STILL STRUGGLING? How To Play a C Chord-BEGINNERS- Lesson 3 

Hi Sheila, well, I have stopped being surprised with you... I think you are amazing. For anyone that's reading this comment- Sheila works at it and doesn't take "no can do" for an answer. And she is absolutely correct about the short practicing time. It's a matter of getting your hands to remember how to do it instead of taxing your brain.. Lots of little breaks makes it set in. Don't ask me why that works but it just does.

Hi Diane, great to her from you and so glad to hear that this helped!! The body positioning has a lot to do with being able to play this chord at first. As time goes on you will notice that you can ease up on some of the rules, and you hand will automatically go there. I'm not sure why these set of lessons for the C chord was is not rating higher in the ratings but I'm so glad you found it!! I have a lot of fingerpicking for beginners lessons on this channel. Here's what I've done so far: ru-vid.com/show-UCzW9550lVYzynQiytup5Slgplaylists All the best! bob

Great it may help. I am having a hard time. My teacher gary is very good and patient. Six classes a long way to go. Back to my yamaha fg800. 800 lessons to go. Thank you.

I still have issues with this one. My fat fingers is still an issue. I'm putting my fingers on a diet. And I'm going to make them lose weight with a lot of determination and exercise. 😆

Hey DiamondMiner, in a way it's good to hear that you do have the strength in the fingers but yes, having the proper technique and pressing only as hard as needed is going to keep the note in tune as well, as pressing too hard will also push it sharp and out of tune. Glad to hear you got this!!! Happy pickin' and thanks DM- I'm here if you need any help! bob

Hi my friend Ruth! Glad to be helping you learn guitar and happy that you are progressing. I don't know what you're currently working on but if you go to the Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons main page, it will show what's going on there. Thanks again and let me know if you need any help.. Always good to hear from you though! bob here's the link to the main page: ru-vid.com/show-UCzW9550lVYzynQiytup5Slg

Hey John, thank you for subscribing and taking the lessons. So no bragging about how young you are ... I'm right behind you. But hats off to you... never too late and we're going slow here that will actually speed up the process- no time to waste!! Thanks John, keep me posted with your progress and write me anytime!! bob

sweet im 64, glad to see , there are two of us seasoned folks

I have you all beat - I am 77 and just started lessons. Blame Bohemian Rhapsody!!

Beat the lot of ya. I’m 85 lol

Meththananda Upali- thank you for the kind words and glad the lessons are helping. Hope you have a great weekend- happy pickin'! bob

Hi Fleur,, thank you for taking this series here and very happy to hear that it helped so much! Yes, this chord is tough for beginners as most everything has to be correct with the form. But by being able to play this chord, others are going to be much easier. Thanks again and if you like fingerstyle guitar and want to learn, my channel is for beginner fingerstyle.. Happy 2021-- wishing you a great year on guitar! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Thank you very much! Definitely visiting your other lessons. It makes such a difference in my progress. Kind regards and best wishes for you too!

Thank you@@MsFleur1981 - will see you over at the other lessons. If you ever need help, just let me know!! bob

Hey Piper., Great to hear from you! And very exciting about your Dad getting married... well, in an of it self that's great news but a guitar motivator is what I'm talking about! Love the Nora Jones stuff, and I don't remember if that was her first album, but that first one made a lot of waves. I think most of those tracks were recorded live as well in the studio. So check out the channel, bunch of things to get you started. This is all fingerpicking and there is strumming that you can learn with your right hand too so I hope you will check out some other channels to learn that as well. Just let me know if you need any help. Just do a little each day and by Sept, you should be doing really well... . Recommend you type in "Fingerpicking For Beginners" if you want to learn fingerstyle guitar. First video you will see is my 12 lesson course. Thanks again, and keep me posted!! congrats to your Dad! bob

Thanks so much for all the info! It WAS her first album! We were obsessed with it. I'll keep trying.

Just have fun and take your time- no hurry!

Hey Paul, thanks for the great comment and telling me about your pinky finger C chord- wow... Of course I'm sorry about the issue in the first place but admire you for the great workaround and not giving up. I never seen someone do this until recently and wondered why she was doing it like that... probably some sort of hand issue as well. It's funny because most people don't want to use the pinky for anything. With the fingerpicking, the open notes with a capo always will sound better (or at least different than barre chords). I'm really into capo use as it solves most any chord problems. Keep having fun... and thanks Paul again!! bob.

