As a beginning guitarist, one of your biggest problems has to do with getting your fingers to do what you need them to do. In the beginning, they won't want to.

Relax. This just takes a little time and practice on your part. But there are some things that you can do to help.

The first thing has to do with building up the strength of the fingers of your left hand (if you play left handed, then your right hand). Starting with the first, or high E string, place your first finger on the first fret, making sure that your finger comes as straight down on the string as possible and as close to the metal fret as possible without being directly on it.

Now whet you're going to do is to place your second finger on the second fret, your third finger on the third fret, and your fourth finger on the fourth fret. Do this without lifting up any of your fingers from the frets. You will then end up with all four of your fingers on the fretboard.

What you will probably find out is that your first two fingers won't give you too much trouble, the third finger will give you a little bit of trouble, but the fourth finger will give you a lot of trouble.

This is because, first of all, your fourth (pinky) finger is the weakest finger of your hand. This is true for everybody. Also, the stretch is a bit brutal at first. This is also true for everyone.

Now start over, and pick each note as you do it one at a time, making sure that each note is as clear as a bell. Don't go on to the next note until each note is clear.

Once you have done that for the first string, do the same thing for the rest of the strings.

We have to call this something so let's make this the "1 2 3 4" pattern.

The other thing is something called "dexterity" -- which has to do with you being able to use each finger at will.

Go back to the first string again. Put your finger on the first string, first fret again as before (pick the string while you do these), but instead of following with your second finger on the second fret, put your third finger on the third fret while keeping your first finger down.

Now remove both fingers and place your second finger on the second fret, followed by your fourth finger on the fourth fret -- keeping your second finger down. Let's call this the "1 3 2 4" pattern. Do this for all of the strings.

Follow this up with a "2 4 1 3" pattern, and  "1 4 2 3", "2 3 1 4", "4 3 2 1", "4 2 3 1", "3 1 4 2", "2 1 4 3" patterns on all strings. On any of these patterns, don't move any of your fingers off of the frets until you have to in order to get the right note out.

Does this sound boring? Yeah, it probably will be -- but it will help your left hand. 

Have fun.