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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Day 4 – Hammer the Hurt
Responses
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This one has me pulling my hair out, but I appreciate the challenge.
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No calluses on my fingers yet.
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I will try again tomorrow, not much progress with this one today.
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Holy Cow!! Quite a challenge. Love it.
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I feel like such a spaz doing this exercise. My fingers don’t want to cooperate even though my brain is tuned in.
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That was v. challenging. I took it extremely slow and that’s about it for now. Needs work
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Started out really uncoordinated. Tried it later and it went much better, though I can’t seem to get the proper fingers to pick the proper string. More practice! It’s like I want to use my thumb and index for everything, and I get the strings mixed up. Oddly enough, the turn-around is simple and easy (it’s just a D7 shape moving down the neck), but those hammers ain’t happenin’.
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Everything up to this point was really fun and pretty playable. This particular hammer-on technique was way beyond my ability right now.
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Worked the picking first, then the hammer on’s. Different but doable with a bit of practice.
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First time ever finger picking. Challenging and fun. Only was able to work on the 1st and 2nd patterns with no hammer ons, but had moments of sustained picking.
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Didn’t get it… way over my head
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Still trying but finding this challenge to be my most difficult so far. Dabbled with a banjo for a while so I thought this would be a piece of cake. Not so.
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AHA. Mississippi John Hurt strikes again! Interesting applications of string skipping and pitch bending using hammer-ons plus the chord altering techniques like Neil Young, Fun to experiment with. This is why the John Hurt nuanced style is so interesting to listen to – not just a bunch of chords !!!
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I’m defeated on this one. I can’t get past the first measure. I’ll try again later.
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Couldn’t get the hammer on timing down so I focused on picking patterns and got them down. Thought they sounded good.
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Struggling with my worse aspect of beginner guitar, fingerpicking, will come back and have another go.
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Woof. Tough one to follow. Got the pattern – don’t get the hammer. Will try again later.
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The Mississippi John Hurt lessons are always hardest for me to get. Def better than this time last year. Choppy, but I’ve found that fingerpicking is just like that until muscle memory takes over.
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I guess that I was not alone finding this a very difficult lesson. I spent over 1 hour and I was able to get some of it but it did not sound good. Trying to get the drone with the pull offs, not easy.
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Wow, so much going on. I’m finding it easier to start with the finger style pattern, then practice the hammer-ons by picking, and then going back and putting them both together. My pinky hammer on, needs work. I’m following your advice that it’s ok to not be perfect – I’ll be working on this for many days.
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This one will take a lot of repetition to get through. I only have the first bar on my initial session and that took some work to sound acceptable. Hammering with the pinky is challenging and attempting to time it with other action is overwhelming but I’ll keep working at it. I like this better than breezing through lessons.
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So difficult. But still practicing anyway.
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This one is just a bit out of reach for me.
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Okay, I finally figured it out and can now play it according to the tab. The lower of the two notes is a drone note. Duh! Once I figured out how to play it Tony’s (and MJH”s) way, it sounded a lot better than my way and I wanted to just keep playing it over and over, especially the juicy little turn around. I had to force myself to stop since my finger tips were on fire. But I’ll be back on this later for sure. So much fun.
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Measure 12 is really a B7 shape.
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This is a tough one for sure! Trying my best but will have to favorite this and practice it later.
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How very true, @PBmax! This one is certainly a struggle for me. I remember not even being able to get my hammer-ons to sound when I struck the base note, but it is ringing out this time- small win! I’ll keep at it to see if I can get this pattern down. Through TAC, Tony introduced me to the music and techniques of Mississippi John Hurt, expanding my musical world! Cool!
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Sharon- this is Ward (not Emily) . This lesson is VERY difficult! I am glad that you are making progress on it. This one will take alot more practice for me.
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I’ve tried this a few times now, can’t get it at all!