Hey Ken, great to hear from you and glad that you are playing guitar! The first couple months of guitar is difficult to get your fingers coordinated... And for this chord, everything has to be correct in order to make the stretch. I have another video that I put out after this one that I think will help a lot: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html . All has to do with body positioning.. See if this helps and let me know! bob

Hey +Brenda Kopecky ... it does seem about 50 50 with students but whatever works I say! You are so right, the calluses do help!! thanks again... bob

Hi +Margriet Balazs -wow... ! lots of thanks for this, and glad to have you here!

Hey Joseph, thanks for taking the lessons here and that darn C chord is not easy, so I'm so glad to hear that these lessons helped. I have another video that is also helpful ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html This will help the C chord too (any chord as well). Thanks and happy pickin' !! bob

Hi Sheila, seems like ever since you met Endora, things really started to change for you. This chord is in my opinion the 2nd toughest of all the standard chords so, I'm really happy that you can do it (you are amazing).

Yes, getting Endora has really benefited me. God blessed me with this guitar and with your lessons. To him I give my humble thanks and to you for your generous endeavors to help us learn.

@@sheilaf5732 It's a great team effort!!! Glad you are having so much fun!!!!!!!

Hi leftieANC, sounds like you are doing great with the lessons! Yes, unfortunately the sore fingers but if you just do a little each day, it won't hurt as bad. All the best and happy (painless) pickin' !! bob

Hey Trev, there were a few people in the group that did the same thing you did (long layoff) and went back to the basics. They all noticed amazing improvement since the first time - one now is able to do much of the intermediate stuff on the channel where before he was barely able to do the beginner stuff. I think your hands and the muscle memory are a big help this time.

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Good to hear that, concentrating on the arching, stretching and timing, early days yet though. Thanks again Bob, appreciated as always.

@@bgtrev sounds good- you'll get there!!!

Hi Ariana, thanks for taking the lessons and letting me know that this helped. Hope you will take some of the other courses here (all about learning fingerpicking, (for beginners). Thanks again- bob

Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons I definitely will!! Trying to do one at least every night!!

wow, that is great. You are definitely on your way- good going!! bob

Hi Tabitha, great going with the chords!!! Hoping this helps a lot!! happy 2021 on your guitar!! bob

Hi Divya, thank you for taking the lessons and so happy that it all helped! Yes, tough chord and almost no way to avoid it in music. This chord is easiest played with good body positioning which will tilt up the neck and get your fingers arched correctly. The more you tilt the neck the easier it is to play this chord and the less stretching. I have another video that I made after this one that might help too. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html ... One thing I didn't mention was- a guitar strap is very helpful too. Thanks again and if you need any help just let me know!! bob

Hi Scribble! C is one of the worst but if you just play it a little each day, soon enough it will become easier. Glad the C chord lessons helped!!!! Hopefully you will be able to play your song soon!!! Happy pickin' !! bob

Thank you Trev, sometimes I do this stuff and don't know if it's going to help. My only interest is getting you to play and when that happens, it's a pleasure for me!! Talk soon... thanks my friend..

Hey Gerald, this is great news and thank you for letting me know. Here's another video that will help with that C chord )or any chord) (I made this after these lessons) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html . Have a happy guitar day and thanks again!! bob

Hey Roger, glad you are working on this stuff so diligently. And as you have seen, I'm connecting all this stuff together.,.. trying to push just a little at a time... thanks again my friend!!

Hi Jess! So glad the videos helped! The C chord is not easy but the more you do it, the easier it will get. God bless you too and have a great day!! bob

Hi Carl, I'm glad you found my channel! that C chord is in my opinion one of the most difficult when starting out but hopefully the lessons here helped! Wishing you a great guitar week and if you need any help, just let me know! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Thankyou for replying bob 👍.I have checked out several guitar lessons on here and for me your the govenor 😉.At 60 I long to play a'few tunes, Elvis ballads and Roy orbison I know I have a long way to go.I am picking up chords thanks to you but I gotta say with short fingers do you think I can get the f7, fmin , and B chords... not a chance.Is there a way of compensating for them please.Theres no immediate rush because I shall be busy following you as it is.And again thankyou for the patience and work you have put into each lesson I have studied.kind regards.

