Can you give me some tips for playing chords on acoustic guitar?

Question

I just began teaching myself to play acoustic guitar. I can get the picking right, the single notes. I'm having a hard time playing chords.

My fingers end up accidentally touching extra strings, keeping them from ringing properly.

Does anyone have any tips to help me?

Answer 1

It's been my experience that the ring finger is the most difficult to train because it has to form and lock over other strings to build chords--not cords.

For the first two years of my guitar playing I would wake in the morning with my ring finger pressed solidly flat against the palm of my hand. Opening it up resulted in two loud cracks each time.

Other than my thumb that I use for chords, my small finger is the most well-used of the bunch in many situations. But since I play fingerstyle, using all fingers, they all get a workout.

As mentioned previously by other posters, you must work slowly and surely at forming each chord--the toughest being the F major chord in the first fret. Once you get that right, the whole fretboard is open for you. Remember that anything done right isn't done overnight. It takes heavy concentration, willpower, and dedication to train your fingers to do what you want them to do on the guitar.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you mean your left hand, apparently your not making the cord right, your making it too large and hitting the other string with part of your other finger, practice takes care of that, example in making a C cord your fingers should not touch the other strings, this means that you haven't been playing or practicing very long. In making a cord you should not touch the other strings and the only thing that I can tell you is that you need more practice, try making a C cord and them go to a D cord and then to a C cord again, then try an Am then to a C and them an E keep doing that over and over for about twenty minutes a day, when you can do this smoothly your ready to try something new. Your muscles and fingers don't sound like there ready yet for smooth changes, this will come in time when your muscles and fingers are strong enough, you also have to develop callouses, if you do this daily you should see a change in about a month, twenty minutes a day is all you need, you don't want to stress your hand and fingers, and I promise you'll see the difference ! Remember every-ones hand and fingers hurt in the beginning but that does go away alter a while, and you won't even notice it anymore. Good luck to you !!

Answer 3

The only thing that's going to solve your problem is to practice. It's gets easier with time.

Answer 4

do cords with the tips of your fingers and just practice them.

Answer 5

Not me