One common problem beginning guitar players have when first learning chords is this. When you press down on the strings and try to keep on the tips of your fingers …one of the segments of your fingers “flops” over and touches other strings.
No matter how hard you try, you just can’t keep on the tip of that finger. And it messes up the whole chord. The problem is you have a weak finger joint. And in this video guitar lesson I’m going to show you how to solve this with a quick and easy exercise.
Beginner Guitar Chord Tip
(Video Guitar Lesson)
For other guitar chord troubleshooting tips like this, be sure and check out my Rhythm Guitar Mastery course.
Where I see this problem happen a lot with my private guitar students is in the last joint of their 3rd finger. Especially when trying to play a G or C chord. So I’m going to demonstrate this exercise with that finger and joint. But keep in mind this can help for any weak joint problem you are having with any finger.
You can set your guitar down for this exercise. Dropping your guitar and breaking it is probably a bigger problem than having a weak finger joint 🙂
1. With your hands in front of you, and your left hand palm facing up…curve your left hand 3rd finger. Then with your 1st finger of your right hand put a little pressure and resistance on that left hand 3rd finger. Don’t go crazy, these are small muscles we are working.
2. Then slowly let out your left hand 3rd finger while continuing the resistance with your right hand. You want to take your left hand finger right to the tipping point where it would normally flop over. Don’t let it flop! Take it right to the brink, but not over.
3. Then slowly curve your left hand 3rd finger again and come right back to the point where you started.
So you are helping to strengthen up that weak 3rd finger joint, and ultimately making guitar chords that use that finger easier to play.
Like I mentioned, this exercise can be done with any left hand finger. And you may have a different joint that is giving you problems with your guitar chords.
