Stretch for Middle Finger and Ring Finger

[River Hill]

I am working on my finger independence and have really noticed how close together my ring ring and middle finger are when grabbing chords. I can separate them fine when my hand is flat, but as soon as I wrap my hand around the neck of the guitar those fingers come together.

Any suggestions on stretches for this?

[rick-slo]

Hold your hand flat, palm up. Spread your fingers. Then curl your fingers in towards your palm. The fingertips with come closer to each other. That's pretty normal at least for me and most people.

On first position chords for all practical purposes I can get up to one fret difference between the middle and ring finger - for example on a C chord with middle on second fret and ring on third fret.

Perhaps some people with longer fingers can comfortably stretch to two frets difference, I don't know, but the call for that would be rare.

It is another reason why being adept at using the pinky finger is so important.

[Earwitness]

I have the same issue--and I'm just trying to keep one good fret apart, not even dreaming of two. My "cheats" are just to aim them where even if they are not a full fret apart, the fret goes between the two fingers (hurray that we play fretted instruments!) or, on some chords, to lean my hand slightly to the side so that the ring finger, by extending farther, has its tip farther from the middle finger tip.

An example of what should be so easy, but butts up against this anatomy, is the simple D9: XXX230 I have to watch it to make it clean.

Over the past 6 months or so, when I have been doing lots of scale and arpeggio practice on a long-scale nylon classical, something has improved, either actual improvement in flexibility or more seamless implementation of my cheats.

[River Hill]

Sorry please move to PLAY!