Hey @@carlgoodrum2775, just to give you a little inspiration.. there's chord positions that I have trouble with from an injury back in 1989, but the good news about the guitar is there's always a work around, especially with fingerpicking since we don't have to many times (or most of the time) fret notes we do not choose to pick. Even with strumming there's work arounds as well. The key is (like you are doing) is to ramp up one step at a time and make sure you can make music with the easy for you one's first. I know once you get something down a little bit the temptation to dive into another song, but in truth you are better off really being able to play what you know in your sleep (with short fingers I might ad).. Speaking of which, one of the greatest guitarists that I have ever met had very short fingers but made everyone else around him seem like they played in slow motion! If you haven't done so already, please sign up for my totally free VIP group (if you want to learn fingerpicking). You can simply e mail me at acousticguitarvideos@gmail.com as well, and I can send you all the study guides.. We slowly start to work and develop chord forms but are 100% making music even with the simplicity. And you don't have to play complex things to sound professional.. Alright.. sorry for the long message but I'm happy to help. Thanks again for taking the lessons with me!!

Hey David, I'm glad the lessons are helping. This is a tough chord for almost anyone! Wishing you a great guitar year 2022!! bob

hey David, thanks for taking the lesson here and glad to hear that this is helping. Getting the coordination down is not easy. Best advice is to go slow and not try to learn everything in one shot. Also playing a little every day helps with getting into the flow. All the best and let me know how it goes any time.. bob!!

Hey Music Room, great to hear from you and glad you are still pickin' away. It takes more than a while to get some chords- I remember how upset I was that my friend was able to play a Barre Chord before me (man, did I practice to keep pace with him). Yes, Sheila pretty much followed my advice of just playing for 10-15 minute intervals instead of a strait shot of 30 minutes or more. This gives your hands the chance to remember what to do so, 10- 15 minutes- guitar down but then you can pick it back up again (just take a break). Please let me know how that works for you.. bob

Hey Bob, Well , it's been a month that I've been practicing forming the C chord with the 10-15 minute intervals. It's working for me!! I can now get my ring finger almost to the 3rd fret wire. Most times I end up between halfway to 3/4 there, but before I could barely get my ring finger to the 5th string. Lately I've been doing an exercise where I do an Am chord, pick thru it , then go for the C chord and pick thru that. Just gonna keep working on it ! Thanks for your encouragement Jerry

Hey Jerry@@JustSayin53 - you are doing it all right- it's just a matter of effort and time and as long as it keeps getting better, just wait till how it will be in about 6 months from now. At some point you'll think "what was all the fuss about"... ha ha.. Of course, I wouldn't say this if you weren't putting the time in. Regarding guitar in general... I don't know how old you are but I'm finding it more difficult to get warmed up these days. When I pick up the guitar cold, my hands and fingers are stiff and it takes me about 30 minutes to warm up. Lately instead of just watching tv, I'll play my guitar and watch (just mindless playing). This helps a lot and is fun. I don't have arthritis or anything so it must be just getting old... All the best Jerry- wishing you a happy guitar week! bob

Hey kemokw, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad this helped!! Hoping all the best for you on the guitar!! bob

Hey Jerry, very happy that you got it- way to go!!! This chord is a tough one!! Have a great weekend and thanks for taking the lesson here and if you like fingerpicking guitar, this is the channel for beginners. bob

Hey Doy, thank you for taking the lessons and I'm glad to hear that it's helping!! Yes to spring chicken!! ha ha... have a feeling you will do well !! bob

Hey Larry, glad this series helped!! Sending happy pickin' to Pittsburgh!! bob

Hi +Jennifer Rothwell , thank you for this, it's always great to find out about people's musical journeys and such.. and yes, piano is a big time help, especially since the chords and notes are all in perfect order and don't re- occur like the guitar! So, great question and the MAIN problem with this chord because of that stretch. The real key with this chord is the proper technique, thumb in correct place, neck tilted upwards, fingers arched etc... Here's a hint .. . Instead of just stretching that one finger, stretch the middle and ring.. This way, you're not stretching just one finger!! Make sure your index first finger is right up on the fret, and same with your middle finger. Relax., relax, don't force it. The mirror idea is very good! Anything that helps. Please let me know how you are doing with this. I will keep trying to help, and maybe even make another video if I have to. Thanks Jennifer!! bob

Hi Amber, really happy the C chord lessons helped!! As you keep playing it over time, it will get easier! Happy guitar!!! bob

Hi Pawel W, Really happy that you took these lessons and paid attention to all the little details. I wish everyone would do the same but you know, most people only have a minute or so to watch. My lessons suffer in the ratings for having all the details as I see others too that go "1 2 3 the end" and they have so many views. I'm just not ever going to go that route. Many thanks again and if you ever need help with anything guitar related, please let me know. Happy C chord and thanks again!! bob

Thank you Darrell, happy to have you here. !! bob

So hard to get my fat fingers to not encroach on neighboring strings. Ugh. This is harder than the F chord.

