Are finger positions optional

[albert_d]

Go clean in playing. But I practice with what’s uncomfortable until muscle memory adds the tool or strength to my box. My case in point is the full G chord Tony usually plays. I had always played a traditional G (B string open). Now I don’t even think about it if I play the D on the B string. It’s whatever sounds best in the moment.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  albert_d.

[N-lightMike]

Hey @aces1202 ;

Here’s what I would say. It is really good that you can hammer on with your pinky. That will serve you well.

However, not being able to reach 2 frets with you ring is going to be limiting. You’ll find that it’s not what it seems, that your fingers don’t reach that far. Eventually you’ll find it is easy to reach when your arm and wrist and hand are in the proper position. It’s much better to learn the proper positions now.

Go back and watch Tony REALLY, REALLY closely and see where his elbow is, how he’s holding his hand, is the wrist forward or back, is his thumb sticking up above the back of the neck or has he dropped it down to the middle. Relatively minor adjustments will create a huge difference in what your fingers can reach.

I hope this helps. I’m not sure it’s really that important at this time. You will learn as time goes on. You want to play what you can to have fun… at all times. Then you want to try to stretch what you can do… a little… at all times. It’s just that balance between having fun with what you can do and always trying to do a little more.

MG 😀

[Kitman]

Hi @aces1202 , great advice from @albert_d and @N-lightMike . I would also add that it seems the fingering that Tony is using also helps to get your fingers in the right position to transition to the next part of the song. Don’t know if that is the case here but something to explore. Have fun!

[JoeT]

I have dabbled for years and joined TAC in Feb 2022, I have seem considerable progress but still struggle tremendously with changing chords up to tempo. What works for me, and again it has everything to do with where your going with your chord progression or coming from, but as an example on Friday’s challenge, I will fret the Em with ring and pinky, drop down to the Am dropping my middle finger to fret the first fret of the B string, that allows me to slide that exact finger shape up two frets to grab the bar for the Bm. Then after the Em using ring and pinky back to that same shape for the Bm and then just slide down to the Am releasing the bar then finish off on the Em. I find that cuts my speed in half. I do try it the convention way at times, maybe one day I’ll get it like the pro’s do lol

[GerryB56]

Interesting questions! I tend to think it’s better to go with what’s comfortable and makes it easiest to play, otherwise I let myself get too frustrated with non progress. But I can see the point of training your fingers to stretch more for future applications. I’ve tried to fret my Em chord the way you describe, Joe, for easy transition to the Am then to the Bm. But my fingers don’t want to cooperate, having always used the middle and ring for the Em. It is useful to have multiple ways of fingering certain positions, for sure.

[aces1202]

Thank you all for your great replies. I think I’ll try to tough it out and learn how to stretch that ring finger, and make sure all the other parts in in the right position (elbow, wrist, etc).