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Maybe it’s juzt ms but I can barely hear the hammer-on in the play along video. I’m not playing it exactly as Tony does but I like the way I do it better. What I do is pluck the D string at the same time as the G string in the first measure. That way the hammer on is clearly heard. Again, I guess I’m breaking the laws of physics, or at least of Tony physics but I think it sounds better.
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i mistyped a few letters because my cat, Missie the Mischief Maker, was walking all over my keyboard as I was trying to type. She is well-named.
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You’ re obviously a guitar anarchist! LOL.
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Hey PFB, I did what you are doing the 1st go-a-round on this 1 but have made the adjustment to the MJH way this time around and while the way you are picking it does sound good, actually, like MJH’s way better. I think it’s my ego satisfied that I have figured out how to do the MJH way.
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I agree it sounds much better doing a pinch instead of a soundless hammer. If those two notes *need* to be sounded together, a hammer isn’t going to cut it. I can do hammers in other music, but not this one.
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Cool Tony, I can do Lines 1 and 2 without the hammer-ons but dont ‘have time today to deep dive this, gotto check on my Mom’s furnace!
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Very frustrating, I just can’t get my head around the hammer on and playing the bass string at the same time! Songs played in this way are interesting, but MJH, well I just don’t get how to play them?
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Struggle, Struggle and more struggle. REMINDER for each struggle you are getting closer to mastery! Slow progress is still progress. I have “HAMMERED” this into my brain to persevere!
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Yup some days your the bug and some days your the windshield. Timing is a lot to get use to but sort of figured it out. Just going to take much more practice…
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This one’s tough — but worth it. I want to be able to play this in its entirety.
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Very tough. Too many moving parts. I will endeavor to persevere!
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“endeavor to persevere!” to quote the Indian in the outlaw Josey Wales.
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This was difficult for me when we did the John Hurt song. It just takes time to get both hands to do different things simultaneously. I am glad we are hitting it again.
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Patting your head and rubbing your stomach is easy compared to this…great challenge and fun at the same time!
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This one was tough. I could play along during the teaching session but need to practice it more to get it with the backing track. Busyness got me singing the blues more than playing them.
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the hammer ons are hurting me badly
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Spent an hour or so just to get through it. Will be practicing this in a few short practice sessions today. Good luck to all.
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“Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks” (Tom Petty) – today is rocks for me LOL.
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great picking pattern
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This entire course has been really fun…I look forward to playing the new lesson each day! Soooooooo happy that we are at the finer picking lesson!!!
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Struggling to keep the D string open, fat fingers, wrong hand position, I don’t know
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Good challenge, a real brain workout. Having to take a lot of breaks to process. I’ve got the strumming and hammer-ons, it’s just combining them all thats challenging
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Definitely moving in a different direction compared to our other lessons this week. I do want to get better at finger picking so this lesson, with more practice, should really help me out.
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weird lesson totally different from. the other lessons. guess you got your reasons. d like to hear this in a song to make sense of it
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Try listening to Mississippi John’s Spike Driver Blues. it may help:
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Good call, thanks!
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I agree…Me too
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Whilst I’m struggling with this, it’s inspiring because it’s a skill I’ve always wanted to develop. I still need to get my brain to individually control the direction my ring and pinky finger
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Great attitude. Keep up the great work.
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The metronome is our friend. This lesson will take some time. I hope everyone is doing well, and I can’t wait to practice more this afternoon and read all of the comments.
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This lesson is why the Lords of guitar invented the Metronome and the early pioneer’s of Blues music used toe tapping. It’s all in the timing. 1 & 2 &, 3, 4. I just practice 1 & 2 & over and over until it starts to become fluid. Take it slow count it out and then build it up. The turn around begins with the 6th chord of the Key of E. C#7th, C7th and B7th to the open string B note. I play that 1st chord as the relative minor of the Key of E, so the fingering I’m using for the C#minor is the 3rd and 5th string fingering on the 4th fret for both those notes and the 2nd fret of the 4th string D. Just sounds better to me.