Hey Darrell, you are not alone with this issue. Technique is so important with getting your fingers to not touch other strings. Here's a video that may help solve some or all of this problem - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html Also too, a few pickers I know have a wider guitar neck on their guitar, as one size does not fit all. If you have a narrow guitar neck, it makes it all the more difficult to play clean. Try first to see if any of the techniques are helping first.... bob

Hi Tabitha, very happy that the lessons helped and you can play this chord (with no cramps!!) I glad you are relaxing through it !! Happy guitar 2021 - bob

Hi Andi, thanks for watching and glad it helped!! All the best! bob

Do you have one like this for G chord? I have a hard time with that too. Just starting and my fingers don't want to do it.

Hi Andi, I do teach how to do a simple G that is a part of my beginner fingerpicking series if you want to check that out. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z7xm_juNcPY.html but I think it is the 6th or 7th video in the series. Worth watching and trying the whole thing though! Thanks again- bob!

Hey Anthony, the C is a killer for most beginners. Just keep doing it frequently and it will get easier for certain. All the best!! bob

YOu are welcome Gloria, great to have you here!!

Hi Mrs. Hollerbred!! Great to hear from you and thank you for the kind words! I'm hoping this helped with getting you to play the C chord which is always a challenge.. Happy to help!!!!! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Yw, it's TRUE. U deserve them. And yes, I've been playing over a year & STILL struggle with the basic of things. That C chord is rough! Thanks again. Keep em coming:) stay safe & God bless!

Yeah!!! hope you have many years of fun and playing!!! bob

Hi Sangeeta, sounds like you have a great history with music!! That is such a good thing! Those are memories worth keeping... Happy music and joy with it all and thanks for commenting here and taking the lessons!!! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Respected sir very good morning n thanx a lot 🙏🌸🌿 Your channel is really superb, all the best again 👍🙏🌸🌿

Hi Estelle, this is the killer as far as I'm concerned, but if you just keep doing it every day it will happen. The problem with this chord is, if there's one technique thing out of place, it could cause problems with not having a clear chord. Arching your fingers.... keep the guitar neck tilted up and your thumb in the right place on the neck. Not arching your fingers is what's causing the problem. I know it's a tough stretch but take things in sections... Hope some of this helps? Please keep me posted with your progress and thanks again!!! bob

A week of doing Sweet Home Alabama and very slow, but the C sounding better 80% of the time, I'm working on 100% many thanks and I'm arching those fingers and building some muscle and some calous lol

Hi Estelle, the change fro D to C is difficult because all your fingers have to change. So if you got this down 80% so far, that's very very good!! The arching of course is key but it's always nice to have some callouses (and strong hands too)!! Keep up the good work!! bob

Hi Zico, thank you for taking the lessons here and hope this will help you with the C chord!! All the best and happy pickin' !! bob

Hi Inday!! Thank you for taking the lessons and sooo glad they helped!!!! bob!

Hi Amber, thanks for the comment and great that you are learning the chords. The C# chord finger position is not the same as this one!! Let me see if I can explain.. You would think that just moving up 1 fret from the C chord, we would have a C# CHORD, but that is not the case. The OPEN NOTES would also have to slide up one fret. C#chords are the most difficult because we can't use any open strings as part of the chord. A quick C# chord would be sliding a standard D chord down 1 fret, but making sure you only strum or pluck the 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings. Not a very full sound since none of the bass notes can be used. Another easier way to play this chord is press with your ring finger across strings 4,3 and 2 .. six frets up,,,, but again, not plucking any of the other strings. Really to get the full sound of a C# chord, you have to be able to play a BARRE chord, and this is not so easy. But let's put this into context.... and this is very important.... If this chord is a PASSING CHORD in a song (meaning it's occasional and not played frequently), and most of the chords in the song are the regular standard chords then you could get away with one of the easy chords I mentioned. But if the song has mostly # (sharp) chords, a capo can be used which is very much what I do.. So if the song started out with a C# chord, put the capo across fret 1, and play the standard C Chord. (now the chord is a C# in reality!). I should do a video on using the Capo? Let me know if any of this helps...!! By the way, for fingerpicking you most definitely need to use a capo, as open strings are so very important,,,

+Bob Harris Yes very helpful! You are very thorough! I really appreciate you for taking the time out!

