No one wants to be the person with a buzzing, sour note problem in front of an audience when playing chords. But maybe it has nothing to do with your skill level on guitar and everything about how you’re playing the chord!
If this is something that’s been plaguing your guitar playing for years now but still can’t seem to find any real solutions – I may have just found one. The answer might not lie within what chords are being played or where on the guitar neck they happen, rather than from who plays them- fingertips vs fingernails?
You see, this flaw is what typically causes the buzzing on the G and B strings — and is what keeps players feeling stuck, only able to use the less-full sounding power chords on guitar.
But when you fix this flaw, you get a full, 6-string sound (on a standard guitar of course) all up and down the fretboard.
So what is the “fingertip flaw” when playing guitar?
Well, it’s when you’re so used to playing individual notes with your fingertips…
That you try pushing down with the tip of your index finger even when making a bar chord.
Let me show you what I mean…
Here’s a picture of what the “fingertip flaw” looks like:
See how there’s little to no pressure on the higher strings (like the G and B strings)? Well that’s what causes the buzzing so many people experience on the guitar neck.
So how do you fix it?
Instead of pressing down with your fingertip…
Press down with your index finger knuckle.
Yep, you want to physically try and press your knuckle into the guitar strings. This stiffens out your finger and distributes the pressure evenly across the fretboard.
Here’s a picture to demonstrate:
See the difference now?
(Oh yeah, and while you’re at it… make sure you move your fingertip a little past where you’d have it while playing an individual note. Remember, the name of the game is keeping your finger flat. So use your finger’s pressure to hold the bottom E string down — NOT the fingertip. If that makes sense.)
If you make this change when playing bar chords, it doesn’t matter how small your fingers are. As long as you can actually reach across the fretboard, you’ll be able to keep enough pressure down
Try this easy bar chord trick the next time you strum some bar chords then come back here and let me know how it’s affected your playing.
If you want to learn how to Easily Play Rhythm Guitar then check out this article here
Learning to play lead guitar can be hard.
A lot of people want to play lead guitar but they get stuck because there are so many things you have to learn first before you can start playing. And even then, it’s still really hard!
We’ve simplified the process and made learning how to play lead guitar easy for anyone who wants to do it. You’ll be able to pick up your instrument and “play by feel” in no time at all without getting overwhelmed by scales, theory, and modes. This may sound too good to be true, but keep reading! Here The Guitar Theory Trap
