Learning Guitar Chords

eirebhoy

Since losing my job I've decided to try and learn the guitar to make use of my spare time. I just started these lessons today:
http://www.learnandmaster.com/guitar/

I have no problem playing the strings and different frets on single strings. But when it comes to chords it's just not happening. With the C chord my 2nd finger touches the 3rd string. The only way to stop this is by releasing my 1st finger.

The G7 Chord - my 2nd finger touches off the 4th string. Trying to move my hand into the correct position really hurts the knuckle on my first finger and there's still no joy.

I could understand practicing every day until it got too sore if I could actually do it at all but if I can't even get the chord out once how am I meant to practice?

Could the guitar be the wrong one for me (I'm can't buy one so it's this or nothing)? Or any tips that I could use?

Cheers.

domrush

What guitar are you using?

I've never heard of knuckles hurting before , i reckon you may have got the position slightly wrong.

Also try moving your thumb around to see if that helps ya. Seen peoples' hands hurting from thumbs being in the wrong spot.

Also remember its only your first day, don't lose hope!

Best of luck
Dom

eirebhoy

The guitar is an SX DG-30. It's right handed. Even though I'm left handed there doesn't seem to be a problem with that. It actually feels more natural to play it right handed.

I'll give my hand some rest tonight and see if the knuckle pain goes away. I notice that it's only that 1 knuckle that hurts a little when I bend it in a certain way so maybe it was sore even beforehand.

Are there any good excercises to losen up the hands that might help me get these chords? I'll spend a few days mainly just doing the finger exercises on the guitar and getting used to pressing down on the frets. Maybe then I'll be good for hitting some chords.

domrush

Rang a friend there who had similar problem and he says that these did the trick for him: http://www.isokineticsinc.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/GripmasterGroup500.jpg


Ya can get them in "the great outdoors" or any outdoor activitie shop he says

eirebhoy

I'll look into that thanks a mil.

Hell Toupee

Don't over practise if your a real beginner 15 mins chord practise a day is enough for the first week or two. If you want to do more hold the guitar and make the chord shapes without applying the pressure to the strings and visualise how to move from one chord to another as accurately as possible - spped will come with time.
Here's a good exercise to strengthen fingers
http://www.cyberfret.com/chops/finger-stretching/index.php

Stratocaster

eirebhoy wrote: »

Since losing my job I've decided to try and learn the guitar to make use of my spare time. I just started these lessons today:
http://www.learnandmaster.com/guitar/

I have no problem playing the strings and different frets on single strings. But when it comes to chords it's just not happening. With the C chord my 2nd finger touches the 3rd string. The only way to stop this is by releasing my 1st finger.

The G7 Chord - my 2nd finger touches off the 4th string. Trying to move my hand into the correct position really hurts the knuckle on my first finger and there's still no joy.

I could understand practicing every day until it got too sore if I could actually do it at all but if I can't even get the chord out once how am I meant to practice?

Could the guitar be the wrong one for me (I'm can't buy one so it's this or nothing)? Or any tips that I could use?

Cheers.

Sounds like your just trying to hard,

Pick 3 simple chords you like when played together. Spend a little bit of time holding each chord in position, don't strum the guitar, pick each string associated with the chord and adjust your fingers until each rings clear.

Repeat this process until you can obtain good finger memory for each chord. You shouldn't even have to think, it becomes more a feel for the chord. When you can hold each of the 3 chords in position with comfort and ringing clear you can start to strum. Practice alternating between the 3 chords so you don't get used to the same chord change.

When you look for advice on the internet, although it is good you tend to get ahead of your self, become sore and frustrated as a beginner. Ease off on the internet lessons until you can manage the 3 chords.

The 3 chord idea above should only take 1 to 2 days of good practice, once you can get 3 chords in all the different changes, A,E,G G,A,E E,G,A etc, all new chords will tend to come more easily.

It only takes a tiny bit of pressure to hold chords and notes, it may seem difficult when your a beginner because all your fingers get in the way, as you become more comfortable you will put less pressure on your fingers and wrist.

If you want to fret the chords with ease you can tune you guitar way down, 2 or 3 steps. I wouldn't recommend its like cheating. Your just trying to hard that's all.

eirebhoy

Tonight I got the C and G7 chord playing without my fingers getting in the way. The tips of my fingers now need a rest so that's me done for the day but happy that I'm actually progressing. It'll still be a while before I'm playing a chord comfortably.

I said last night that it felt natural for me to play right handed but I switched the guitar around to left handed mode tonight to see how it feels. My hold of the guitar is a lot more comfortable and my wrist more straight on that side. So as someone recommended last night I wasn't holding the guitar quite right.

I now wonder how much easier it would be to play with a left handed guitar but I haven't got the money to be buying one and I think in the long term it would be better to have learnt the right handed one. Although maybe I'd be a better guitarist on the other hand. Ah well. I'll keep this up for the time being.

Carsinian Thau

eirebhoy wrote: »

Tonight I got the C and G7 chord playing without my fingers getting in the way. The tips of my fingers now need a rest so that's me done for the day but happy that I'm actually progressing. It'll still be a while before I'm playing a chord comfortably.

I said last night that it felt natural for me to play right handed but I switched the guitar around to left handed mode tonight to see how it feels. My hold of the guitar is a lot more comfortable and my wrist more straight on that side. So as someone recommended last night I wasn't holding the guitar quite right.

I now wonder how much easier it would be to play with a left handed guitar but I haven't got the money to be buying one and I think in the long term it would be better to have learnt the right handed one. Although maybe I'd be a better guitarist on the other hand. Ah well. I'll keep this up for the time being.

Could you try just changing the order of the strings so that they could suit you better to play left handed?

I'm very new at this so I may have overlooked some complication but it seems like it could work to me (in theory at least).

domrush

glad you're getting there

Dmullar

Carsinian Thau wrote: »

Could you try just changing the order of the strings so that they could suit you better to play left handed?

Nope, the nut would be cut differently - You would be putting a thick string in a place where theres supposed to be a thin one and vice versa.

Carsinian Thau

Dmullar wrote: »

Nope, the nut would be cut differently - You would be putting a thick string in a place where theres supposed to be a thin one and vice versa.

Right. Thanks for clearing that up.