Trouble with simple C

Hey, I just started playing the first of the year so I am a brand newbie. 1 I am having touching the G and E strings when trying only to press on the B string. I was wondering if there are some excercises I can do to help me ge over that or if it will just come in time?

2 My fingers also hurt (of course) so occaisionally I will take a day off to let them heal a little. I believe I can feel the calouses beginning to form but not sure yet. Any thoughts?

Hi and welcome,

have a look at this short vid, hopefully you will get something out of it that will help.

Good luck with your studies

Trouble with C

Originally Posted by: comrider1

Hey, I just started playing the first of the year so I am a brand newbie. 1 I am having touching the G and E strings when trying only to press on the B string. I was wondering if there are some excercises I can do to help me ge over that or if it will just come in time?

2 My fingers also hurt (of course) so occaisionally I will take a day off to let them heal a little. I believe I can feel the calouses beginning to form but not sure yet. Any thoughts?

Will has a good video on that.

I'll add that in the decades of playing guitar, I still hate playing the open C. To me, it's a very awkward chord. I mention this so that you don't beat yourself up too much. Even people who can play most things they would like (and I can do that), still don't like that chord.

Just to note that it also matters with regard to hand size. The C chord is the opposite of what is easy for your hand to do and if you don't have hands a little on the longer side, it's not exactly the most comfortable chord. I have average sized hands and never feel like when I play that chord, that it's my best. It ain't. You wouldn't know the difference and think, 'well he's doing it just fine'. I am. Just not naturally.

So take that for what it's worth.

Work at it and don't be too hard on yourself. It's a weird chord.

Thanks William MG for the advice on where my elbow is. I will try a few different positions and see how it goes.

Also thanks to Jeff. I am glad to hear this is one of the harder chords to get so I can get it out of the way and go on to something al little easier. I will not to get discouraged about it. It's just one part of the process.

Thanks again.

You're welcome. Good luck with it.