Many guitar players tend to kink their thumb in front of the neck, which can lead to pain and prevent their fingers from producing the clean sound essential for chords.
When fretting bar chords, place the thumb closer to the neck and slightly behind the index finger. Experiment and see which position best works for you.
Finger Position
Finger placement within each fret is paramount; each finger should lie as close and parallel with its designated fret as possible, minimising pressure required to produce clear notes.
To perform an E major chord, for instance, one finger should be slightly rolled so its knuckle points toward the guitar nut so as to enable easier gripping and holding of strings by its gripping surface.
If you are just starting out, focus on learning major and minor open chords first – these are among the most commonly encountered by beginners. Once you feel comfortable playing these, move onto other chord shapes. Chord diagrams can help keep track of which strings are being played as well as which fingers are on which frets, as well as showing fret numbers corresponding to chord shapes and what note each string plays.
Thumb Position
Position of Your Thumb on GuitarThe position of your thumb on your guitar has an enormous effect on how rapidly and strengthily you change chords, as well as for how long you can play continuously.
Many guitarists use the classical thumb position – resting it atop of the neck with fingers in fretting positions – as an approach for playing barre chords and other scale-type movements, yet making non-barre chords simpler to play. This limits finger motion for barre chords but makes non-barre chords simpler to play.
However, this puts your wrist into an insecure stance which may lead to wrist strain if played for extended periods. One solution is to move the thumb higher along the guitar neck; create a G major chord and then move your thumb up and down until you find its sweet spot – this process should become second nature with time as both thumb and wrist become more flexible.
Wrist Position
No matter the hand position you play from, it is crucial that your wrist remains flat – neither sinking in nor caving in; but neither too rigid. In either instance, fingers must also remain close to frets; otherwise it becomes difficult to press hard enough on them and produce sound.
The thumb should remain in an approximate central position on the neck, although its placement may change according to which chord is being played. Ideally it should rest just off to the left of your index finger without coming too close above it; otherwise switching from chord to chord quickly may prove challenging.
Some guitarists tend to anchor their thumb to the underside of their guitar neck, which limits movement and makes reaching all strings more challenging. To prevent this, try employing the “Goldilocks” principle by adjusting your wrist and thumb position until you find an optimal pressure balance for moving fingers on guitar fretboard.
Finger Flexibility
Finger flexibility is an essential aspect of playing guitar. Being able to flex and curl your fingers can increase your ability to fret notes, play chords and perform string bending techniques more smoothly. Engaging in various finger stretching exercises such as those described by GuitarLessons365 can help increase finger flexibility.
Ideally, your thumb should rest behind the neck of your guitar so as to reduce unnecessary strain on your wrist and thumb joint. While this position might seem strange at first, some guitarists (particularly those with smaller hands) find that it significantly decreases tension in their wrist and thumb joint.
Remember to always begin your practice sessions with a warm-up routine. This will help loosen muscles and prevent injuries like sore fingers or fatigue in your hands or wrists, such as massaging the hands and wrists or using grip master exercisers for hand warmup purposes. Even simple techniques like massaging the hands or wrists or using grip master exercisers will get your fingers ready for an engaging practice session ahead.