Practicing

matdvd · Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2002 5:06 pm Post subject: Practicing

Hey Lance,

On the "You really got me" song, do you improvise on the F5 and G5 chords? Obviously they are simple with just two strings, but the distance of the fingers is not very natural, or at least for me. I have less than average size hands.

Do you use your 1st and 4th finger, instead of 1 and 3?
I guess this is another thing I have to get used to, the 'ole finger spreading.

I really have to practice sliding up and down the frets on this one. With the fingers spread apart, when I move them, they want to bunch together and end up too close together.

I have never really understood why a guitar is set up to use your unnatural hand (the left one if you are right-handed) to be the one that has all the major muscle movements. Your dominant hand gets to move a single pick back and forth. Who's the rocket scientist that devised this? It's maddening!!! hehehe

[This message has been edited by matdvd (edited February 21, 2002).]

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

yeah buddy, Use your index and pinky on the f5 and g5. It might be easier to learn it right. Me on the other hand, I do it bunches of ways. I would get used to using the pinky if I were you.

Moving the pic back and forth with your right hand is a tough task man. Especially when you start to play lead. Have you ever watched SRV's "Live at El Macombo". Watch his right hand.

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

Actually I use my 1 and 3 fingers but I can do it with the 1 and 4. I would imagine the 1 and 4 are the proper way.

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

I don't know how to play the song though(never tried) so Lance will know more than I about it Buddy.

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

Matt, I don't mean to sound "Hot Headed" when I say I can do it bunches of ways. Sorry if that is the way I sound.

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

Oh yeah, you like EVH I'm sure right? Well if you play a Am f5 and g5 you can play the beginning of "Aint Talking about Love".

ACfixer · Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2002 7:08 pm Post subject: Practicing

If I play the f5, g5, a5, or any other power chord I use my 1st and 3rd fingers. Marc Seal recommends the 1st and 4th and he kicks my butt from here to China and back. I am not sure why he says 1st and 4th...

Now for the realitly of it and how I play that song; I got in the habit early on of playing full "E" shape barre chords with the "root" on the 6th string. It was a couple months of pain and frustration but now they are so easy for me. I usually use the full barre because if I accidentally hit the next string down or even all six of them, it still fits. In fact I can accent some chords by cranking on the top 2 or 3 strings and on others let my pick travel further down and get a ringing sound from the chord. When I play Stray Cats for instance, the second time I strum the chord I let tha pick get the treble strings and even scrape them a bit on the upstroke before the chord change and it gives it that jingly rockabilly sound.

So on the F5 G5 and A5 in that song I use a full barre just out of habit but if I were just fretting the two strings I would use my 1st and 3rd. When the song goes to the C5 and D5 I use my 1st and 3rd but I barre all 6 strings (on the C5 for example) on the 3rd fret and flatten my 3rd finger across the 2,3,&4 strings on the 5th fret but I strike the pick from the 5th string down, at least I try to.... But since my 1st finger is even barring the 6th string it will still fit in the chord if I accidentally hit the 6th. It won't sound as good because it will add a G bass note but it's way safer than accidentally striking the open E on a chord where E doesn't fit.

So the answer to your question I guess is 1st and 3rd

Sliding both or even all 4 fingers together takes time Matt, but soon enough you will wonder why it was ever so hard. After awhile your fingers will adjust for the smaller frets on u the neck. It just takes repetition to build muscle memory.

ACfixer · Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2002 7:11 pm Post subject: Practicing

quote:
Originally posted by jamesron41:
Oh yeah, you like EVH I'm sure right? Well if you play a Am f5 and g5 you can play the beginning of "Aint Talking about Love".

Add the E5 to that and you have the recipe for about 10,000 songs including Miserlou, Walk don't Run, Blindman (the Kry), Burnin' for you (BOC), All I can do (the Cars), sooooo many.

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

Yeah! rock on! \m/

\m/

matdvd · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2002 12:00 am Post subject: Practicing

You know, as soon as I asked that question, somehow I knew you'd say something about barring the chord.

I'm sorry Harry, did you ask me if I liked EVH? Now there's the understatement of the decade!

Back to the old practice board again.....

jamesron41 · Lion Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 945 Location: Waco,TX

Well Matt, if you ever get your pedal I tabbed out exactly what the beginning of EVH's "Ain't talking Bout love" is. Or atleast the way I play it. It is funner when you have lots of effects. And it will be a fun thing to practice along with the CD.

I tabbed it last night because I was bored when my internet provider was down. It's not much anyway. Just the intro.

[This message has been edited by jamesron41 (edited February 22, 2002).]

matdvd · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2002 4:14 pm Post subject: Practicing

What, you didn't tab out "eruption" for me??