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One doesn’t have to press that hard to put the string against the fret. That is why I like frets. (Violins don’t have them). You might review YouTube videos on finger positioning. The thumb is an anchor on the back and with the guitar neck higher and not leaning over the body, one’s wrist can be straighter. I’ve seen people use a pencil to create distance between the side of the neck and the hand to get an idea of the space around which to curl your fingers got that that G,C, or D chords. I’ve also seen a practice technique where one doesn’t really press with their thumb just to experience how little pressure is needed to put the string against the fret. Mostly don’t worry. You’ll get there. It’s not about the calluses. It about flexibility and muscle memory.
