Try this guitar challenge
STEP 1: Watch the video to learn the bite-sized piece of music
STEP 2: Click the “PLAY” tab below the video to play along with Tony until you can do it on your own.
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Responses
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Responses
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Ooo,Stretch Armstrong indeed!
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My pinky’s barking – doesn’t like that 10th fret stretch. Right now, the 9th fret is a stretch. Gonna take some work to reach the 10th fret.
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I did okay. I started practicing this when I first started playing the guitar.
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I had fun with this one! Time went by fairly quickly.
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Definitely a stretch but I finely got it
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Shoot. Love the blues but this is anatomically impossible for my hand, stretching or no stretching to achieve.
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I noticed Tony bent his ring finger toward his pinky in order to get more stretch
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I’d need to break my fingers to play those positions. hand is too small i guess.
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fun, but very rough on that pinky
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completed 2/24/2024
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My forearms are not designed to have my fingers stretch very far. I can almost do the stretch with the index ring and then pinky however, I found it much easier for me to do it with the index second finger and pinky because I’m able to stretch that further. I continue to work on the stretch from the ring to the pinky, but stretching from the middle to pinky with much better for me.
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Good training for the big stretch. My pinky and ring finger must be good friends since they want to do everything together. They may need more therapy so they can be on their own and be happy… Up to me to make it happen! Thanks Tony.
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haha…I wonder how long it will take to get that pinky to stretch that far?!! Well, I’ll just look at this exercise as a continual challenge.
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Errr…. That 10th fret might as well be 10 miles away!… Can I borrow someone’s pinky?
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Wow the inside of my forearm is burning. Awesome stretch.
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omg I can’t even come close to this yet.
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I have a dread and I’m finding it tough to get it in a position to try and reach the 10th fret. If I start at the 6th fret, I can reach the 11th fret with my pinky, but my guitar is angled like a classical to do it. This is a tough one but a good stretch.
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the 5 to 9 i can barely pull off. but i honestly cannot reach the 10th and remain on the 5th fret. just dont think my fingers can do it\
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That really hurts my wrist. I’ll come back to it another time
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What a difference between starting on the 7th and 9th fret. I had absolutely no success at the 7th. But after starting on the 9th for a while; I am now able to sneak down and start on the 8th fret. One day I may even get down to the 7th fret. It’s all about finding success, and then the consistency will pay off.
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Tough stretch between ring and little finger! Going to be a battle for a while.
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Wow. I’ve always struggled with blues shuffles with a pinky extension. I had to modify holding the guitar in a classical position to get my pinky anywhere near the 10th fret of the A string. In the regular position, I had to spend about 20 minutes working with just the ring and pinky fingers on a single string before I could consistently stretch the pinky with the index finger anchored. This is one I’ll need to do for at least a few minutes every day.
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Worked on these in November and couldn’t make the stretch even starting on the 9th fret for the Day 5 Blues Stretch. Back again tonight, tried 7th and could stretch and make the pinkie to the 11th, but not the 12th. Starting on the 9th could do the 13th and 14th, but it wasn’t very pretty. Going to call it good since the stretch was the primary focus. Will need to continue to work on this one.
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I did the early stretches a month or so ago, and finally got back to this one today.
I agree with Jonathandavid. I feel stretched, but I like it!! Good, old fashioned blues. My fingers may never be the same.
I could do it at the 5th & 7th fret but only if I held the guitar in the classical position. I’m slowly lowering the neck back down, but yow, my fingers. While I’m typing this, my fingers are tingling. -
my hand sure feels the stretch!
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I had to improvise on this. My hand would only stretch 3 frets total. Will have to keep working on this one.
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Going to have to come back to this one. My Arthurites won’t allow me to get the second pinkie stretch without a lot of pain. Wish my work life hadn’t stolen my young body!
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I’m having trouble with this one with both the stretch and the muting. I either mute it too much with my palm so all I get is a THUMP or it doesn’t mute at all. Needs a lot of practice.
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So I ACTUALLY LISTENED this time. I had the heel of my palm too high on the strings. Moved down to the white of the bridge and muted just right. The pinky stretch is still a chllenge.
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Tried coming back to this again after doing the physical stretching lesson and doing it every day. Tried starting on the 9th fret and then the 10th, but still unable to get the pinkie to reach 14th let alone the 15th. Maybe my hands and 76 years aren’t cut out for this.
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Bit disappointed to find I could only just stretch to 6 frets (not actually close enough to the fret to sound the note properly) starting with my index finger on the 10th fret of the B string (!). So, I simply repeated the 1st-4th measures, over and over for 11 measures …and then the last 3 chords :), in the same starting position. This after all, gave me the pinky stretch which was the object of these lessons…
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I am doing the same thing. My hands are way too small to do this otherwise.
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great lessons I should be able to start my world tour in about 100 years
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you and me both!
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MAYBE HAVE THIS MASTERED BY AUGUST….2022!
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Thank you Tony this was a great 5 day lesson the stretch was hard was not able to get all the notes but something to keep working on for 2021.
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Wow. Agree with Mike58…
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This is going to take some time.
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Getting slightly better, but still a work in progress.
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ok… after 3 days I finally got this one!
