Minotaur, thats great man ... on both counts, the trip and the learning. Having short stubby fingers is a hurdle you can clear. I've seen people with all shapes of hands and fingers that play absolutely amazingly. Everytime I see Blue Oyster Cult I am amazed at how Buck Dharma can play the way he does with those tiny hands. I saw Fog Hat at the same show last summer and they got a guy named Brian Basett who is a giant. Yeah, his fingers are long but they are the girth of a polish sausage! :lol: Myself, I am blessed though. (insert the name of your God here) gave me some very good tools for guitar. You know what though? I struggled mightily in the beginning too. Barre chords are hard to master but once you do everything opens up.
Oh, here is what I grapple onto the neck with ........... but you still can succeed!
I remember a guitar book I had as a beginner and the author had a picture of his hand making a similar chord and I thought, if I could ever do that I would be all set. :P Well, I'm not all set but I do love playing. It is one of the best decisions I ever made.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Wow! :shock: When I can do that I can do anything. Thanks for the encouragement and the look ahead. :D
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Leslie West of Mountain was HUGE when he was young, his guitar looked like a toy when he played. He had very large thick fingers, but man could he hit the notes!
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Since you guys were all great enough to chime in with advice and tips, I felt I owed it to you to let you know how I did playing around with this.
I had a hard time with the 10-14 stretch in Vic's power chords:E |---------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------|
D |--------------12-12-14-12--------------|
A |-14-12--12-10-10-10-10-10-10-------10--|
E |-10-10--10--8----------------10h12-----|
D6 D5 D5 C5 G5 G5 G6 G5
I will still keep working on it because I need finger stretching and control exercise.
I was able to get some sound, and even a little speed out of Wes's suggestion of the barre chords. I need work on barre chords anyway. The open chords were easier, but if barre chords are the right way to do it, that's what I do.
I made up my own strumming pattern based on what I thought I heard in the piano. Not very creative, but it's a start and sounded pretty good. The timing is better than I tabbed here.
D-----C-----G
DuDu DuDu DuDU
I think I'm on my way. :)
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
Yes, those four - and FIVE - fret stretches can be murder at first, but you'll find with practise they do get a little easier. It's one of the most commonly used tricks in rock and blues;
E |----------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------------|
G |----------------------------------------------------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------|
A |-12-14-15-14-12-12-14-15-14---12-14-15-14-12-12-14-15-14--|
E |-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10---10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--|
D5 D6 D7 D6 D5 D5 D6 D7 D6 D5 D6 D7 D6 D5 D5 D6 D7 D6
E |----------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------------|
G |----------------------------------------------------------|
D |-12-14-15-14-12-12-14-15-14-------------------------------|
A |-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10---12-14-15-14-12-12-14-15-14--|
E |------------------------------10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10--|
G5 G6 G7 G6 G5 G5 G6 G7 G6 D5 D6 D7 D6 D5 D5 D6 D7 D6
E |----------------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------------|
G |---------------------------------------------12--13-14----|
D |-14-16-17-16---12-14-15-14-------------------10--11-12----|
A |-12-12-12-12---10-10-10-10---12-14-15-14-12---------------|
E |-----------------------------10-10-10-10-10---------------|
A5 A6 A7 A6 G5 G6 G7 G6 D5 D6 D7 D6 D5 G5 G#5 A5
That's pretty much your standard 12-bar blues shuffle - in D - with turn-around - a basic template, if you like, to mess around with. Those five-fret stretches can be pretty difficult, even physically impossible - but as always, there are ways around them.
Instead of 10 15 x x x x for the D7, you could play 10 12 10 x x x: for the G7, instead of x 10 15 x x x, you could play x 10 12 10 x x, and for the A7, x 12 17 x x x could be replaced by x 12 14 12 x x.
You can do this three-chord trick at any fret in any key, although it's generally easier higher up the fretboard - instead of, for instance, a blues shuffle in A at the fifth and seventh frets using A D and E powerchords, you could play the A and E powerchords (and variations) at the 12th fret, and the D chords at the 10th fret.
Hey, what can I say - I'm a big fan of Status Quo, and there aren't many of their songs that DON'T feature that blues shuffle in one form or another. I HAD to get it right to play any of their songs!
Check out Paper Plane - that one's in Bb, but once you've got that basic pattern down, Bb Eb and F are no harder than A D and E - a touch easier, actually, as they're higher up the fretboard!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Thanks Vic. I guess little tips and tricks are a big part of playing. I'll try those too.
It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question.
TR it looks like you've dislocated fingers to get that stretch. :lol: I can't even get a good fret 2 to fret 5 thing going, but then again I've got very small hands.
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
:lol: Believe it or not I can stretch another fret or two with my pinky. Never underestimate the power of your pinky. :wink: Pinky is about to land on the 4th string.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
:shock: Holy Crap
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
:lol: Believe it or not I can stretch another fret or two with my pinky. Never underestimate the power of your pinky. :wink:
What is the fingering of that chord you're showing us? And what's it called?
Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)
I think it's called the "dislocated pinky G"
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
Well, I just zoomed in on a vacation pic ...... :oops: Let me grab a guitar here and see what the hey I was doing ..... OK?
OK, that shuffle thing Vic is talking about ... root 5 barre chord .... C chord .... boogie woogie ... hammering on and off with the pinkie .. looks like the shot caught a hammer on. 8)
index is barring across the 3rd fret .... 6th string is muted ... 5th string 3rd fret, 4th string 5th frett, 3rd string muted ... 1st and 2nd string muted. Pinky is hammering on and off 4th string 7th fret. I think thats it.
You an add the 8th fret in on the 4th string too. This is a real boogie woogie! I'm just playing the 5th and 4th strings. 4rthstring is going 5 7 8 7 5 7 8 7 while the 5th string is fretted at the 3rd fret.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
