Learning how to properly position your fingers on the strings of a guitar is an essential part of playing. With the right technique, you’ll be able to easily play chords and melodies and experiment with techniques like string bending and vibrato.
Whether you’re just starting with the basics or want to brush up on your finger positioning skills, this guide will help you feel more confident when playing your guitar.
It’ll also give you tips on what to do if you’re left-handed, how electric guitars differ from acoustic ones in terms of finger placement, and ways to make learning easier.
So let’s get started!
Where do you have to place your fingers on a guitar?
Where you have to place your fingers on a guitar depends on your dominant and non-dominant hands.
Finger placement for your dominant hand
Your dominant hand holds the pick and is used for strumming or picking the strings. You can also position your fingers to mute unwanted strings for specific notes. This technique is often used by non-pick players who pluck individual strings with greater control using their thumb and index finger.
You’ll create more interesting sounds by carefully placing your fingers on the fretboard and controlling how hard you press down on each string.
How to hold the pick
Hold the pick between your dominant hand’s index finger and thumb when strumming your guitar. Do it firmly but not too tightly. Make sure to keep control of the top of the pick with your thumb so that it doesn’t shift while you’re playing.
The other three fingers should stay away from the pick and instead be pointed straight down.
Depending on what type of tone you want to create, you can either hold the pick parallel to the string, which will produce a more rounded sound or at a 45-degree angle which produces a sharper tone.
Aligning your fingers correctly in relation to these angles will help you achieve this desired sound without putting too much strain on them.
How to position your fingers if you are not using a pick
If you’re not using a pick, you can still create different tones on the guitar by varying how you position your digits.
Your thumb and index finger are the most commonly used digits to strum the strings. You’ll use the fleshy part of your thumb for down strums while catching with the nail occasionally on upward strums.
For your index finger, again use its fleshy part while using its nail to catch when doing down strums.
By combining both digits in their respective positions, it produces a sound similar to what one would expect from a pick.
Furthermore, you don’t have to anchor any other fingers on the guitar when playing without a pick. This gives more freedom to modify the strumming action as desired.
How to position your fingers when muting strings
When muting strings with your thumb, make sure you place the pad of your thumb just behind the fretboard on the lower strings. This will allow you to easily press down and stop any vibrations from those strings without having to make awkward hand movements.
You can also practice putting just enough pressure so that the adjacent strings are muted but not so much that it affects playing on other frets.
Non-Dominant Hand Placement
When fretting with your non-dominant hand, it’s important to pay attention to finger placement and the height of your fingers. Your fingers should be curved and you should use your fingertips to press down on the fret wires.
Additionally, make sure your fingers are not too close or too far away from the strings – about a centimeter above them is ideal. Finally, don’t forget to position your thumb somewhere around the middle of the back of the neck while fretting – this will help keep everything in balance and provide support for your other fingers.
Finger placement for your non-dominant hand
The non-dominant hand typically serves as the fretting hand. As the fretting hand, its main role is to press down on the strings in specific locations along the fretboard. This action, known as “fretting,” involves selectively applying pressure to the strings with your fingers, allowing you to produce different pitches and notes.
Position of your fingers and the fret wires
The proper position of your fretting hand fingers is crucial for achieving clear and accurate chords and notes on the guitar. The ideal finger position is towards the front of the fret wire, where the string makes contact just behind the fret.
This placement allows for optimal sound production and reduces the likelihood of unwanted buzzing or muting.
We encourage you to experiment with finger placement at various distances from the fret wires to understand the impact on sound quality.
Why you should curve your fingers
You should keep your fingers curved when fretting notes on the guitar. Imagine making a fist with your dominant hand and wrapping your opposite hand’s fingers around it. This technique ensures a stable and controlled finger placement, allowing for smoother chord and note transitions while playing.
This will ensure that you’re able to play without accidentally touching strings you don’t want to sound. It may take some getting used to, but this technique is key to successful guitar playing. With practice, you’ll be surprised at how easily and comfortably your hands can move along the frets and strings with minimal effort.
Use the tips of your fingers to fret
Use the tips of your fingers to fret strings on a guitar.
It’s important that you don’t press too hard because it can cause discomfort and strain. Instead, try to find a comfortable position where your fingertips are slightly curved but not pressed so tightly that they begin to hurt.
How far above the strings to place your fingers
Place your fingers close to the strings, and don’t let your fingers rise more than an inch above them.
When playing the guitar, focus on efficient finger motion. Keep your fretting hand’s fingers about ½ inch above the string, using a ruler if needed. Never let them go any higher than 1 inch off the string so you can easily press down on the necessary notes.
