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OK, I was just watching this guy on a video show a drop 2 voicing for Fmajor 7. He did the easy fingering of the chord at the top (is near the keys the top or bottom of the guitar??) of the neck, and then said how you can lower the second note--the C--an octave, and this chord has him stretching his lttle pinky to the high E on the 5th fret. I struggle with this, and so it has inspired these questions:
a) have any of you experienced that with experience chords which seemed difficult to finger become easier because you hand becomes more able to stretch and nimble.
b) I have small hands. Are there any good exercises you would recommend to help hands to stretch more?
3) IF I cannot do some of these chords, will I still be able to produce rich chords via another means. Ie., are shell voicings good to know for these reasons. IE., is there compensation for not being able to finger complex stretching chords
Years ago when I first started playing, this friend who was far more better understanding guitar also had small hands and he admitted that some chords he would never be able to do
I ask all this because one of the things had me putting down the guitar last time was me getting worried about my small hands. I was watching guitarists doing runs on guitar whose fingers were all near the strings whereas mine see-sawed from thumb to little finger.
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04-08-2012 08:47 AM
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Elixzer,
It takes practice and patience. I've been playing many years, and my left hand can spread at least two inches (5+ cm) wider than my right. A good exercise is just playing chords you want to learn, far enough up the neck that you can finger them comfortably, then back off a fret and try. There are other exercises that I've shown other people, but are a little complicated to explain without a visual.
Brad
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That is GREAT and what I love to hear, and its inspiring to hear from a more experienced guitarist.
Originally Posted by brad4d8
I have great faith in the body, and its capacities.
I also feel that the more passionate you are about voicings of chords will also inspire the stretching. I am finding this right now. I love the Jazzy Brazilian riffs I am doing and it makes it so I am not even feeling the pain that much on the fingers pressing down on the strings or stretching as I finger some of the shapes. Though i make sure to rest in between sessions
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I think you will naturally use what "works" for you. You study and absorb, and then you employ what you can execute. In addition, you can consider adopting shorter-scaled guitars that might better accommodate your hand size.
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I think I probably know 200 different chord shapes...
probably use about 20 as "go to's."
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How do you mean "go to's" Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
please?
See my way is really to ---is hard to explain but I will try. IF there is a way of getting to that FLOW is what I like, rather than worrying 'ohhh i cant stretch. etc' Like If I find it difficult with some chords(S) what do do--think 'oh well give it a few years' OR be learning ways with chord voicings that help me create without unnecessary obstacles--kinda thing.
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I had this dilemma last phase. Some people recommended a shorter scaled guitar. others said no!---you don't get same tone, you will learn to adapt, etc. So it confused a bit Originally Posted by M-ster
Decisions decisions
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Just remember that if you feel discomfort, back off. It takes time for your hands to be able to stretch and some voicings may never be reachable but you can always rearange the notes to something you can play or just pay a partial chord to get the notes you want.
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Originally Posted by elixzer
Basically, I mean that while I can remember a whole bunch of chord shapes that are really cool, 95% of my playing or so I'm going to maybe 20 different shapes or so...I'm a proponent of know a few things well and use the hell out of them as opposed to know 100 things half-assed.
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I have JUST found out about this book, and checked out its reviews here all of which seem good. Does anyone have experience of using this book or knowing people it has helped?
Mel Bay Six Essential Fingerings for the Jazz Guitarist (The Jimmy Bruno Jazz Guitar Series)
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I am practising the ii,V,1 chords here Shell Voicings - Guitarist Camilo Velandia
I am now wanting to know what actual fingers to use to finger the shapes? Where can I find this info at these forums, or anywhere you recommend? Thanks
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B-6th. Nice minor 6th voicing. Moveable. Sounds great on Brazilian tunes. Enjoy. Originally Posted by elixzer
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HI, will I have to create another thread to ask this?
I am learning the progressions ii, V, I and jazz chords in general and need to know what fingers to put where for best possible learning. I have tried to search it for this website but rather got finger excercizes for fingerpicking---which I want to learn, but am at the moment wanting to know what fingers to use ON the shapes. Maybe there are several ways, I dunno, but I would like to look at some help about this. Let me repeat--I am not asking for info on the shapes themselves, but what FINGERS to use FOR the shapes
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Here's what you need: what are your favourite ways of doing a 2-5-1? Originally Posted by elixzer
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Thanks for the link but--maybe I am not understanding--but am not clear how that helps my present concern (hover it does seem to have vital info). Here let me show you this, because this is what I am more after--gotta have pics. I am So right brain lol (LOVE your Avatar btw, reminds me of Kim Novak) Originally Posted by whatswisdom
OK, checkout this link: Guitar Fingering explained - Learn guitar chords fingering
You can see fingers with numbers on, and sometimes the dots on strings have numbers on suggesting which fingers to use. Its that I need right now.
