GUITAR CHORD & FINGER PRESSURE

[Preetam]

Hi friends greetings..... how we should apply pressure on the guitar strings. I have doubts regarding this. When I'm playing a D chord or any open string chords where does the pressure really come from? Is it just from squeezing the thumb and fingers against the neck or no squeezing but rather pulling the guitar neck and then the thumb simply rests to stabilize the arm and shoulders? or something else please enlighten me....

[DianeB]

Hello, @Preetam, and welcome to the forum! I will assume you are just starting out with guitar. I hope you will take some time to learn about good posture and the ergonomics of playing guitar. The Musician's Way website is a good start. The object is to be aware of your entire body, and which muscles are in use for supporting weight, providing balance, and musical control. For now, think of your arm, including the shoulder, as an extension of your hand. The thumb normally provides stability while the fretting fingers apply the minimum required force. The wrist, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder should distribute the weight. The fretting fingers should touch the strings on their tips, not their pads. And this is all easier said than done!

[tjmeyers]

When we all start, I think we hold the neck of the guitar in a death grip. With time and practice we develop the muscle memory for our fingers to go where we want them to and learn that the amount of pressure needed to get good tone is far less than that.

[Oldjock]

Preetam, exactly what Diane and TJ said. Plus I would add that the required finger pressure is greater for an acoustic guitar. Switching to an electric I always tend to push a bit too hard causing some notes to go sharp. Practice will help you find a comfortable finger pressure that sounds good.

Henk

[Simira]

Hi @Preetam, the pressure comes from your fingertips pressing the string against the fret board with just enough pressure to make the note ring without buzzing.  Your thumb is really only for stability, there shouldn’t be any squeezing.  When you are just starting out you my find that you are squeezing, but this will improve as your fine finger muscles start to strengthen and this will eventually happen through practice. Also be mindful of your fretting hand position, your wrist should be down and slightly forward from the fret board, not behind as this will hinder finger movement, and try to avoid hooking your thumb over the top, keep it behind the fret board.  Focus on pressing your fingers the strings against the fret board when practising, eventually your fingers will stretch and strengthen. 😊