On top of that, make sure all other fingers that aren’t being used in playing are an equivalent distance from the string as well. Doing this will help ensure smooth and successful guitar playing.
Where to place your thumb while fretting
Place your thumb behind the neck of your instrument, opposite your index finger.
To reduce strain on your thumb, you can also bring it around your middle finger. Your thumb should usually be pointed upwards or held in a perpendicular position with respect to the guitar neck.
Note that some guitarists might use their thumbs to fret certain notes – just remember to avoid straining yourself when doing this.
Where to place your fingers if you’re left-handed?
Left-handed guitars have significant differences compared to right-handed guitars. For instance, the thickest string on a left-handed guitar is positioned on the right side instead of the left.
Finding a left-handed guitar in physical stores can be challenging due to the fact that only about 10% of the global population is left-handed. However, online platforms provide options for left-handed guitars. Despite this, many left-handed individuals learn to play on right-handed guitars due to the prevalence of chord instructions and resources designed for right-handed players. Alternatively, online tutorials are available for converting right-handed guitars into left-handed ones.
Learning to play a left-handed guitar can present challenges for beginners, although it is certainly not impossible. Numerous legendary left-handed guitarists, including Paul McCartney, Tony Iommi, and Kurt Cobain, have overcome these challenges and achieved great success.
Is there any difference in finger placement on the electric guitar?
There are some differences in playing an electric guitar although
requires the same finger positioning as an acoustic guitar.
Electric guitars have necks that are narrower and not as thick as acoustic guitars. This means that when you press down on the strings, it feels easier. This is because the space between the frets and the strings, known as “action,” is smaller on electric guitars.
The biggest challenge with electric guitars compared to acoustic guitars is that the strings are closer together. This means you’re more likely to accidentally touch the nearby strings, which makes it even more important to mute the strings properly.
Muting means stopping the strings from making unwanted sounds by lightly touching or resting your fingers on them. This way, you can play cleanly without any unintended noise. By the way make sure to check this guide if your guitar sounds bad and you don`t know why.
Making Finger Positioning Easier to Learn: Tips and Techniques
Mastering finger positioning on the guitar may seem effortless for skilled players, but the truth is that even the slightest mistake can result in unintended sounds.
Learning to avoid finger placement errors takes time and practice, often spanning months or even years.
Fortunately, there are ways to make the process of learning finger positioning much easier.
By implementing our helpful tips and techniques, you can start your learning journey.
Do finger exercises
Doing finger exercises to develop strength and flexibility in your hands is key for playing the guitar. You can start by doing the pressure/release exercise.
This exercise will help you get used to finger positioning on the strings.
Start this exercise by placing your fretting hand (left for most players) along the fretboard. Make sure that each of your fingers 1-4 are placed on frets I-IV, respectively.
Now press and release all four strings simultaneously – repeat this over and over again until you’re comfortable with how it feels when pressing down on them. Once you’ve mastered that step, try pressing down one string at a time.
This exercise may seem simple, but it’s important to practice as it will greatly improve your ability to position your fingers correctly while playing the guitar.
Use finger guides
Using finger guides is a great way to learn how to position your fingers on the strings correctly in order to produce high-quality sounds. With one of these helpful devices, you can:
- Easily distinguish between fret number stickers
- Have an accurate visual representation of where you should place your fingers on chords
- Quickly memorize which finger corresponds to which note or chord
Use fingertip protectors
Fingertip protectors are an inexpensive way of reducing the discomfort caused by guitar playing, allowing you to practice more without having to worry about painful fingers.
They come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s important to find a pair that fits comfortably on your hand.
Simply slip them over your digits before pressing down on the strings and you’ll instantly feel the difference. These soft rubber covers cushion each finger against the strings, providing maximum grip with minimum effort.
They’re also great for protecting your skin from calluses which can form when too much pressure is applied repeatedly.
The basic guitar chords
Chords are the essential building blocks for playing your favorite songs on the guitar.
A chord is a group of notes that, when played together, create a harmonious sound. You can play a note by either pressing down on a specific fret or playing the string open without holding any frets.
These basic guitar chords include a combination of fretted strings and open strings. They are commonly known as “open chords” because some strings are played open.
Open chords are widely used in folk, country, pop, and rock music styles, adding a pleasant and versatile touch to your guitar playing.
Guitar chord charts and finger positions
Guitar chords are often presented in simple charts.
This chart visually represents the fingerboard of your guitar.
At the top of the chart, there’s a horizontal line which represents the nut of your guitar, where the head meets the fingerboard. Each horizontal line below it represents a fret.
