-
Dm Cord Issues
no matter how I place my fingers or palm I still get dead strings. Sometimes its just the pressure on the string but If I press harder i kill the next string down. I am not sure pressing harder on each finger is correct as they hurt like hell within a few minutes. I keep trying but am afraid I am just learning to do it wrong?
-
4 Replies
-
Getting pressure just on the fingertips is hard. Here are some ideas…
– Slid your palm away from the fretboard and your body, this will allow more of a crook in your fingers
– Raise the neck of the guitar above horizontal, this reduces the rotation of the wrist
– Do the chord shape, pick each string individually, if strings are muted, do micro-adjustments until there are no muted strings. Then gently remove pressure and the press again. Repeat 10 times. This will help your brain understand what it should feel like. Now remove your hand and repeat. Do this for 2-3 mins a day and repeat everyday until you can do it without muted strings (typically takes 20+ days for me). This repeated focused practice is what tells your brain to move it into the subconscious.
-
Thanks for the advice!
-
-
@dpatton_HockeyGuy The muted string syndrome happens to the best of us, and as @Moose408 so correctly points out, it is micro adjustments that lead to finally finding the sweet spot, and it takes time, and sometimes it takes a lot of time.
Putting too much pressure on the strings is typically not the answer when it comes to fretting. You shouldn’t need to place that much pressure to where your finger tips hurt. I agree, play one string at a time to find out which string is muted, and then make micro adjustments. Arching your fingers more by bringing your wrist down and out as Moose points out should help also, and possibly raising the neck of the guitar or even trying the classical guitar positioning of your guitar, which brings the neck up and closer to the body, and forces your hand arm to arch when playing. It is actually quite comfortable, and more and more western players are switching to holding their guitars like this.
Lastly, the Dm chord gives even many veterans headaches. I know several that still struggle with it, but personally, I can attest that all the chords get easier over time, you will build up muscle memory and be able to play chords clearly. It simply takes extra work on the front side that you have to be willing to put in.
-
Thanks for the advice!
-
Log in to reply.