Congratulations, !
Challenge complete
Come back tomorrow for your next challenge
This one has me pulling my hair out, but I appreciate the challenge.
No calluses on my fingers yet.
I will try again tomorrow, not much progress with this one today.
Holy Cow!! Quite a challenge. Love it.
I feel like such a spaz doing this exercise. My fingers don’t want to cooperate even though my brain is tuned in.
That was v. challenging. I took it extremely slow and that’s about it for now. Needs work
Started out really uncoordinated. Tried it later and it went much better, though I can’t seem to get the proper fingers to pick the proper string. More practice! It’s like I want to use my thumb and index for everything, and I get the strings mixed up. Oddly enough, the turn-around is simple and easy (it’s just a D7 shape moving down the neck), but those hammers ain’t happenin’.
Everything up to this point was really fun and pretty playable. This particular hammer-on technique was way beyond my ability right now.
Worked the picking first, then the hammer on’s. Different but doable with a bit of practice.
First time ever finger picking. Challenging and fun. Only was able to work on the 1st and 2nd patterns with no hammer ons, but had moments of sustained picking.
Didn’t get it… way over my head
Still trying but finding this challenge to be my most difficult so far. Dabbled with a banjo for a while so I thought this would be a piece of cake. Not so.
AHA. Mississippi John Hurt strikes again! Interesting applications of string skipping and pitch bending using hammer-ons plus the chord altering techniques like Neil Young, Fun to experiment with. This is why the John Hurt nuanced style is so interesting to listen to – not just a bunch of chords !!!
I’m defeated on this one. I can’t get past the first measure. I’ll try again later.
Couldn’t get the hammer on timing down so I focused on picking patterns and got them down. Thought they sounded good.
Struggling with my worse aspect of beginner guitar, fingerpicking, will come back and have another go.
Woof. Tough one to follow. Got the pattern – don’t get the hammer. Will try again later.
The Mississippi John Hurt lessons are always hardest for me to get. Def better than this time last year. Choppy, but I’ve found that fingerpicking is just like that until muscle memory takes over.
I guess that I was not alone finding this a very difficult lesson. I spent over 1 hour and I was able to get some of it but it did not sound good. Trying to get the drone with the pull offs, not easy.
Wow, so much going on. I’m finding it easier to start with the finger style pattern, then practice the hammer-ons by picking, and then going back and putting them both together. My pinky hammer on, needs work. I’m following your advice that it’s ok to not be perfect – I’ll be working on this for many days.
This one will take a lot of repetition to get through. I only have the first bar on my initial session and that took some work to sound acceptable. Hammering with the pinky is challenging and attempting to time it with other action is overwhelming but I’ll keep working at it. I like this better than breezing through lessons.
So difficult. But still practicing anyway.
This one is just a bit out of reach for me.
Okay, I finally figured it out and can now play it according to the tab. The lower of the two notes is a drone note. Duh! Once I figured out how to play it Tony’s (and MJH”s) way, it sounded a lot better than my way and I wanted to just keep playing it over and over, especially the juicy little turn around. I had to force myself to stop since my finger tips were on fire. But I’ll be back on this later for sure. So much fun.
Measure 12 is really a B7 shape.
This is a tough one for sure! Trying my best but will have to favorite this and practice it later.
How very true, @PBmax! This one is certainly a struggle for me. I remember not even being able to get my hammer-ons to sound when I struck the base note, but it is ringing out this time- small win! I’ll keep at it to see if I can get this pattern down. Through TAC, Tony introduced me to the music and techniques of Mississippi John Hurt, expanding my musical world! Cool!
Sharon- this is Ward (not Emily) . This lesson is VERY difficult! I am glad that you are making progress on it. This one will take alot more practice for me.
I’ve tried this a few times now, can’t get it at all!
