Learn Guitar Strings For Beginners
Beginner acoustic guitar Q: How do I hold all of the strings without muting the middle ones for chords?
I’ve played bass for a year, and I’m trying to learn the acoustic guitar now. The hard stuff like solos is easy to me but playing chords on all of the strings is so hard because I can’t figure out how to hold all the strings at one time. Any finger positions or something that could help?
I’m assuming you’re talking about bar chords, where you bar across all the strings with the side of your index finger, and then form chords underneath with your other fingers.
A few ideas:
1) Start with bar chords higher up on the neck. They should be a little easier.
2) Use the side of your index finger rather than the pad side. That gives a little more leverage.
3) Try putting lighter strings on your instrument. They give more.
4) Get your action lowered. You may have really high action, which means your strings are too high above the fret board. Bring it in to your local music store. It’s usually a simple truss rod adjustment, which takes just a few minutes and shouldn’t cost much.
5) If possible, play on an electric guitar, which has lighter strings (that’s why bar chords, or power chords, are so popular in rock music). A classical guitar would also be easier, as it has nylon strings, which are softer.
Hope that helps.
Beginner Guitar Lesson #1 – Guitar Basics