My pleasure and I'm glad this helps!!! Hope you are having some fun!!! bob

Hi Nikita, glad this video helped!!! Hope you will check out more courses on this channel (fingerpicking for beginners). All the best!! bob

So glad this helped!!!

Hi Rahul, thank you so much for the kind words and yes, the F chord is on my list of new lessons to do. I know you are probably trying to learn the F chord now so, here's another video that may help...ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html it all has to do with body positioning and being able to get your hand in the right place to be able to have the right angle to play chords. hope this helps but I'm still going to do the F chord lesson!! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons thankyou very much sir.

@@RahulKumar-jv5st Thank you Rahul, glad you are learning guitar! bob!!!

Man Roger, crazy stuff with that tuner. 40 years ago you just got a tuning fork!!!

Hello WIM, great to hear from you and thank you for taking the lessons here. Let me see if I can help with your question.. I don't know if you got a chance to see any of my other lessons here on this channel, but it's all about learning beginner fingerstyle guitar which is very different than strumming. With fingerstyle you don't have to learn the standard chords in order to play songs. This is because with fingerpicking, we don't have to pick all the strings or form full chords (even one fingered chords are possible). This is just not possible with strumming as you are strumming through most all the strings and need those full chord positions. So to answer your question directly, chords go hand and hand with strumming and are not separate entities- they go together. For this strumming style the most important chords to learn are G, C, D, Am, Em, A, E and F and this is a good idea to learn these chords even if you want to play fingerstyle. Here's my advice- learn songs you want to play, but start from where you are at right now. I hope this helps... Also, you can tell me what chords you know already and I can probably give you a few progressions to work on. Have a great weekend and thanks again WIM, wishing you the best! bob

Hey Bruce, nice news for me to here! Thanks for letting me know!! All the best- bob

Hoping this helps!!! Have a great weekend! bob

Hi LoweMay, yea, this is a tough one. Recommend you practice a little every day, trying to use it in a song and it will get easier. Glad you are here and have a great weekend! bob

Hey Terry from Loverpool, great to hear from you and thank you for taking the lessons here. After I did this series I made another video that has to do with body positioning that I think will really help with the stretch- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html . Hopefully the C chord is not going to be so bad anymore... happy pickin' and thanks again! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons has they say in Liverpool sound mate 😁 as soon as I get home I'm going to take your advice 🍻

@@sockrobber7279 Hey Terry, sounds good! Let me know if you need more help- I will do my best.. bob

Thanks Ahmed- glad to have you here and happy the lesson helped!

Hi bg 1999, sorry that you are having some issues. so did you watch the first and second video in this series? Important cause it covers that stuff in great detail!! Thanks- bob

Hi again Leo, the step stool for the left leg is to keep the guitar neck tilted. You got a good teacher so I would listen to him/her on this one. Also, it might be that your hands have too much tension... important to relax and only press as hard as necessary. Many of the beginners have a tenancy to press so hard, like they are hanging on a cliff. Try forming the chord in the correct position (fingers in right place but not pressing down on the strings). Slowly increase the pressure but remain relaxed- (not so easy). Since you have a guitar instructor (awesome!!!) ask him/her if your guitar setup is okay. Also, might want to change to a set of extra light gauge strings which is much easier to press. I would confer with your instructor as they are right there to see what you are in need of... bob

Thanks! +ylcn77ylcn - good luck with these lessons!

I'm trying my best! Want everyone here to really learn guitar!

Hi Hector, thank you for taking the lessons here and yes, the C chord is a tough one at first. I would like you to watch another video that I think will help too: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0eNtyn783cc.html Getting your guitar neck tilted higher will help with the reach and the stretching. I'm not certain that it has anything to do with being flexible because I am not very flexible. Let me know if any of this helps (I hope so!). bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Bob thank you so much for your reply i will continue follow your very detailed way of teaching is what i have looking for I'm a senior that has lots of tine on my hands and will continue ti follow you much success to you Bob

Thank you@@hectorblanco6781 , and I think it's great that you can devote the time to the guitar. This is how you will get good at it!! Happy guitar and I'm around if you need help!

Hi Tabitha, way to go- this is great news! Please e mail me at acousticguitarvideos@gmail.com and I'll send you some of the courses and songs to work on with these chords. bob!

Thanks Bob, I thought this would be helpful too.

Hi Fatima, glad you like the lesson, and yes, on the left hand the long fingernails don't help (but the right hand if you are fingerpicking they do.). If you have any problems here's another video that may be of help...ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html all the best and happy pickin' !! bob

Hi Raiyan, adding the index is the tough part because you have to stretch this finger. Perhaps this video could help...ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html ... I hope this helps a little, let me know.

