I started the Beginners Grade 1 course today and immediately wondered how on earth anyone is able to play a chord .
As per the course I reached the section where the D and A chords are introduced. I only have small hands and fingers but found having the dexterity to bridge the strings to prevent them from muting / buzzing nigh on impossible. Particularly the E (first string) on the A chord
Are there any tips or exercises that can help with getting the right hand and finger position / shape? Iâm less concerned about the tips of the finger pain as Iâm sure that will reduce over time.
It always sounds a bit silly to say this, but⌠Practicing will get you there. At first, just try to get your fingers where they need to be to make it sound âgood.â Really try to use the tips of your fingers so that the rest of the finger is as close to perpendicular to the fretboard as you can get it (to minimize contact with other strings).
It will seem impossible to get your fingers to land in that position while changing chords - and initially it will be. But continued practice will get you there. I started just almost a year ago, and I can vouch for this method of persistence.
Hi Tony, Congratulations on a good start here! One of the most important skills youâll develop on your guitar journey is patience. And thatâs the primary skill you need here! As you progress, your dexterity will increase. Those callouses on your fingers will develop to allow you to fret strings with more precision. It takes time and practice (which takes timeâŚ). One thing to check is that youâre not pressing the strings too hard. Iâve been at this for over two years, and I still suffer from this habit! When you form the chord, press only as hard as you need for each string to ring clearly. Iâd also recommend reviewing the Chord Perfect Practice notes on the D chord lesson on the website - lots of good tips there. That said, here are a couple of additional things that have helped me along my beginner journey:
Take a few minutes to look through the website notes for upcoming lessons. This helped me understand that Justin was going to be addressing most of my burning questions in short order! For example - if you havenât already seen it, youâll soon be introduced to one-minute (chord) changes. In Module 4, Justin introduces some stretches. But: donât be tempted to jump ahead! My experience is that itâs really important, especially through Grade 1, to ease into this adventure.
Have a look at the Nitsuj videos (Justin learning to play left-handed). These really helped me set my expectations.
Youâre already doing one of the best things - keep asking questions here.
@grabhorn many thanks for your advice. Iâm struggling with positioning my hand and fingers to form the shape required to make the chord. Iâll continue to practice that and hopefully it will get a bit easier.
Thanks @judi. Yes, found forming the hand and finger shape very difficult. Iâll go over the material that you suggested. I agree that patience and perseverance are probably the most important attributes when learning a completely new skill. Thanks for your advice and support.
Take your time, youâre on day one! Follow the lessons diligently and youâll get there. Iâm afraid there are no shortcuts so get in plenty of practise and once youâve got A,D and E under your fingers youâll be playing songs.
Good luck and stick at it.
Hi Tony - if it makes you feel any better (and it might not!) this idea of trying to do things that seem impossible continues with you for as long as you are progressing on the guitar. Itâs just that the things you find impossible are more complex as you progress and you learn that they will become possible with careful practice and patience. I doubt anyone who plays guitar now didnât have a moment in the beginning where moving from A to D seemed like an impossible feat
That really is the only solution. the two problems you have, like all beginners do, is that your finger tips are too fleshy and with time you will get callouses on your finger tips and this will go a long way to preventing touching adjacent strings you donât intend to. Secondly and in relation to the d chord your asking your fingers to move to positions theyâve probably never been in before so getting the ring finger close to the third fret on the b string is quite a stretch at first. Keep at it and over time it will become a doodle. Then onto the next challenge, donât feel disheartened, weâve all been there, just embrace the journey.
Youâve got the âGrade 1 Bluesâ!!!
As Greg @Gregba (and several others) say just above, time & persistence are the answers⌠imagine if youâd never used silverware before & suddenly youâre seated at a very formal dinner with multitudes of knives, spoons & forks⌠you wouldnât know what to do or even have an idea what the various implements are for. Lots of information to absorb & multitasking ahead, but itâs a blast progressing in your musical journey!
Guitar is deceptively simple looking - at least the casual strumming & singing along variety of guitar playing. Youâre watching a buddy entertain a few couples in his back yard or living room & you think âHow hard could that be?â, right? Now suddenly youâre in Grade 1 of Justinâs lessons & itâs not easy! As Judi @judi suggests, watch Nitsuj attempt to play lefty & itâs really enlightening!!! This man who knows his s**t is struggling to play chords in time, make the correct changes with his fingers & generally do the things that are second nature to him if heâs playing righty!!!
You are literally on the verge of playing your first songs⌠playing actual MUSIC!!! Thatâs so cool!!! Except for the finger pain, I envy you the discoveries youâre about to make⌠the feeling of achievement when you realize âIâM PLAYING MY FIRST SONG!!!â Good times, man!!
@CATMAN62 I didnât realise how difficult it would be to shape my hand and figures just to get the chord shape and the notes to ring out, in isolation without doing anything else. I managed to get a couple of decent D chords this evening but the A was a different story. First string buzz
I remember those days very well. For me the lesson where Justin shows how to finger the A chord so you have an anchor finger to go from A to D to E was a real breakthrough for me.
Main thing Iâd say is take it slow and make it a DAILY thing, every day. Just fifteen minutes a day. When I started I couldnât play for more than 5 minutes without my fingers hurting to where I had to stop (damn steel strings). So I did that 3 times a day.
It doesnât take all that long before you start making real recognizable progress and the reward at the end is so very worth it. Being able to play a song on guitar at will without even thinking about it. How cool will that be.
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I envy you the discoveries youâre about to make⌠the feeling of achievement when you realize âIâM PLAYING MY FIRST SONG!!!â Good times, man!!