Maybe it’s juzt ms but I can barely hear the hammer-on in the play along video. I’m not playing it exactly as Tony does but I like the way I do it better. What I do is pluck the D string at the same time as the G string in the first measure. That way the hammer on is clearly heard. Again, I guess I’m breaking the laws of physics, or at least of Tony physics but I think it sounds better.
i mistyped a few letters because my cat, Missie the Mischief Maker, was walking all over my keyboard as I was trying to type. She is well-named.
You’ re obviously a guitar anarchist! LOL.
Hey PFB, I did what you are doing the 1st go-a-round on this 1 but have made the adjustment to the MJH way this time around and while the way you are picking it does sound good, actually, like MJH’s way better. I think it’s my ego satisfied that I have figured out how to do the MJH way.
I agree it sounds much better doing a pinch instead of a soundless hammer. If those two notes *need* to be sounded together, a hammer isn’t going to cut it. I can do hammers in other music, but not this one.
Cool Tony, I can do Lines 1 and 2 without the hammer-ons but dont ‘have time today to deep dive this, gotto check on my Mom’s furnace!
Very frustrating, I just can’t get my head around the hammer on and playing the bass string at the same time! Songs played in this way are interesting, but MJH, well I just don’t get how to play them?
Struggle, Struggle and more struggle. REMINDER for each struggle you are getting closer to mastery! Slow progress is still progress. I have “HAMMERED” this into my brain to persevere!
Yup some days your the bug and some days your the windshield. Timing is a lot to get use to but sort of figured it out. Just going to take much more practice…
This one’s tough — but worth it. I want to be able to play this in its entirety.
Very tough. Too many moving parts. I will endeavor to persevere!
“endeavor to persevere!” to quote the Indian in the outlaw Josey Wales.
This was difficult for me when we did the John Hurt song. It just takes time to get both hands to do different things simultaneously. I am glad we are hitting it again.
Patting your head and rubbing your stomach is easy compared to this…great challenge and fun at the same time!
This one was tough. I could play along during the teaching session but need to practice it more to get it with the backing track. Busyness got me singing the blues more than playing them.
the hammer ons are hurting me badly
Spent an hour or so just to get through it. Will be practicing this in a few short practice sessions today. Good luck to all.
“Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks” (Tom Petty) – today is rocks for me LOL.
great picking pattern
This entire course has been really fun…I look forward to playing the new lesson each day! Soooooooo happy that we are at the finer picking lesson!!!
Struggling to keep the D string open, fat fingers, wrong hand position, I don’t know
Good challenge, a real brain workout. Having to take a lot of breaks to process. I’ve got the strumming and hammer-ons, it’s just combining them all thats challenging
Definitely moving in a different direction compared to our other lessons this week. I do want to get better at finger picking so this lesson, with more practice, should really help me out.
weird lesson totally different from. the other lessons. guess you got your reasons. d like to hear this in a song to make sense of it
Try listening to Mississippi John’s Spike Driver Blues. it may help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5img4o2Wgc
Good call, thanks!
I agree…Me too
Whilst I’m struggling with this, it’s inspiring because it’s a skill I’ve always wanted to develop. I still need to get my brain to individually control the direction my ring and pinky finger
Great attitude. Keep up the great work.
The metronome is our friend. This lesson will take some time. I hope everyone is doing well, and I can’t wait to practice more this afternoon and read all of the comments.
This lesson is why the Lords of guitar invented the Metronome and the early pioneer’s of Blues music used toe tapping. It’s all in the timing. 1 & 2 &, 3, 4. I just practice 1 & 2 & over and over until it starts to become fluid. Take it slow count it out and then build it up. The turn around begins with the 6th chord of the Key of E. C#7th, C7th and B7th to the open string B note. I play that 1st chord as the relative minor of the Key of E, so the fingering I’m using for the C#minor is the 3rd and 5th string fingering on the 4th fret for both those notes and the 2nd fret of the 4th string D. Just sounds better to me.