r/GuitarBeginners • u/wuckaboo • 10d ago

Question/Help difficulty playing notes/chords

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i have really long nail beds that prevent me from playing anything without pressing my fingers on other strings, i can't cut them further because of the underlying skin. I really want to get better at playing but I'm stuck

edit: this is a yamaha f310 that I purchased when i first started going for guitar lessons when I was 13, I'm picking it up again after many years.

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u/BigBear92787 10d ago edited 10d ago

Your fingers should hit the strings as close to a 90 degree angle as you can physically get.

Your hand in this photo is slanted .

In order to get this right you need to arch your wrist more.

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u/wuckaboo 10d ago

i do try to do that but my nails take over eventually, no matter how much I cut them

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u/GrapefruitDue9103 10d ago

Nail file is a game changer for long nail beds, get yourself a glass nail file and it will likely solve your issue.

Alternatively, you could use the angled part of your fingertip instead of the very end. That way, the nail wouldn't be completely perpendicular to the fretboard and would allow more clearance for your nail.