The six vertical lines represent the guitar strings, from left to right: EADGBE. If you’re holding your guitar as if you’re ready to play, the top string should be the thickest one, the low E. Strumming downward, you’ll hit the A, D, G, B, and finally the high E strings.
In this diagram, the three black dots indicate that you need to press down on three strings – the D, G, and B strings – at the second fret. The numbers at the bottom of the chart indicate which fingers of your left hand you should use to hold down the strings. Your left-hand fingers are numbered one through four, starting with your index finger.
If you are ready to give it a try, follow this steps:
- Place your middle finger on the second fret of the D string, your ring finger on the second fret of the G string, and your pinkie on the second fret of the B string.
- Make sure to use only the tips of your fingers, so you don’t mute or muffle any strings.
- Strum slowly from the A string down, one note at a time, to ensure each note is fretted cleanly and clearly.
Congratulations! You’ve just played an A chord!
Learning guitar chord progressions
Learning the basics of chord progressions is a great way to become familiar with playing popular tunes.
A chord progression is simply a sequence of chords, typically three or four, which are repeated throughout the song.
In order to learn these progressions, you’ll want to start by mastering how to play a C chord on guitar.
Place your index finger on the first fret of the B string, your middle finger on the second fret of the D string, and your ring finger on the third fret of the A string. Strum from the A string downwards and listen for its ringing sound.
Then move on to mastering a G chord – place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string and your middle and ring fingers each in the 3rd fret (high E-String and low E-String respectively).
Lastly, form a D chord by holding down 2nd fret (G-String) with index finger and 2nd fret (high e String) with middle finger; then 3rd fret (B-String) with ring finger. Now strum this new chord from D String downwards.
Once these chords are mastered, practice strumming each one for four counts before switching to another one in this order: C – G – D.
This particular pattern is quite common in many genres including pop, rock, and folk music alike.
Once you feel comfortable transitioning between these three chords smoothly and seamlessly with an even tempo, try adding more chords into it like A major and E minor.
Keep experimenting until you can create your own unique yet beautiful combination of chords.
Learning power chords on guitar
The power chord is a versatile chord shape that can be played on various frets along the fingerboard. It’s a simplified form where you only need to learn one shape, allowing you to play almost any chord. Power chords are popularly utilized in rock, metal, and punk genres of music.
To start learning power chords on guitar, place your index finger on the first fret of the low E string, your ring finger on the third fret of the A string, and your pinkie on the third fret of the D string. Strum only these three strings to play an F power chord.
You can then move this shape up or down one fret to change chords; for example, if you move it up one fret, you’ll be playing an F# chord.
You can also move each finger up one string while keeping it in its same position to create chords rooted on the A string.
Once you get familiar with how notes work on both strings, you’ll start recognizing which chords are being played as you move along.
Conclusion
You’ve now learned the basics of how to position your fingers on a guitar. With practice and patience, you’ll soon be able to play chords and riffs without having to think about where each finger should go.
Experiment with different finger positions and see what works best for you. You may also find that it’s easier to learn with help from a professional guitar teacher who can guide you through the process step by step.
FAQ
What type of guitar is best for learning finger positioning?
What type of guitar is best for learning finger positionin it really depends on your individual playing style and budget. However, if you’re just starting out, you might want to consider an acoustic guitar.
Acoustic guitars tend to have wider fretboards than electric ones, making it easier for beginners to get their fingers into the right positions without feeling cramped or uncomfortable. Plus, they are relatively affordable and will last you years if looked after properly.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when positioning fingers on a guitar?
Here are some common mistakes to avoid when positioning fingers on a guitar:
- First, make sure your hand position is comfortable and that you’re not overreaching for the strings.
- Second, keep your thumb behind the neck of the guitar rather than wrapping it around; this will help ensure accuracy and consistency in finger placement.
- Finally, be aware of any tension in your hands as you practice positioning. If there’s too much tension, adjust accordingly or take a break.
How often should I practice finger positioning for guitar?
Practicing your finger positioning for guitar is key to success when playing. Depending on the level of difficulty you’re aiming for, it’s important to practice regularly.
If you’re a beginner, consider practicing finger positioning for at least 10-15 minutes each day until you become comfortable with it. Once you become more advanced, it would be beneficial to practice several times a week or even daily in order to keep your skills sharp and avoid making mistakes during performances.
Regularly practicing will help ensure that your fingers are in the right position on the strings when playing so that you can make beautiful music.
Related article: https://riff-mag.com/can-you-play-guitar-with-fat-fingers/
Gary has been in love with music since he was a child. His passion is guitars and everything related to them. He is the founder of
Riff-Mag and can’t wait to share his knowledge with you.