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Dexterity issues
Hi. Although I have been fiddling around with the guitar for a couple of years, I’m new to TAC and working on the 30 Days To Play section (day 2). I figured it is probably best for me to start at the beginning.
I noticed in the videos that Tony doesn’t lift his fretting hand or even just the fingers, but stretches his fingers from one fret to the next…from the second fret to the fourth fret, for example. I haven’t been able to make that stretch. Right now, I am trying to slide my fingers to avoid lifting them.
The size of my hands are probably average for a woman, but my ring and pinkie finger on my left hand are a bit curved from an accident 50 years ago.
I know some chords, but I have always had trouble with forming some (“C” gives me a lot of trouble and I won’t even attempt barre chords yet). Even with simpler chords (“Em”, “Am”, “D”, and “G”, for example) I haven’t been able to make quick and clean chord changes.
I would appreciate any suggestions/tips on achieving these chord changes cleanly.
Thank you.
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5 Replies
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Hi @CamiB! Nice to see more women here with average hands! I have been at TAC for almost 2 years and yes I had lots of trouble at the beginning. Part of the issue was I had too big of a guitar; ended up with a parlor guitar with 23.5″ scale length. Even so, I cannot stretch from 2 to 4 either, but it depends on which fingers are required. I often do a kind of rocking “jump” (as in the Blues shuffle), but it requires more attention to not shifting your fingers over. That’s ok, it makes one a better guitarist, in my opinion!
Another thing to try, is the stretching skill course, found in the sidebar of the main page. I have crooked fingers too, and while I know they will never straighten or grow longer, they can be limbered up to their limit over time. Good luck, and welcome to TAC!
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Oh, and you asked about quick chord changes. Have you gotten to the part where you learn new chords and Tony has us doing the “quick-draw” exercise? That is where you put your hand on your knee and count down 5-4-3-2-1 and either during the countdown or with a shorter count as you get better, you place your fingers in the chord positions so you are ready to strum it when you get to zero. That does help.
I can’t do a C cleanly either, nor the mini F, and never any barre chords. I don’t worry about it; if I really need a chord there are triads!
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BarbaraM, I haven’t gotten that far in the course yet, but I will be looking for it. Thanks again!
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Welcome to TAC CamiB! I cannot speak from the small or medium hand point of view of a female, but even as an average hand size for a male, older though (73), with arthritis to some extent; some chords and stretches are tough. There are short cuts to some chords (making a partial chord and strumming only some of the strings); but I think the main thing may be as already brought up, use a guitar that is smaller (3/4 size is pretty popular and available in many different brands and price range). Also, just keep going. Practice, stretch……and keep going. It sometimes seems a slow process, but you will figure it out for yourself. Enjoy the journey!
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The finger stretchability will grow with time, for now just do your best, move your hand if necessary or slap a capo on the guitar and move the exercise up the neck!
There are a few challenges, once you progress to those, that will require some crazy stretches and we all struggle with those, do our best and mark complete. Most challenges are not that way so not to worry. Keep the 80 – 20 rule in mind!
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