Hey again Jack, thanks for commenting here and I'm glad to help. I hope to get back into it all as I've had quite a layoff here since January. But I will be back soon as I'm working on a new course. Hope you will complete the Fingerpicking For Beginners series and see you on the follow up course which I will send you. Here is the playlist for all the videos in this series- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Z7xm_juNcPY.html

Hi +likith varma - great to have you here and from your comment I'm guessing that these lessons helped! Thanks and please check out the channel for more lessons (especially if you want to learn fingerpicking!). all the best to you - ! bob

Hi +Roque Fernandes , thanks for writing in and happy to hear that you are practicing with the lessons here. I don't know if you already checked, but there are a lot of guitar lessons teaching this song on RU-vid. Click on this link here - www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20to%20love%20-%20by%20lil%20wayne%20guitar%20lesson ... See if any of this helps.. It might not be lessons for beginners but I don't know. Get back to me and let me know! Thanks!!!

Hey Larry, great to hear from you and that's a great question. So even though we are not pressing down on a note, we are still playing (strumming, or plucking) the open G note (3rd string). So combined with two C's and two E's in this final position, we have the standard C major chord. I hope that makes sense... Just holler back if it doesn't!!! Merry Christmas.. bob

Thanks so much. I missed that. Have a blessed Christmas season.

Hey Richard, thanks for taking the lesson here and let me see if I can help a little. Try playing the C chord with just two fingers at first -2nd middle finger, 2 frets up on the 4th string, 3rd ring finger 3 frets up on the 5th string) The finger that does all the stretching is your index finger. So I would concentrate on getting fingers 2 and 3 firmly in place first then stretch the index finger on the 2nd string 1 fret up. Here's a video that may help. Let me know okay? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html bob

hello Diogo, thanks for taking the lessons here but I am sorry about the finger trouble. Let me see if I can help a little. So to start with, it can be many factors causing this problem, and my best guess would be a combination of a few things.1 would be proper body position. Here's a video which I think can help with that: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html . This might just totally solve the problem. Here's a question for you... If you just press index first finger on string 2 first fret, and middle finger on string 4 two frets up, are you still having that problem? Reason I ask is that it could be that your 3rd finger is causing the index finger to go out of position due to stretching this way (which is awkward for most all beginners). To solve that problem, try forming the two fingers (second and third fingers of the C chord (second middle finger 2 frets up on 4th string, 3rd ring finger 3 frets up 5th string). just play that chord for now and get used to it (leaving off the index finger. This is an actual chord called a C Maj7th.. Then and only when you can do the C Maj7th chord in your sleep, try to stretch the index 1st finger to the first fret, second string. The index finger is the finger you want to stretch, not the other two. Another good practice is to form that C Maj7th chord and move your index finger towards where it is supposed to go, or just move it around independently from the other two fingers. You want that finger to be mobile if that makes any sense? The video that I recommend will really help too if you are in the proper position, it makes forming the chord a LOT easier. Please let me know if this helps, try to be patient and just do a little each day rather than once a week and you will be able to do this, I am POSITIVE you can!!! Relaxation is important too and not trying to press down so hard helps.. Another question... do you have extra light gauge strings on your guitar (if you are playing a steel string?) This will make pressing down so much easier! All the best Diogo, I hope some of this will help- I am pulling for you..! bob

@@AcousticGuitarVideosLessons Hey Bob, tx for answering !!!! 1st, No, when I only put those 2 fingers, it works pretty ok, I don't have a problem at all After I made the comment, I've noticed that, when I did the chord the other way around, like, starting with the ring finger, then the middle finger, that makes the chord a little bit easier than before And BTW, I said it wrong, when I said '' when I put the middle finger on the 5th string, my index finger starts moving '', I meant to say the ring finger, but u probably got that, when I said '' 5th string '' 2nd, Yes, I do have !!!! And thanks for the exercises u recommend it, I will try to improve day by day and that video, I watched after the comment ! I'm practicing every single day, not once a week, so dont worry bout that .

