Posture, picking, and hand position

• Both feet flat on the floor (or use a footstool).
• Guitar body rests on your strong-side leg.
• Neck angled up about 15°, not parallel to the floor.
• Don't hunch over to look at the fretboard. If you can't see, tip the guitar slightly toward you — keep your back straight.

Hold the pick between your thumb pad and the side of your bent index finger. Only the tip should stick out (3–5 mm).

Grip just firmly enough that the pick doesn't slip. A death grip kills your tone. Strum motion comes from the wrist, not the elbow.

• Press the string with the very tip of your finger (use the nail-side, not the pad).
• Land just BEHIND the fret wire, on the headstock side. This needs the least pressure.
• Keep your thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite your middle finger. This lets your fingers arch.
• Knuckles bent. Fingernails short enough that they don't hit the fretboard first.

New players squeeze way too hard. Test: fret a note, then slowly release pressure until it starts to buzz. The minimum pressure that gives a clean note is what you want. Your hand will thank you in an hour.