The biggest struggle I had with guitar
And the information I wish I knew
Today, I would like to talk about the first big problem I encountered on guitar. Power Chords.
When a friend of mine showed me the tab for these multi-genre shapes, I was convinced he had written them down wrong.
I remember thinking, there’s no way your fingers can stretch that far.
But I kept trying.
Every morning.
As soon as I walked in from school.
Every evening.
Every spare moment.
If I was watching TV, my guitar was on my lap. I wasn’t even strumming - just forming the chord shape, relaxing, and trying again.
Then one day, it clicked.
My fingers fell into place, and I nailed the opening chords to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ (I know… the first power chord song everyone learns 😆)
It felt incredible.
The feeling of playing along to a record I loved, after all that effort? One of the most exciting moments in my musical journey.
And here’s the thing. That feeling never goes away when you keep:
👉 Pushing yourself
👉 Trying new things
👉 Discovering fresh music, techniques & styles
So.. tackle that technique or song you’ve been dreading. You won’t regret the feeling you get afterwards.
Let’s take a look at what approaches can help you avoid the same problems.
🎶 EXERCISES
Later in my guitar journey, I discovered some finger exercises that would have been perfect for the troubles I was having.
I’ve created a free PDF, that includes a wide range of exercises to help with improving finger strength, stretch & independence. Check it here.
Here is a peak of what it features:
EX1
Start by placing your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the low E string. Play the 2nd fret with your 2nd finger, then return to fret 1 before stretching your 2nd finger up to the 3rd fret—all while keeping your 1st finger planted. Now, play the 2nd fret again, but this time let your 3rd finger handle the stretch, keeping both your 1st and 2nd fingers down on the neck.
Apply this movement across the entire fretboard and on every string to build strength and control.
If starting at fret 1 feels too challenging (since the frets are more spaced out), shift higher up the neck—try fret 5 or 9 for an easier reach. You can also experiment with different strings—the low E string is the thickest and requires more pressure, so switching to a thinner string might make things easier at first.
EX2
A big favourite of mine! Instead of moving up the frets (like a lot of exercises do), you'll work your way down the strings.
After playing each note, keep that finger pressed down on the fretboard as you continue. This small adjustment does wonders for finger strength and independence.
Then, try to reverse the pattern.
Let me know how you get on.
🎥 LEARN EVERY CHORD IN ANY KEY
Have you ever wondered why certain chord progressions sound so good together? Or how you start to write your own songs?
My latest YouTube video will help with all of that.
Check it here
🎶 BECOME A CONFIDENT & CREATIVE GUITARIST
My full length beginner guitar course covers everything you need to become a confident and creative guitarist:
Learn guitar basics like: anatomy, tuning, chord boxes & tab.
Master chords, classic riffs, full songs & essential finger exercises.
Explore music theory, chord construction, scales & lead guitar.
Unlock your own creativity with dedicated songwriting lessons.
Improve timing with metronome practice & diverse strumming patterns.
Access PDFs & tabs to support your learning journey.
Explore focus around your - unique - creative potential.
Check the course here.
As always, give me a shout if you have any questions or just want to chat guitar and music 🎶
❤️ HELP
Someone who I admire a great amount - and who from afar, has been a huge musical influence on me, is Rotem Sivan. He is currently going through an incredibly tough time with his family. His son was diagnosed with ATRT ( a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer).
The family are raising funds for his treatment and support through this challenging time. You can support them here.
🌍 Links
All of my other instrument classes can be found on Skillshare. This link gives you 1 month FREE access to my courses & the entire Skillshare site.
🙋♂️Follow me for more guitar, bass & ukulele related chat & tutorials:
🧡 My Music Charity
Speak soon,
Marc
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