Hi Diogo, this is great. Thank you... Feel you will have no issues soon with that finger- thanks for explaining it to me!! Keep me posted okay? all the best! bob

Hey Leo, great to hear from you and let me see if I can help. So the calluses on the fingers helps a great deal, and makes it so it's not only easier to press down from developing some more finger mass, but becomes painless for the most part. Very important to use all the techniques I am describing which includes playing on the finger tips, arching your fingers, thumb in the correct position, neck tilted upward, body posture and anything else in the vid I mentioned. It could be just one thing that you are doing that is making it so you still have trouble with this chord. But keep in mind, this is the most difficult standard chord for beginners so, my advice is to not beat yourself up... just go at it a little each day and continue to play easier stuff. Eventually or perhaps even sooner, it will just happen and you will say to yourself... I can't believe what all the fuss was." Hope this helps!! bob

Hey Rick, great to hear from you and thank you for taking the lesson! So I want to tell you something that I did for a while that helped. Of course I will start out with the playing guitar is the best thing to loosen up your fingers. Especially since these are the exact movements we need our muscles to get used to . Here's #2 and this is so simple... Take a rubber band and put it around your fingers and stretch your fingers. You can isolate or use all 4 fingers. The band acts as resistance and is a physical therapy treatment I have some training in, and used for people for finger strengthening.. After time you want to increase some of the tension. But don't just do this for 6 months, cause all you'll be able to do is play the rubber band- ha ha... Hope this helps!! bob

yes it will help ,thanks and funny too , and how hard should one press on string , hard enough for the string to touch the bottom of the fret board ?

Good question... So in theory, the finger needs to be used to make the string have contact with the fret and not your finger pressing on your fretboard so to speak. The closer to the fret with your finger, the less you have to press. Now couple things you can do to make it easier. If you are playing an acoustic, start out with "extra light" gauge strings which are less taxing on your finger tips, and overall easier to play. The downfall is they don't have as good tone but, once your fingers develop the strength, you can switch to a standard light gauge string which has very good tone. Also if you are having an unusually difficult time pressing down a note, you might also want to have someone take a look at your guitar, which can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. Typically a cheaper guitar will come with all the issues such as high action which means the strings are farther away from the fretboard. You can keep me posted....! bob

Hey Danyar, sorry to hear that you are buzzing!!! So, here's the checklist... Guitar neck angled upwards, rest the guitar on the left leg instead of the right, Thumb in the correct position, fingers arched, play on the tips of your fingers, and press hard enough to make a clear note, no more, and no less. Also, is it all the strings that are buzzing or just one or two? Also, have you tried putting a set of lighter gauge strings on your guitar? Extra lights are a lot easier to press and won't buzz since the tension is not as much... I hope one of these things or something here will help!!!!! bob!!

Hey Baris, not sure what you are talking about but will try to help if you expound on what it is you mean... Thanks- hope I can help! bob

I mean C D G E etc... Where those names comes from? Why C? Is there any background for this naming convention?

Hey Baris, wow, you are heavy duty and a deep thinker! So much more than I am. In fact, I got kicked out of my music school when I was 12 years old for "musically cheating" as the fire and brimstone instructor yelled out. I was listening instead of following the written notes which was unexplainable as far as she was concerned. So you will have to excuse me for not understanding why a C chord is called a C, other than understanding that the tempered scale which was invented,, is one of many that forms of note structures that humans can rationalize. Follow me, there is a lot more than just this. The Chinese and Indian cultures have more notes in their scales, as western culture only consist of 12 notes. From what I know, the tempered scale is an imperfect balance of notes values being as "in tune" as possible for all the notes ... a balance so to speak with all notes rather than some of the notes being perfectly in tune while leaving others out of tune. If that makes any sense, the tuning or lack there of creates a "whole" for the entirety of this 12 note scale and there is where each note and chord is formed. A Bb, B, C,C# D, EbE, F,F# G and Ab is all that there is in this12 system, with sharps and flats depending on what key you are in but always 12 notes. Learning all this is a lifelong venture. I admit to ignoring and just trying to play guitar. But it's fun to know...My focus has always been just to make some music. that is my best advice (from a musically cheating person from long ago,)

Bob I dont know anything about music. I am an engineer and it is strange for me why they aren't in an order like a-b-c-d-e-f. Since i am a programmer I think i want to write an algorithm in my mind :D It is not important, i just wondered...

Hey Baris, rules and regulations have eluded me but the thing with music is, starting points all depends on what key a song is in and what chords work with each other. Look up "circle of 5ths" on youtube.. That might give you a better understanding as to how it works and what algorithm is being used. It's all very logical..

😀🎸!!!

