HAND AND FINGER BASICS

Let's talk for a moment on hand and finger basics. You will obviously have one fretting hand, which is the hand responsible for creating chords or single notes, and you will have your picking or strumming hand. Both hands are equally important. I believe that anyone can create a chord with their fretting hand, but the real magic happens with your picking hand as there are so many ways to make sounds come out of the strings.

Here is a diagram of your fretting hand and how to refer to your fingers. This will be a great visual aid for correct chord placement. It will be tempting to cheat with finger placement on some of the chords, but there are specific reasons for using specific fingers for constructing the chords.
There is a correct way and an incorrect way to hold a pick with your strumming hand. You'll want to lightly rest the pick between your thumb and forefinger. Your forefinger needs to be arced so that it forms a semi-circle. The pick will rest between the first and second knuckles on the forefinger. Each finger consists of three knuckles, one right above the fingernail, one half way up the finger and the last where the finger meets with the hand. The first and second are referring to the ones right above the fingernail and half way up the finger.

From here you will place your thumb on the pick creating a loose yet stable pressure.
As you become more advanced in your guitar playing, you will learn that there are several ways to hold a pick and all of which will be held between the thumb and forefinger. Do not let yourself fall into the trap of holding the pick with the tips of your thumb, forefinger and middle finger. This is incorrect and is a very bad habit to break. It will not allow for your remaining fingers to have any dexterity.