Anyone have any good exercises I can use to help me stretch my pinky wider? The E7 chord is kickin' my rear...I try to stretch the pinky but it barely makes it, then when it does make it, my 3rd finger is pulled down so I'm touching the G string, then my hand cramps up. Any suggestions of things I can do in between practicing? Thanks
u have no idea how much thumb placement will help u reach down the neck, make sure is in the middle of ur hand on the back of the neck.
As for pinky exercises i don't know, i could use them myself.
I always recommend playing a boogie rhythm of A5-A5--A6-A6--Ab7-Ab7 on the 6th and 5th strings. Play the A6 & A7 with index and pinky, stretching for the A7. If that is too hard, move up to the B or higher. If it is too easy, or as it gets easier, move down to the G then F.
To make it more interesting, you can play the appropriate I-IV-V blues progression (e.g., A D E) instead of just doing it as an exercise.
tuoti,
If your just staring out (like me), you could also try a slightly different voiceing, such as:
e--0
B--0
G--1
D--0
A--2
E--0
This site may help you http://www.8notes.com/guitar_chord_chart/E7.asp
Hey picked this one up from someone on this site:
e------3-4-----------------------------------------3-4--2-4-------------------
B----------3-4---------------------------------3-4----------2-4---------------
G--------------3-4-------------------------3-4-----------------2-4------------
D------------------3-4-----------------3-4-------------------------2-4--------
A----------------------3-4---------3-4---------------------------------2-4----
E--------------------------3-4-3-4----------------------------------------2-4-
e---------------------2-4-1-4-----------------------------------------1-4-
B-----------------2-4---------1-4---------------------------------1-4-----
D-------------2-4-----------------1-4-------------------------1-4---------
G---------2-4-------------------------1-4-----------------1-4-------------
A-----2-4---------------------------------1-4---------1-4------------------
E-2-4------------------------------------------1-4-14----------------------
e-1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------------------------ECT
A----------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------ECT
D-------------------1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------ECT
G----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------1-2-3-4
A--------------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------1-2-3-4---------
E------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-----------------
Also use alternate picking. Up and down strokes.
"The answer is practice.
Now, what's the question?"
Words by David Mead.
Hey picked this one up from someone on this site:
e------3-4-----------------------------------------3-4--2-4-------------------
B----------3-4---------------------------------3-4----------2-4---------------
G--------------3-4-------------------------3-4-----------------2-4------------
D------------------3-4-----------------3-4-------------------------2-4--------
A----------------------3-4---------3-4---------------------------------2-4----
E--------------------------3-4-3-4----------------------------------------2-4-
e---------------------2-4-1-4-----------------------------------------1-4-
B-----------------2-4---------1-4---------------------------------1-4-----
D-------------2-4-----------------1-4-------------------------1-4---------
G---------2-4-------------------------1-4-----------------1-4-------------
A-----2-4---------------------------------1-4---------1-4------------------
E-2-4------------------------------------------1-4-14----------------------
e-1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------------------------ECT
A----------1-2-3-4-----------------------------------------------------------ECT
D-------------------1-2-3-4--------------------------------------------------ECT
G----------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------------------------1-2-3-4
A--------------------------------------1-2-3-4-------------------1-2-3-4---------
E------------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4-----------------
Also use alternate picking. Up and down strokes.
"The answer is practice.
Now, what's the question?"
Words by David Mead.
Thanks for the help guys - I'm specifically trying to work on the stretching vs. dexterity so I think I'll do some fretboard stretching every other fret drills in addition to what you guys suggested.
