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I have heard many guitar players complain about their fingers being too big or too fat. The main problem they find is that they can’t fret the strings accurately. The strings buzz because the fingers are too wide to fit between the strings. I have to say that most of the time this is complete rubbish and is an excuse not to practice good and accurate playing. If you look at the gap between the strings and the tips of your fingers you will see that there is plenty of room for the fingers to play in the right way. But just in case you are reading this and really do have thick and fat fingers here is how to overcome the problem and still play the guitar.

Buy A Guitar With A wide Neck

There are a huge range of guitars and the width of the neck can vary quite a deal. For steel strung acoustic guitars you should buy a jumbo body guitar as these have the widest necks for this type. For electric you should buy a Gibson les paul style rather than a strat or telecaster style for the same reason. There are only tiny differences but they will make it easier for you to play.

Use a Plectrum for the right hand

If you have big fingers then you can use a plectrum for strumming and plucking. This is much easier for learners with large fingers. In time you will gain the skill of plucking well.

Change The Way The Left Hand Plays The Frets

All guitar teachers should look away for this section as it goes against the standard method of teaching guitar. There are many chords that you can finger with only 2 fingers instead of 3. The most obvious one is A major – a very common chord. You can fret 2 strings with your forefinger and the remaining one with the middle finger. This is much less crowded. For D you can use a mini bar over the 3 top strings and your third finger for the second string. There are many other options for reducing the number of fingers you use.

One big Advantage Of Playing Guitar With Fat Fingers

One skill you should be able to learn very quickly is the playing of bar chords. A lot of beginners struggle with these bar chords but I have found that learning guitar players with big fingers find them really easy. This means that you will be able to play a huge range of chords very quickly.

Would you like more tips on learning to play the guitar?

AJ Abrams vs. Daniel Gipson (Not GIBSON)