The C chord

[jumpinjeff]

When I started I had a tendency to have my thumb too high above the horizontal centerline of the fretboard. This made is touch to reach those low bass strings. Half if not more of my thumb would be above the back of the fretboard. I learned to move my thumb position lower more toward that horizontal centerline. It gave me more arch (put me up on my finger tips a bit more) and let me clear the strings without muffling those I did not want to touch.

[Kristin1]

Well the C-Chord can be tough when you are starting to play guitar, but I´m sure you will get it! Just practice every day a few minutes:

Do the C-Chord placing the ringfinger first (5 times).

Do the C-Chord placing the indexfinger first (5 times).

Do the C-Chord placing the middlefinger first (5 times).

Do the C-Chord placing the ringfinger first (5 times)

…

I guess in a few month the C-Chord will be one of your favourite chords.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  Kristin1.

[Skyman911]

I’m about 4 years in, and the C chord is still probably the one I still struggle with the most. (other than barre chords) The C chord is one of my favorite chords however, and the very first chord I fret when I pick up my guitar. So many variations, and so many songs start in the key of C. I did move to shorter scale Martins, with a 24.9 scale length apposed to the standard 25.5 scale length. This has made the stretch less. Depending on your hand size, guitar size and neck shape, some of your issues may come down to your guitar. Just keep at it. You’ll get there.

[Louis D]

Thank you so much it help me a lot . I am 54 year old and 3 year of practicing guitar. Bye

[Loraine]

@allendr1970gmail-com Welcome to TAC. I noticed on your profile that you’ve been a TAC member for a short time. I remember when I first started I actually posted something about having difficulty with the C also. I think it’s fairly common, with different people having issues with different strings and fingerings.

What exactly are you having a difficult time with? Are you muting strings? If so, which strings are muted? Give a little bit more description as to what you’re experiencing, and it would really help to have a photo of your hand position . Provide a little bit more information, even possibly a photo of how you’re fretting the chord. If I remember correctly, my issue was that I was muting a string. I believe it was the D string. What I basically had to do was learn to put my ring finger up a little bit further infringing on the low E string, because I could mute that string, since it’s not part of the C chord, so it didn’t matter if my ring finger pushed up to the side of it, and it took my finger away from the D strings where the pad of my ring finger had been pressing into the D. the pad.

<font face=”inherit”>I think eventually you just learn how much arc you need to put in your fingers and the placement that works for you. Make sure that </font>you’re<font face=”inherit”> pushing your wrist down and forward so it forces your fingers to curve enough and come down straight on the strings .</font>

But first you need to know exactly what is happening that is why it’s so important to play each string individually when you first learn to fret chords. So just shoot me back a message with a little bit more detail as to what the issue is with your ring finger, and possibly a photo of your hand fretting C chord.

And lastly, try to remember to be kind to yourself. If you’re fairly new to guitar, it can be time-consuming and frustrating to properly fret a chord, for it to become second nature, it will happen though. Don’t worry about speed too much right now just focus on trying to learn the techniques as best you can and the fact that you asked a question as fantastic cause I’m I can guarantee there’s lots of people out there struggling with the same exact issue. You have to learn what works and eventually with practice you’ll find that it becomes muscle memory as to where your fingers are placed.

[Louis D]

Hello i am sorry if i made mystake while i am writting . I am a french canadian. It difficult for me to place my ring finger on the fret. I send you this photo . Thank you Louis

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[petelanger]

Salut Louis! I lived in Quebec from 1961 until 1971, and then again from ’77 til about ’88. I’m an Austrian born, Canadian living in Florida.

From this photo, the one thing that I can advise is to place your fingers closer the frets. For example your #1 (index) could slide up a good centimeter or so. It’s easier to fret when you are closer, doesn’t require as much pressure. Also by sliding #1 down the others can move along and this may make it easier for your #3 (ring) to reach.

Peter

[Loraine]

thank you for the photo. I have family in Nova Scotia but they’re not French speaking but many times we were up in Montreal and Quebec and it was a lot of friends from my other guitar forums that live in Quebec..

From the picture, it appears that you might be muting the D string is that correct?? it appears that your finger is flattened more than curved and up and down and that’s the pad of your finger might be muting the string. Let me know if that’s what you’re experiencing.. if that is the case it’s not too difficult of a fix first. I would suggest that you move your wrist forward and it automatically curves your fingers more.. and if you simply take that ring finger and move it up a little away from the D string you shouldn’t have a problem. You don’t play that low string the top string there when you’re playing the sea chord. The route note of a sea string is the A, so you strum from the A down so you’re not hitting that top E at all so you can mute that string move your finger up and to where it’s not infringing on the D string.

You can type in French, and we can use a translator, and vice versa. I’m making a suggestion to TAC to consider making a translator available for non English speaking or where it is a secondary language. I’m sure you’re not the only person that could benefit from it. @VictoriaTACTeam @Tpolecastro

“

[the-old-coach]

Try this…… Remember that your fingers are NOT “individual(s)” when finding frets and building a chord on the fretboard…….

Think of it more-like your fingers have “neighbors”- (your other fingers)….. and there is a “location-relationship” between them as you are building a chord on the fretboard. I guess what I’m trying to say is that– once you land the index finger– you really only need to remember the relative-location BETWEEN the index and the middle finger, and then subsequently, BETWEEN the middle and the ring finger. Just remember where they are in relation to one another.

(In the case of an open C chord, once you land your index finger…. it’s “up one fret/up two strings”….. and then….. “up one more fret/ up one more string”).

I know this all sounds confusing, but I like to think of landing these individual notes as “one, then the next, then the next”, kind-of “in order”. NOT focusing on where each one is individually on the fretboard….. but rather focusing on the location relative to the finger you just landed.

Sorry if this all sounds confusing; I tried to explain it as clearly as I could. And it may not work for you. It’s more of a “how to think about it” thing. Hope my ramblings help.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  the-old-coach.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  the-old-coach.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  the-old-coach.

[Louis D]

Merci beaucoup pour vos conseils. Le plus difficile pour moi est que une fois que l index et le majeur sont déposés sur les frettes, j ai de la difficulté à éloigner l annulaire du majeur pour compléter l accord. Je manque de dextérité. Si vous avez des conseils à me donner , trucs ,je suis preneur . Je bloque sur cette accord depuis trop longtemps.Merci beaucoup P.S. J écris en français pour bien exprimer mon problème bye Louis

[Loraine]

Louis, Thank you for that information. I think that when we first begin playing, we realize our fingers often don’t work like we want them to. Several share tendons, To teach your fingers to move individually, Try moving up the neck a few frets.

Just using the high E, start with your index finger and then your middle finger. Keep your index down on the same fret for this, and place your middle finger on the fret next to it, then lift it (keep your index down) and move the middle finger to the next fret, then lift it straight up and move it over to the next fret, and continue as far as you can. Don’t stretch to the point of injury, but challenge yourself. Next, move on and do the same exact thing with your ring finger. Again, leave the index down. Lift straight up, move the finger over to the next fret and place it down. Continue with the pinky.

Next, keep your middle finger down. Do the same as you did before. The only difference will be the index will go the opposite direction that the other fingers.

Next keep the ring finger down, and lastly the pinky.

This will stretch your fingers and will also teach digit/finger independence. You’ll have to keep doing it for a while, but it will help with your issue. As you’re able to do this further, then none back up the neck a few frets and start again.