that, a year or so ago, I had an odd series of mild issues/injury with both index fingers and that hasn't made it any easier.

Discouraged? Don't be.

First, just know that while you think it should be an easy chord to tackle, it's not as easy as you think. You can overcome it and will likely play it better than I do. Still, it's helpful to know that if you feel a little challenged by it, don't be discouraged since it's not as easy as it would seem.

Second, remember that you have real estate between the frets, use it. Spend a little time actually fretting the C chord and look where your fingers (any of them) are between the frets. I find that my index finger wants to be right up against the first fret (B string) and my ring finger wants to be right up against the second fret (A string)....my middle finger just goes wherever it seems to land. There is an awkwardness of the chord angle because your index finger wants to the pull the others.

A quick experiement; put your hand out in front of you (in the way you might look at your finger nails), bend your index finger down at the first knuckle (the one that attaches your hand to your finger). Notice that the other fingers have a 'reaction' in relation to the movement of the index.They are tied together by your hand and when one moves, the others will react in some way. They are not independent. Something to keep in mind.

I do play a good clean C but I never love actually playing it. I just noticed over time that the configuration above got me there after playing over the years.

One other tip on fingertips mentioned by manX; it takes very little pressure to make a string ring true. You need just enough tension in fretting for the string to lay solidly on the next fret and no more. You don't need to try to push the string through the fretboard. You're pushing too hard then. Experiment with how little perssure you need to fret a note. You'll be surprised. Your wrist and fingers will come to appreciate it too.....

I had the same problem with the C chord. I thought I couldn't ever get it right but not pressing down as hard fixed it. Thank you manxcat for the great advice!!!

I have large fingers as well. I have been playing for about 7 months and have recently went to extra light strings. This has helped tremendously although i have lost some of the "boom" of the accoustic. Dont be afarid to try different fingering techniques as well. My F chord and A chord are just a little different than normal. I was getting frustrated but needed to carry on with these chords so i adapted. With the help of the people on this site and perserverance, it will all work out

Good day. Like you, i JUST started myself ( literally within this past week ) and I'm having the EXACT SAME problem with my middle finger. I do have fatter than average fingers and like you, i tend to mute out the string next to the one i'm holding. Was thinking of trying to tape up the first knuckle with electrical tape with the tip sticking out and see how that goes. Haven't seen ANY advice with taping up fat fingers so i guess its not a thing. I'll post a follow-up after the experiment.

One little point that I thought should be mentioned is that you should use the very tips of your fingers when applying pressure to the strings ensuring that you have a good curve of the fingers.

I have noticed that often, beginners, and sometimes more experienced players, tend to use the pad at the top of the fingers instead of the very tip and the fingers do not have sufficient curve.

The tips of the fingers have a much smaller area and focus the pressure more efficiently to the string.

If this advice is followed then even people with 'fat' fingers should be able to produce a good clean tone.

If you have been playing using the pads of your fingers, the changes required may seem a little difficult and uncomfortable at first until your muscle memory kicks in. It soon becomes second nature however and you can move forward with more confidence.

This, along with keeping the finger nails very short should enable you to play much more efficiently.

Joe