Loraine
Forum Replies Created
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Hey Lucky, is this it? https://youtu.be/NikJpA1gLm8?si=bbiT4vvXMbgljfSX
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@mhotovycomcast-net It is a love hate relationship, especially at the beginning. It took me a long time to get comfortable with it. I still don’t hold it the right way. Sometimes I’ll choke up on it like skyman said, but I find that can cause my hand interferes with the strings, and it doesn’t allow freedom for the wrist to move to strum. Play around with different styles of picks, sizes, thickness, etc. It is hard not too, but if you can loosen your grip on the pick, it allows for better control and movement. I like Pete’s idea of carrying one in your pocket and fingering it. Watch other players to see how they hold and play. I used to watch YouTube videos of people I admired and wanted to play like. I watched their hand and wrist and the tension, etc.
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Hey Jim,
You are definitely not alone when it comes to barre chords, and one day it’ll ring clear, and you’ll do a celebration dance. When that happens, visually denote where your hands, wrist, fingers are. It will get easier and easier after that.
Thank you for the video. It really helps us see what you might be struggling with. I noticed, you’re not really barring the string. Your finger is more arched with a gap like you’re trying to just play the low E, instead of flat against the strings. I agree with @Philb that you should rotate the barre finger so that it rolls more on the outside of the finger, and try to flatten the hand so that the finger is laying more across all the strings.
I suggest lifting the neck, similar to how a classical guitarist holds the neck; then roll your arm and wrist forward, really curving your fretted fingers (to avoid muted strings that need to be played with the barre finger, and then angle and roll out the barre finger.
If the low E (6th string) is part of the chord, then extend the barre finger higher up and press firmly. It adds more pressure to all the strings. The more difficult is when the low E isn’t part of the chord. You don’t want to play it. Your best bet is to either mute it with one of the fretted fingers pressing upward (then you can barre past it, without worrying about playing the low E), or mute it with your barre finger touching it from below (not fretting it, but impeding it from playing). I’m not blessed with the longest fingers, so what works for me is that I curve my barre finger to the outer side (looks like a backwards C) quite a bit to get the right pressure/tension with barre chords. It’s not very pretty I think it helps me is making sure that I’m curving my fingers enough so I’m not muting other strings and then I’m pushing out a little bit to put pressure on the fretting finger.
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@SCGobbler Welcome to TAC! Trust on the great advice being given to you above. I guess I can’t stress the importance of letting go of perfection like others mentioned that is one of the hardest things in life to learn is to let go of something that has been drilled in your head. I’d be in so much trouble if this required perfection, and I would’ve quit a long time ago. Trust in the process, create a habit of showing up every day, picking up your guitar, becoming familiar with your guitar, because it is an extension of yourself. You’ll be much happier with this mindset and you will actually get much further.
The only other thing I’d like to touch on is anytime you learn something new, it seems too challenging, or that it’ feels like you’re climbing a formidable mountain. climbing a mountain. Maybe the goal should be instead of reaching the peak you’re going to reach for the next shelf or ridge on the mountain. All of a sudden it feels like you can breathe, and you can focus on that small piece instead of the big picture. Just be kind to yourself, especially the first couple years, and I always tell everybody don’t quit before the magic happens. Because it will happen. You’ll reach a point where all of a sudden everything just clicks and you’re able to do things that you struggled with . There will always be new things to skills to learn and improvements to be had. You will never reach perfection. It’s impossible. Don’t try to control the outcome, so much, but still have quarterly goals to work towards. But, keep them realistic, do your part (practice), but don’t be too hard on yourself. If you don’t reach what you envision on your mind a lot of times we have to lower our expectations just a bit in order to allow allow the small (and sometimes big) wins to come through.
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@petelanger i’m sorry that happened. I think I’ve had it happen to me and it’s more of a bruising than maybe even nerve damage. If you you were hammering on or sliding on areas of your fingers that weren’t callused or used to that type of action, pressure, motion, or maybe you did it so much that you bruised it. I’ve done that, and they’re very tender and sore. It just takes time, like you said, for it to get better.
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Hahaha! I dream of this type of thing happening to me. Very funny! Thanks Phil
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I’m sorry you spent so much time looking for them, but you probable learned a few things during your search.
I agree with @albert_d that when they roll around save them as favorites. If you do want copies sooner, there are many fellow players that save their lessons and would have them saved in their favorites. You’re welcome to look at anyone’s favorites. @Moose408 might be gracious enough to share his worksheet with the weeks and their lessons. Then you can see the names and days of the songs. That way you can find look hrough his or my favorites.
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Definitely pretty cool, especially because you explained it so well that I was able to visualize what you did. Creativity being born. 🙂
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Thanks again Ms.Maggie! I have a very eclectic love of music. This was a fun one to play.
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Hey Pete, wow blast from the past. What is sad is that most of the people that commented are either no longer members of TAC, or they simply have chosen not to participate. I still miss the old forums, the people, the great conversations, the format, the vastness of topics. I miss the jam clubs, the very specific maps, ease of finding others in my general area, seeing others who were in my jam clubs, and mostly I really miss how everyone commented on every single post, welcomed all the new members, and were so willing to help. I miss the virtual open mics being, not necessarily affiliated with TAC, but accessible and welcoming, unlike how they became part of another group and more restrictive on invites to join and more cliquish. I still hold out that maybe we’ll revert back to a format that is not as bleached and almost industrial to a colorful and fun forum. We all did the lessons, so I’m still not sure I buy that newcomers were intimidated by the core group in the forums. Many were dubbed “mentors,” and they were always available to help and answer questions.
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I can only imagine. I had a banjo someone Gabe me in 1976 (had a print for 1776-1976 on the front). I couldn’t get a damn sound out of it. It all sounded the same to me. Kudos for picking that up. There are a few I’ve met in TAC that picked up the banjo.
I’ve listened to my recording and played it a few times, and I think I’ve identified the areas you mentioned on timing. Sometimes I just play by feel. Need to be more disciplined, but then again I only do this for myself at this point.
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Thanks! How have you been, Beth?
I do use one when I’m not lazy. The syncopation makes it seem off too.
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Ha ha, that is a good one! Thanks so much Albert!
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Phil, thank you as always for listening especially to my rambling in my videos ha ha.
I think my wrist is shot. Permanently deformed extremely painful and I can’t imagine a third surgery correcting it. And unfortunately I have no one else to rely on to help me with all the other stuff and I’ve lived with a chronic pain condition my whole life so I figure what’s one more thing. Sounds pretty morose ha ha
So the moral of the story is that I can’t stop playing because I’m afraid if I do I won’t be able to pick the guitar back up again.
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Aw, thanks Maggie. It is a great song, and he has the best spirit and soul. Can’t help but smile with so many of his songs.