N-lightMike
Forum Replies Created
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Hey @Steve2150 ;
Let me start by saying many professional players use regular guitars even though they have large hands and fingers. A new guitar could make things slightly easier, but it’s hardly the solution to your current problem, so forget that suggestion for now.
Here’s the “real” solution. As time goes on, things will get easier. Your fingers and hands will get more flexible and you’ll find positions that work better.
Most people who start, should be doing finger exercises for strength, flexibility and independence.
Lay your hands palm down on a flat surface with the fingers splayed apart. Then try to lift the fingers one at a time. Do this daily for several months and it will greatly speed up the beginning process of your guitar journey.
When you can easily lift index, middle, ring, pinky, then go in reverse order. When that’s easy, then lift 2 fingers at a time, index and ring, middle and pinky.
Now, as for the G chord, when you are fretting the 5th string, you need the 4th sting open. However, you are fretting the 6th string one fret higher, so if you touch that string it doesn’t matter. So the very simple and current solution is to move your finger toward the 6th string. This will help if you can get the correct position. But that’s what I start out saying. You will find the positions that work for you and it will get easier… it just takes time.
MG 😀
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Hello @AnneD.
I just answered this same basic question regarding small hands on this link:
https://tonypolecastro.com/family-forums/topic/c-chord-help/
The basic advice is, don’t give up because it will get easier. Use a capo so the frets are closer together. You can even tune the guitar down a 1/2 step so there is less tension on the strings. But the big secret is finger exercises. They work. I spell them out in my answer on that link above.
MG 😀
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So, @Jnc51 , you’ve already got the idea. The rhythm player is playing B major and E major. Then the other girl is simply playing solo in B and E.
So, if you can play your barre chords, you simply move up 2 frets. Then play the 6th string barre and the 5th string barre. Then if you record that, you can play solo using the Bm pentatonic scale spanning the 7th fret to the 10th fret.
The way that “real” musicians learn is by ear. So, once you’ve found your place on the guitar, use your ear to try to copy them. Of course, you’ll have to use their key to learn the tune. And you’ll have to play the video over and over again. Just start at the beginning and work your way through it.
I, personally, don’t have the desire to do this and I don’t have the experience to do it quickly. So this is the best I can do for you.
MG 😀
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Hello @SarahBluebird ;
The most important advice you’ve already received, don’t give up. Things will get easier.
But also, @David_Leo has mentioned a couple of tricks. You can capo up, where the frets are closer together. Just play and practice your guitar for a while with the capo on. Use the 5th fret and it will be noticeably easier. And the 2nd trick is to tune down a 1/2 step so the strings have less tension.
Ah, but here’s the secret weapon: finger exercises. Lay your hands palm down on a flat surface with the fingers splayed apart. Then try to lift the fingers one at a time. Do this daily for several months and it will greatly speed up this beginning process of your guitar journey.
When you can easily lift index, middle, ring, pinky, then go in reverse order. When that’s easy, then lift 2 fingers at a time, index and ring, middle and pinky.
You can report back and let us know how this is working for you. If you really do it, you will inspire others to try because it works wonders.
MG 😀
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Ok, so this is Thursday. I can finally play Monday’s lesson. But, in order to keep that rhythm I have to go about 30 bpm so I can keep the fretting pattern.
But I am still counting it out, 1 (down hit) + (up hit) 2 (down hit mute) + (up hit) 3 (down miss) + (up miss) 4 (down hit mute) + (up miss) 1 (down hit on new fret location) etc.
So, I am counting the numbers, what’s in the parenthesis is what I am doing on that count. I’m pretty sure that’s obvious, but just to make sure I have spelled it out. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I won’t understand something that is “obvious” if it’s not spelled out. Occasionally, someone is like me, so there ya go.
MG 😀
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That’s so inspiring @Dirk_R . I’m so glad that you shared this experience with us. And of course, I’m really happy for you. This is a huge step along your guitar journey. Keep on truckin’ and strummin’.
MG 😀
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So, not only did I answer my own question, now I’m making a reply to myself. Why?
Simple, I want to make it clear that I have not “mastered” this lesson, nor am I finding it easy to even practice it. I wanted to share what I have had to do to get the timing down.
To throw in the extra motion of releasing the pressure on the string so that it’s muted just complicates my trying to get the rhythm down. So I’m starting with just playing the rhythm, not even changing notes.