I know that Jazzers are often mavericks and do things differently than non-Jazz musicians so thats why I am asking here.
I personally am not mad on full barring, and LOVE the idea of shell voicings, and moving around the neck kinda finger freely--if you will, though I know there has to be full barres every once in a while, but not in a 'cowboy chord' fashion. It turns me on to SEE guitarists play like that, and I also dont like picks and love right-hand freestyle too
At the moment I am studying the playing of these shell voicing chords here, but they are not numbered, SO I am wondering the best possible finger positions from them so that transition from one to the other is cool. IF you say work it out for yourself to be original, I will take that on board as well, but IF there are techniques I am missing I need to know. Ideally I would love to explore possible fingers for these types of chords all over the neck:
http://www.camilovelandia.com/shell-voicings.htmlLast edited by elixzer; 04-11-2012 at 10:00 AM.
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There are multitudes of books that have that feature. Chord dictionaries, etc. So many are boring and don't really get you playing music. For me, Randy Vincent's books are excellent. Musical studies are practical and interesting! And he gives you the fretboard frames clearly marked for each chord voicing. For me this is more visual and preferred over TAB. See his Drop2 and 3-note-voicings books. You'll be playing chords you never knew existed. Originally Posted by elixzer
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YES! I am thinking of getting this by him: Originally Posted by whatswisdom
Three-Note Voicings and Beyond
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BUT---at least two of the reviewers said 'NOT for beginners though'. Do I want to fork out over 20 odd pounds for a book I cannot checkout if when I get it its too advanced from me?
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Django only had 2 fingers. Do your own thing
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Didn't think you were a beginner. Oops! But I'm sure there's lots of other books that are more appropriate. Originally Posted by elixzer
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imo you've largely answered your own question in the above quote - by which I mean "Can I switch to (another)/(the next) (chord)/(line) efficiently using this fingering?". Other issues to consider... Is the fingering physically comfortable? Can any unused fingers be used for passing notes/chord extensions etc? and so on ... Originally Posted by elixzer
All the above can be accelerated (imo) by studying one-to-one with the "right" teacher.
my $0.02 ...Last edited by Bill C; 04-11-2012 at 02:07 PM.
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MORE please?? what do you mean? Originally Posted by tele jazz
I ask this because I saw this video last night which had the title 'how to play whats in your head' and is saying to just experiment finding melodies up and down strings, vertically etc. I found this video one of the most inspiring guitar learning vids I've ever seen. So is that what you mean?
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I think he just means exactly what he said...outside of doing any real odd gymnastics, most fingering choices are personal.
I always strive for economy of movement...if I can grab a few chords in succession and keep the same fingers on the same strings, or at the same fret, then that's a good thing.
As for Django, if you're not familiar, he was burned badly in a fire when he was young, and at that point, already a hell of a guitar player. His fretting hand index and middle fingers worked normally, but his ring and pinky were sort of "fused" together. He would use the working fingers along with the fused fingers and still be able to grab all kinds of chords, however unorthodox the fingering may have seemed.
When you listen to Django, remember he only used the fused fingers for chords...all those single note lines are two fingers. If that don't make you sweat a little, nothing will
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Was the guy's name Django? Originally Posted by elixzer
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I have heard of him of course, and his guitar playing is amazing. Has there ever been a film made about his life? I would really like to see that. People like him are incredibly inspiring Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
I think he just means exactly what he said...outside of doing any real odd gymnastics, most fingering choices are personal.
I always strive for economy of movement...if I can grab a few chords in succession and keep the same fingers on the same strings, or at the same fret, then that's a good thing.
As for Django, if you're not familiar, he was burned badly in a fire when he was young, and at that point, already a hell of a guitar player. His fretting hand index and middle fingers worked normally, but his ring and pinky were sort of "fused" together. He would use the working fingers along with the fused fingers and still be able to grab all kinds of chords, however unorthodox the fingering may have seemed.
When you listen to Django, remember he only used the fused fingers for chords...all those single note lines are two fingers. If that don't make you sweat a little, nothing will
It must be hard to be original. IE., you are on your own. Example--say you do something considered not 'good'. to DO it means your out there. LOL. Like for example, I quite like the buzz I get on my guitar when I am trying the jazz chords which I practice with a Brazilian like rythym (and also if I do a Blues riff). I like a percussive feel to guitar, and I also quite like buzzing and 'wrong' hit notes, and that sound right --somehow. BUT there comes this voice often in your head from what you have heard---'NO buzz!!...dont get into BAD HABITS' 'DONT have your thumb coming over the neck!!' etc.
A short while ago I Googled various searches like 'guitarists who like their guitars to buzz' 'Let the guitar buzz', etc etc but all the links were how to NOT do that lol.
People who are original have to fight that little voice or what people say and do their own thing.
Now I await the tellings off that buzz is bad hah
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