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  Am I deformed? The power chord debacle

  Posted by Tryagain on January 17, 2025 at 5:05 pm

  I don’t know if I’m deformed or what, but when I try to practice power chords, my ring finger always searches out my index finger (they refuse to separate!). This doesn’t allow me to play any power chords since I literally can’t stretch my ring finger to the 7th fret while my index finger is on the 5th. Is there any other way around this? Help!

  TerriG replied 1 year, 2 months ago 4 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

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  Loraine

  Member

  January 17, 2025 at 7:56 pm

  It’s highly unlikely you’re deformed -lol. More than likely your fingers haven’t learned independence. Fingers share tendons, and it is difficult to teach them independence, but it’s not impossible.

  One way to teach them is to start a little higher on the neck (just because it’s less of a stretch). Place your index down, and leave it in that spot the whole exercise (do not lift it). With your middle finger, place it on the fret next 5o the index.; then lift it and place it on the next fret and then back to the fret next to the index. Then lift again and place it 2 frets out.; lift and back to next to index. Again lift and go 3 frets out. Try and get to 4, without hurting yourself.

  Next, take your ring finger and do the same exercise. Then your pinky.

  Once you’ve done all that, lift your index, and replace it with your middle finger. Again, do not lift it. Begin with your index and do the same exercise, then ring and pinky.

  Same exercise with ring and then pinky being anchors.

  Once you’ve done can do this with all combinations, start over, but move up 2-3 frets. It will be a little more challenging, because the frets are wider. Repeat until you reach the first fret. With your pinky.

  You can always switch it to where you begin with the pinky and not the index. What this is teaching is finger independence for every combination of fingers, and it helps with stretching fingers.

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  Tricia_Lynn

  Member

  January 18, 2025 at 3:49 pm

  You def are not deformed … LOL

  I can stretch my ring finger ok but that pinky is another story. I am at the beginning of my journey here, but one thing I would suggest is looking a the stretching vids. I started the finger stretches and have been doing them for about a week. While I still have a ways to go, I can def tell its helping. I do them several times a day. It is really helping with finger dexterity. Hang in there!

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  TerriG

  Member

  January 19, 2025 at 3:45 pm

  Nah, not deformed at all. I have the same problem. Finger exercises definitely helps and over time, you’ll be able to do it. For the longest time, I couldn’t play the power chords and then one day – it just clicks. So keep at it and definitely follow the recommendations that Loraine gave. Also, make sure the guitar neck is the right size for your fingers. I had to change guitars in the beginning because the neck was too large and my fingers couldn’t reach. Good luck and keep at it!

  • This reply was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by  TerriG.

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