Fat Fingers

<table border="0" align="center" width="90%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td class="SmallText"><b>Untidy wrote on Sun, 23 July 2006 06&#58;51</b></td></tr><tr><td class="quote">
Is it possible to have fingers to fat to play guitar?

I can not get d cord with out touching other strings 
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It's possible but unlikely. D is always tough at first. Make sure your thumb is in the centre, rear of the neck and your fingers are rotated 90 degrees to the string so your very tips are in contact. Shift you finger further appart on the fretts to give yourself space and pinch hard between finger and thumb.

You might, if you continue to struggle, try jumbo accoustics at you local store. Wider necks may make learning easier but it's usually down to finger possition.

Rainbird

lol i have that problem too.. but i kinda do D.. it takes a few seconds tho so when im playing a song, i kinda pause for a few.

D is really hard at first.. but u will get the hang of it. i thought at first that i'd never be able to do it.. but anyways, make sure your fingers aren't flat. make sure that you're touching the strings with the tips of your fingers.. and just, practice! practice! practice!

don't get discouraged. it took me about a week to finally do it.

D is hard at first.  I have long and skinny "piano" fingers and had trouble with D. 

I suppose it is possible to have fingers too fat to play guitar, but they'd have to be hugely, hugely fat.  I've seen guys with fat, stubby sausages for fingers playing mandolin.  Mostly it's a matter of practice.  A wider neck may be helpful for you, though, at least at first. 

- Zurf

It gives me a warm feeling reading this forum. ya just dont feel so alone in your struggles to master the guitar. There seems to be loads of people with the same problems and questions and even better still there is always someone with an answer or a suggestion. Its brill !
I have stubby fat mits and have always struggled with "D" and "A" come to think of it cant think of any I didnt  strugle with anyway I learnt to play "D" with a mini barre. No I didnt lock myself away in a hotel room and play till the mini bar was empty. (always drink sensibly kids !)
I also taught myself to play "A" using my ring finger as a mini barre.
Proberbly not for the purests but it works for me

My husband has large fingers... as in, we had to special order his wedding ring because places just don't keep his size in stock.  He likes my classical guitar because the fretboard is wider - on top of that you don't have to press as hard on the strings to get a true tone out... and if you don't get it just right and do have one dull string, it still sounds kinda decent (compared to his steel string... seems if you've got one dull string from an improperly placed finger it ruins the whole chord).  Of course... he also does NOT like my guitar because it's a 3/4 size and the body is also thinner. 

Sooo... practice practice ... and when you get a chance and think you'll really stick with the guitar go visit a few guitar stores and try out some with wider fretboards!  Heck, try out a bunch.  Try out some expensive models, some cheaper models, some full size, jumbo, smaller ... try them all and you'll see that there is SOOO much out there!  Then... write a letter to SANTA!!! 

phew...readin this makes me feel a whole lot betta...i just started about a week ago...and one thing i know is that playing a guitar aint easyy...keep the tips comin for beginers! :D

+1 try to keep the thumb about center on the back of the neck...

Also I noticed in class last week that many beginners tend to slant the guitar back so they can see the fretboard... This causes you to have to reach around much further than holding it parallel to your body. So hold it straight and make sure your thumb stays low and you should see some improvement.

If the problem is only on the D chord you may want to try this fingering (I use it a lot)  Barre the GB&e strings with your ring finger on 2nd and then catch the B string 3rd fret with your middle finger. Turns it into more of a pinch chord...