Hi Alisa, thank you for taking the C chord lessons here but I'm sorry to hear about the second string "mute" issue. Before I start guessing what you are doing wrong, please check out this video and see if this problem is corrected: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0eNtyn783cc.html . My guess is your hand position is not correct.. Here's a couple questions for you... When you are just pressing string 2 (first fret) by itself, is it muted? If the answer is no and the note is clear, at what point does it start to mute (in other words, adding middle finger on string 4 two frets up, or by trying to play the entire C chord with all three fingers? So let me know if the video helps and if not, we take it from there... NO Worries, we will solve this problem! bob

Hi Amazing thangz, thank you for taking the lesson here and sounds like you can play a C chord- congrats!! So any tuner will only properly register when you pluck a single note. If you play a C chord and strum all the way through, there's no telling what individual note it will pick from the 5 choices you gave it. I hope this helps, as the tuner is just for individual notes, not chords. Wishing you happy guitar 2021 and beyond! bob

Hi Adrian, great to hear from you and good question. So if you are fingerpicking that is no problem (this channel is all about Fingerpicking For Beginners, check it out if you want to learn fingerstyle). But strumming is a different story. What you have to do is start your strum on the 5th string, and this takes practice and coordination with your right hand (and pick if that's how you are playing). I recommend a simple "Boom Chick" exercise which is really a very popular pattern used in most music. Simply pick the 5th string by itself (a down stroke), then with another down stroke strum the guitar, but you don't have to start the strum on the 5th string, starting the strum with the 4th string is fine. It's all just a matter of coordination. I hope this helps, let me know. Hope you will check out the fingerpicking here too!! bob

thank you very much for that I will do as you say. I do think your tutorials are one of the most helpful on RU-vid Thanks again. Ade

Hi Adrian, thank you for the kind words and I'm rooting for you on guitar!!! Please keep me posted with your progress and don't hesitate to comment again if you run into a snag. I wish I could be in the same room with everybody (hey, maybe someday) but the video lessons seems to help a lot of people... I love to do them and will get back soon to make more! All the best- bob

Hi I am getting there with the C chord, so thank you for that. This question may sound stupid but what is the best way to learn how to noodle on the guitar. What I mean by that is just pick up the acoustic and not play a specific tune to a song but how to play something that just sounds good. Thanks

Hey Adrian, the best way to noodle is to take what you know and change things up... improvise, put chords in different order, play a scale but play the notes in a different order. Most people are limited to only being able to play what they learned but some people can expound on it without further study. But the best noodling is going to come when you know the guitar neck better and the chords. So I think you are on the right track by learning. Just take some time afterwards and "mix things up." That is my best advice and I hope this helps! bob

Hey +chris quinn , big thanks for being here and commenting. Let's see if I can explain this okay and give your ear a quick test. This chord is named a C chord because of its "root" note which is the C (3 frets up 5th string). Most chords are named from their root note which is most often the bass note of the chord. Now if we take that away (which is what I did show), the chord suddenly turns into an Am7 chord (which is another common chord as well). Now here's the test for your ears.... Play the full C Chord and decide for yourself if that is a "happy sound" or more of a sad sound. Do the same thing for the 2 fingered Am7 chord. Make sure to strum starting with the 5th string. Let's see if you can notice the difference when I explain it that way? Thanks- look forward to hearing back from you!

Hey Billy, good to hear from you but I'm sorry about the pain you are having with your thumb. Important to tilt your guitar neck upward instead of parallel to the ground. One way of solving this problem is to make sure you are resting the guitar on your left leg. Also, try using a foot stool for your left leg. This will automatically tilt the guitar neck upward and make it so there is virtually no tension on your thumb. Try this and let me know if it helps.... bob

Hi Debbie, great to hear from you and yes, with little hands you can play this chords, and it all has to do with technique. Here's another video that I made after this series that is helpful too and will definitely help clear up the problem.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-PAjXnxy1w6s.html BTW, lots of people with big hands have the exact same problem with muting that 3rd string! Let me know if any of this helps... bob!!!

Hey +Cindy Marmo , great to hear from you and thank for being here! Yes, that also helps for sure and I probably should have said something about that! Hope everybody reads your comment! Thanks again! bob

Big thanks my friend... I wrote you back earlier. Your insights are amazing! Thank you and talk soon!! Happy New Year! bob

Young is correct- 70 is the new 50!!

Hey Dvsreed, good going and it doesn't matter how you get there! Best with your guitar!! bob

Hi Tabitha, yes, this chord is harder than D!!! Here's another video that should help a lot- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0eNtyn783cc.html If you are still having trouble, just let me know and I'll keep trying! bob