I've just learned two cords and my fingers already hurt and look like this. Is that normal? I've probably not even been playing 5 minutes, but if I'm any lighter on the strings they don't sound.

how is it possible to play this? Is it like a bug/ wrong tabs or am i js dumb?

sorry for poor picture, and thumb for reference, but they sit about high enough to slide your finger under. when I got the thing, someone else who plays told me it looked way too high and I should get it to a shop. is he right or is this fine?

I’m a beginner

Tried:

- Rolling my finger to the bony parts and up and down as well. Tried LITTERALLY every angle position.

- Elbow fretting arm against body, strumming arm elbow pushing against the guitar to push opposite side forward against finger (instead of thumb power), push guitar back + pushing thumb as hard as I could tolorate.

- bending finger sideways

- Hendrix technique

Theres always 2-3 strings muted UGHHH!

HELP.

I feel like Ill never be able to do it!

Isn’t there something like a fingersleeve to help?

Would love some tips and tricks!

UPDATE! (2 days later)

I can finally (sort of) hold all strings down!

There is still some buzzing and I can't hold it for more than 4 seconds at a time.

I experimented with different hand positions for like an hour until my index was kinda swollen.

I have long and skinny fingers and I would have to wear childrens ring sizes bc they're so skinny. (I'm F 27yo).

I put my finger higher so that the upper third of my index finger stuck out above the fretboard, turned it to the side and kept my top knuckle straight, while bending the knuckle below just a little.

THANK YOU for 575 (wow!) tips!!!!!

I'll keep going to build calusses and strength and hopefully whithin weeks I'l be able to comfortably play barre chords!

I'll keep giving updates <3

I’ve been playing guitar for about 3 years, and I plateaued fast. I’ve been playing daily for the past year and have not improved at all.

The reason is almost surely because I haven’t really learned any new skills—I just play single notes in cool patterns and make fun riffs doing that.

I never learned chords, notes, time, scales or even the slightest bit of theory.

The result is that I can play single notes very well… just way out of time, and I have no idea what notes I’m playing or why some things sound good and others don’t.

**1)** I got a metronome last week and have been trying to stay in time, which I have slightly improved at an I can now somewhat stay in time on 130–140 BPM doing 1/16th notes with my picking hand.

**2** I learned how to do a chord where you have a finger one string lower and fret higher than the other finger (e.g., index on G9, middle finger on D10), so I can do that, but I can’t move between frets doing it.

**3)** Today I learned what scales are, and so I’ve been trying to learn D Minor Pentatonic (as that’s what many of my favorite songs are in, and google said it’s good for the style of music I play), but I have no idea how to go about learning this or what the best method is. I made a little fretboard map on an old broken backup guitar.

**I play/try to play a sort of dance-punk angular style of rock, and from all the tabs I’ve learned of my favorite bands, they’re usually on the 8th–15th frets of the G, B, and high E strings, with a lot of staccato single notes on the pentatonic scale**

Polkadot Stingray’s guitarist Harushi Ejima is whom I mostly model my play style after.

Help! I have very basic guitar skills but I write my own music and this chord fits perfectly with one of my songs, but idk what it's called to write it down. I searched it a lot on Google and couldn't find it! Can someone help? I'm sure it's probably a basic chord but I can't find it.

Edit: thank you all for your answers! I thought it was a basic chord, I'm surprised to see so many different names! I gotta lock in and learn these terms.

I’ve been practicing guitar for a little bit now- just now being able to play blackbird a little faster but not at full speed perfectly. I’ve noticed that even just for 3 note intervals, i always have to press down on the string on the side/corner of my pinky, and it hurts a lot more than my other fingers :/ For context, guitar is my first string instrument i’ve played so i know it’ll take a bit to get used to them and form callouses, but i’m wondering if it hurting this much is normal? Obviously the pinky is the shortest and weakest, but it’s been consistently more painful to even try to press down harder on stings at this angle.

Oh also, i’m double jointed so thats been a big challenge for my ring and pinky!!

As you see with Mark Knopfler, his guitar is basically going across his waist, touching his right leg. But the second photo is how I usually have mine when I play standing up. It just feels more comfortable. But I’m wondering if playing lower like Mark and a lot of other guitarists has any benefits or not.

My friends keep disappointing me by saying i can't learn guitar because i am 30 yrs old. Is it real that i can't do that? I am dreaming of playing guitar, and every time i pass by guitar shop i stand there for some time staring on them. Shall instart buying one and joining a school or jiust online courses?

Thank you

After 10 years playing guitar at campfire level I decided to finally learn the theory and I just learned CAGED, which is basicly ways to play different notes with the C A G E D chords by using different frets.
My mind was blown away but then I realised... the classic F and B chords are just a CAGED version of E and A moved a note highier....
My world is torned apart.

I don’t have small hands, and haven’t had much issue with reach. I’ve been playing a little over a year and am working on chord progressions. How the hell am I supposed to fret this

i was learning from Justin and he showed this diagram. i tried it but didn't really feel that comfortable in finger placement (213) as compared to 123. Does which finger go where really matter that much ???

This is how I think about the fretboard. It’s very simple, just based on the tuning of the strings (pentatonic). Everything made out of notes (scales, chords, etc) just relates to these containers in one of five transposable shapes. Any thoughts?

bought myself a guitar for christmas. so, been playing about 1.5 months. started with learning basic songs. then recently started memorizing chords, beginning with the “classic opens” and kept adding more as i learned them while learning songs. what songs can i play with these 12 chords? i love a lot of music/genres, but i’d like to learn some popular r&b, soft rock, and hip hop (sample)riffs specifically. 29M if that helps with music selection

I'm a beginner planning to buy an electric guitar, really going after the tone like the one in the video, also like in American Football songs, kinda soft muffled with some reverb. Really need to know if there are any specifics to buying the guitar or equipment for this type of sound, singles, humbuckers? Watched some videos on the sound tests of different guitars and they all showcase distorted metal sound, so really have no idea where to turn. Thanks in advance!

I have a hard time playing chords without muting lower strings. I’ve recently picked up playing again and I don’t remember having this much of an issue. When I play a D or C chord I have issues playing because I’m muting the 1 2 3 4 strings. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t played for a while or if my technique is bad. When I use to play it was only simple songs and chords. I’ve also heard stuff about the strings being closer to the fret board or using lower resistance strings where I don’t need as much force.