Down, up, down, up, pause, pause, down, pause; repeat. That’s
1 + 2 + 4 1 + 2 + 4 1 + 2 + 4 1 + 2 + 4 1…
There’s a full quarter note pause between the 2 + and the 4, where as there is only an eighth note pause between the 4 and 1.
From experience, I know that I have to get that rhythm down to the point I can “feel” it and stop thinking about it before I try to change notes. Once I can do the rhythm and the notes without thinking about it, then I can throw in the muted notes. Otherwise, I’m trying to learn too many things at the same time and I’m just fighting myself.
An important step to learning the rhythm, is to tap my foot to the beat. It took awhile before I could tap my foot on the down beats because I’m missing the 3rd down beat. That’s why I needed to stop changing notes or trying to mute. Just do the rhythm.
I hope this helps others.
Maybe I should have put all of this in the “Show Us Your Routine” section. But I wanted to highlight the problem with even understanding the rhythm of this week’s lessons and then the effort to actually play it.
MG 😀
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Hey @JadeSilverwing ;
Welcome to TAC. This is a great place to learn guitar and gain confidence. I’m sure you will have many questions the this forum can help you with.
As far as playing/practicing with someone, that’s a little tougher. This membership is a world wide group. If you open the drop down menu beside your avatar, and go to members, you can look for members in your state and see if there is anyone near by. I’m sure there are guitar players in your local area. I’m not sure how you would go about finding people to play guitar with.
Maybe another member can help you with part of your question better than myself.
MG 😀
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hey @maryd ;
Yeah, if you follow all the advice already given you’ll probably be ok. But I wanted to say one thing. It’s already been said in a couple of different ways: different position with your elbow, listen to your body, don’t play through pain, etc.
The one I wanted to add was do your best to keep your wrist in a neutral position. This may be why adjusting your elbow helped. Many times we have our wrist bent at too sharp an angle and at the same time using a lot of finger strength. That will result in pain and injury in a surprisingly short period.
Body position, guitar position, elbow, shoulder, all these and more can affect the attitude of your wrist. Adjust all those things until you have your wrist as straight as possible.
Then practice using as light pressure as possible to get a clean sound. Make sure you don’t employ the “death grip”. If you are getting tired hands and/or forearms, go for short periods of time, giving yourself numerous breaks to relax those muscles.
It will get better. But don’t, as @Loraine said, don’t push through pain. That will really set your guitar progress back.
MG 😀
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You bet, @Rich B. , putting this down helps me and there’s always a chance it might help someone else.
Until we learn the lesson, we always try to “play” the whole thing. We don’t realize how many new things we are doing all at the same time.
By the way, your unique handle, or profile name, doesn’t seem to work. I can’t get you to come up. I think the @Rich might be calling up someone else. I don’t know. But the B. is definitely not coming up.
MG 😀
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Yeah, thanks @jumpinjeff , not just for the comment, but for the help you have given me in the past that allowed me to break this down that far. I didn’t right away. I tried shoving the whole thing in my mouth, but I was choking, so I tried a smaller bite. I still couldn’t chew it, so I finally broke it all the way down to just the picking hand. It’s unusual to skip the 3 beat, but when you do the you don’t want to skip the 4+ beat. Just hitting the 4 and waiting for the 1 is a killer. But I got it.
It will be interesting how far I have progressed by the end of the week. I hope to at least have Monday’s lesson handled. But I’ll keep working on these as I love this technique and really want to learn it.
MG 😀
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👍😊
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It’s true, @KayMesser , that there is only one video that’s stored on the server instead of 3 for each and every lesson. That’s one of the reasons for the upgrade. However, now there are more speeds instead of just 3. There are 2 speeds below the lesson speed, and 4 speeds above. The whole purpose is to give us practice playing along with an outside tempo source. We can always play with a metronome, drum machine, or backing track from the internet also. We have numerous options. I hope one of these will work for you.
MG 😀
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Oh, ok. I was unaware of any special requirements for 12 fret guitars. I know they get more “boom” due to the bridge being farther back, but I didn’t know this caused any issue with string tension.
Please let me know if you find out any info I should know about my own 12 fret guitars. I would appreciate it, @Marty72
MG 😀
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Yeah, that would be great to personalize your profile on JMG. That way we’d know your really going to stay with us. 😉
And you could still get ahold of support and see what they’d be willing to work out with you, if anything, regarding a lifetime membership. You don’t know if you don’t ask.
MG 😀