How to handle your index finger, when pressing down all fingers

[Znerken]

So I am exercising the correct way to press down a string. I do a basic exercise where I place down one and one finger, starting with the index. What I wonder is


1. When pressing down both the index and the pinky, the index finger really goes over to the "side", is that normal? I am not pressing with the front of the finger, but basically more to the side.

2. How do you handle not getting the strings below muted? I find that all strings under the index finger(towards the floor) gets muted when you need to have a wide reach (for example all the fingers placed on.

Here is a photo illustrating the problem:






Videos describing this are highly appreciated.



Of course, if you move the hand up on the neck, this problem almost dissapears. It is mostly related to fret 1-4



Photos I find on the internet which are supposed to illustrate good left hand technique always show up the neck, which doesn't really relate to my problem.




Also, the classical position probably helps a lot with this? As I play steel stringed fingerstyle, I have the guitar on the right knee.

[rick-slo]

Picture of the lady is playing way up the neck = less stretch = easier.
For you: don't tilt fretboard towards you and bend the first digit of the index finger more, and you do not need to come down perpendicular especially when the next string over is fretted on a higher fret.

[Znerken]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Picture of the lady is playing way up the neck = less stretch = easier.
For you: don't tilt fretboard towards you and bend the first digit of the index finger more, and you do not need to come down perpendicular especially when the next string over is fretted on a higher fret.

But I must be doing something fundamentally wrong, as my index always mute at least one string underneath?

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by Znerken

But I must be doing something fundamentally wrong, as my index always mute at least one string underneath?

I think you are. You don't seem to be giving your index finger enough clearance. You need to "square it up" more, allowing the space beneath it to open.
Your finger now is lying too flat across. (What does it look like from the back of the neck? Lowering your thumb will help to achieve more space.)
Here are a couple of pics I just took with my classical guitar.


It might be hard to tell from the photo, but I have lots of clearance under the fingers with this more squared up positioning.
Note: The placement of all 4 fingers on one string like that, i.e. in chromatic scale fashion, will mean that your index will naturally bend towards the nut, and the pinky will bend the other way. The middle and finger should be straighter. But, that shouldn't prevent you from squaring them up sufficiently to open the space beneath.
Also, you seem to have pretty tight fingers, i.e. your middle finger in the photo looks to be too close to the ring finger and could even be partially on the 3rd fret. You might need to work towards getting more finger separation and independence in order to free them up. Proper stretching exercises (time + patience) will help a lot.
Have you been playing long?

[Znerken]

Originally Posted by AndreF

I think you are. You don't seem to be giving your index finger enough clearance. You need to "square it up" more, allowing the space beneath it to open.
Your finger now is lying too flat across. (What does it look like from the back of the neck? Lowering your thumb will help to achieve more space.)
Here are a couple of pics I just took with my classical guitar.


It might be hard to tell from the photo, but I have lots of clearance under the fingers with this more squared up positioning.
Note: The placement of all 4 fingers on one string like that, i.e. in chromatic scale fashion, will mean that your index will naturally bend towards the nut, and the pinky will bend the other way. The middle and finger should be straighter. But, that shouldn't prevent you from squaring them up sufficiently to open the space beneath.
Also, you seem to have pretty tight fingers, i.e. your middle finger in the photo looks to be too close to the ring finger and could even be partially on the 3rd fret. You might need to work towards getting more finger separation and independence in order to free them up. Proper stretching exercises (time + patience) will help a lot.
Have you been playing long?

Thank you. I actually think I was so focused on showing my index that I forgot the 2nd and 3rd finger. I have been playing for 9 months, 1-2 hours almost every day.

[frankhond]

I just tried it. No problem, looks like the pictures. But... when do you ever have all four fingers on the same strings like that? Never when playing normal music.

Probably the position is there to illustrate that (look closely at the lady) the fingertips should point into the fingerboard (people tend to lay fingers flat), which creates a natural curve with space underneath so strings are not muted. Also the outside of both pinky and index finger press against the string, while middle and ring fingers align more straight.

In your photo the pinky is aligned straight while index is completely rotated so its outside does the fretting. Try to rotate hand so more of the pinky outside is avtivated, which would rotste index into correct position.

There is a great video "pumping nylon" by Scott Tennant that goes through all this in detail. Recommended!