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Power Chord Help Please! Small hand :(
just wondered if anyone knows of the best way to build strength in my hand to be able to stretch over the 2 fret width in these power chords? I have moved down the neck to get a bit closer together but is there any other method to help build how I can stretch my had to reach? Thanks for any extra suggestions! (eg E string 2nd finger 5th fret & middle and ring fingers 7th fret A and D strings).
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This discussion was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
Kayakgirl.
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This discussion was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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4 Replies
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Aloha @kayakgirl, I usually play a power chord as the base triad of the barre chord so, the power chord you’re trying to play would be: ‘lowE’ – 5th fret – Index finger, ‘A’ – 7th fret, Middle finger, ‘D’ – 6th fret, Ring finger. If your Index finger falls against the treble strings – so what , you’re not using them so their now muted. Of course … if you want to work a little bit of the treble in for accent, if it sounds good, it is good. And you get to decide what sounds good … to you.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by Kona_Bruce.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by
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thank you for your help!
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@Kayakgirl I think it is more stretching rather than strength building that you are asking about. First things first, always stretch before and after playing, especially if you’ll née the stretch like todays lesson. And don’t feel bad, it’s difficult for many of us. Your stretch will get better just from playing, but it takes a while. The type of stretching agony is doing is more drastic. Three things are important, stretch before and after, 2) don’t force a stretch.. you could pull muscles or tendons, and those can be debilitating. I had to hang my guitar up nearly 6 months from tendonitis and tennis elbow, which happened 2 Christmases ago when doing a song with very wide stretches. 3) There are exercises you can do.
One exercise I’ve used is to place pinky of fretting hand on the 8th fret. Leave that finger on the 8th fret and the place your index on the 7th, lift the index, place it on the 6th, lift the index and place it on the 5th. Do that until you can do it effortlessly while your pinky remains in the 8th fret and the index lands well within the 5th. Then move down a fret with your pinky to the 7th and do the same thing with the index to the 4th fret. And keep going. Do gentle stretches, not forced. You’ll be able to stretch further and further.
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Lorraine, thanks so much for your great advice and support!! It was getting frustrating for me. I will begin the stretching exercises you suggested and will be careful about how much I push myself, thanks so much!!🙏
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