[BigMoge]

Hey Robert, I am new to TAC and was checking the forums because that’s what us newbies do, right? 😀 I have the same problem you described, pretty much because I spent a lifetime ignoring my left hand. Now that I want to use it, it like I have to start all over. Right now, the bane of my existence is the C chord. When I stretch my ring finger up to the A string, the others just kind of flatten out. What I discovered for myself is that, when I am having difficulty, I tend to angle the guitar back so I can see where my fingers are. I am also pushing way too hard ( This is probably the same for you because you mentioned your fingers hurt). Make sure your guitar is positioned correctly (I kinda work on faith a bit here myself) so it’s easier to arch my fingers and relax my hand. It’s way easier to say than to do but it has helped me to find a couple of the harder chord shapes. I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert, but I have noticed that when I start getting frustrated, I tend to push harder. I have to make a conscious effort to relax and it does help. Also, I notice the down strum sounds better than the up on these hard chords so I work on hand position for both up and down. It’s slow going but I’m taking up the guitar for my creative activity when I retire later this summer. Once I get all this work stuff out of my head, I should start seeing some real progress. Wishing you all the best in your journey.

[BigMoge]

Thanks Mike. Now that I’m settled into my retirement “villa” and am rehabbing my left wrist, I am confident that things will progress much faster. Your suggestions (especially regarding right hand discipline) are on point and will be included in my routine. Happy Holidays!