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Hadn’t done this one in quite q while. I found that it seemed easier when I played it like a barre chord to get that extra mileage out or my pinky. This is a great stretch.
Congratulations, !
Challenge complete
Come back tomorrow for your next challenge
Ooo,Stretch Armstrong indeed!
My pinky’s barking – doesn’t like that 10th fret stretch. Right now, the 9th fret is a stretch. Gonna take some work to reach the 10th fret.
I did okay. I started practicing this when I first started playing the guitar.
I had fun with this one! Time went by fairly quickly.
Definitely a stretch but I finely got it
Shoot. Love the blues but this is anatomically impossible for my hand, stretching or no stretching to achieve.
I noticed Tony bent his ring finger toward his pinky in order to get more stretch
I’d need to break my fingers to play those positions. hand is too small i guess.
fun, but very rough on that pinky
completed 2/24/2024
My forearms are not designed to have my fingers stretch very far. I can almost do the stretch with the index ring and then pinky however, I found it much easier for me to do it with the index second finger and pinky because I’m able to stretch that further. I continue to work on the stretch from the ring to the pinky, but stretching from the middle to pinky with much better for me.
Good training for the big stretch. My pinky and ring finger must be good friends since they want to do everything together. They may need more therapy so they can be on their own and be happy… Up to me to make it happen! Thanks Tony.
haha…I wonder how long it will take to get that pinky to stretch that far?!! Well, I’ll just look at this exercise as a continual challenge.
Errr…. That 10th fret might as well be 10 miles away!… Can I borrow someone’s pinky?
Wow the inside of my forearm is burning. Awesome stretch.
omg I can’t even come close to this yet.
I have a dread and I’m finding it tough to get it in a position to try and reach the 10th fret. If I start at the 6th fret, I can reach the 11th fret with my pinky, but my guitar is angled like a classical to do it. This is a tough one but a good stretch.
the 5 to 9 i can barely pull off. but i honestly cannot reach the 10th and remain on the 5th fret. just dont think my fingers can do it\
That really hurts my wrist. I’ll come back to it another time
What a difference between starting on the 7th and 9th fret. I had absolutely no success at the 7th. But after starting on the 9th for a while; I am now able to sneak down and start on the 8th fret. One day I may even get down to the 7th fret. It’s all about finding success, and then the consistency will pay off.
Tough stretch between ring and little finger! Going to be a battle for a while.
Wow. I’ve always struggled with blues shuffles with a pinky extension. I had to modify holding the guitar in a classical position to get my pinky anywhere near the 10th fret of the A string. In the regular position, I had to spend about 20 minutes working with just the ring and pinky fingers on a single string before I could consistently stretch the pinky with the index finger anchored. This is one I’ll need to do for at least a few minutes every day.
Worked on these in November and couldn’t make the stretch even starting on the 9th fret for the Day 5 Blues Stretch. Back again tonight, tried 7th and could stretch and make the pinkie to the 11th, but not the 12th. Starting on the 9th could do the 13th and 14th, but it wasn’t very pretty. Going to call it good since the stretch was the primary focus. Will need to continue to work on this one.
I did the early stretches a month or so ago, and finally got back to this one today.
I agree with Jonathandavid. I feel stretched, but I like it!! Good, old fashioned blues. My fingers may never be the same.
I could do it at the 5th & 7th fret but only if I held the guitar in the classical position. I’m slowly lowering the neck back down, but yow, my fingers. While I’m typing this, my fingers are tingling.
my hand sure feels the stretch!
I had to improvise on this. My hand would only stretch 3 frets total. Will have to keep working on this one.
Going to have to come back to this one. My Arthurites won’t allow me to get the second pinkie stretch without a lot of pain. Wish my work life hadn’t stolen my young body!
I’m having trouble with this one with both the stretch and the muting. I either mute it too much with my palm so all I get is a THUMP or it doesn’t mute at all. Needs a lot of practice.
So I ACTUALLY LISTENED this time. I had the heel of my palm too high on the strings. Moved down to the white of the bridge and muted just right. The pinky stretch is still a chllenge.
Tried coming back to this again after doing the physical stretching lesson and doing it every day. Tried starting on the 9th fret and then the 10th, but still unable to get the pinkie to reach 14th let alone the 15th. Maybe my hands and 76 years aren’t cut out for this.
Bit disappointed to find I could only just stretch to 6 frets (not actually close enough to the fret to sound the note properly) starting with my index finger on the 10th fret of the B string (!). So, I simply repeated the 1st-4th measures, over and over for 11 measures …and then the last 3 chords :), in the same starting position. This after all, gave me the pinky stretch which was the object of these lessons…
I am doing the same thing. My hands are way too small to do this otherwise.
great lessons I should be able to start my world tour in about 100 years
you and me both!
MAYBE HAVE THIS MASTERED BY AUGUST….2022!
Thank you Tony this was a great 5 day lesson the stretch was hard was not able to get all the notes but something to keep working on for 2021.
Wow. Agree with Mike58…
This is going to take some time.
Getting slightly better, but still a work in progress.
ok… after 3 days I finally got this one!
Hadn’t done this one in quite q while. I found that it seemed easier when I played it like a barre chord to get that extra mileage out or my pinky. This is a great stretch.