Fingering

PunkStar · Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2003 9:31 pm Post subject: Fingering

Welcome to another of PunkStar's lessons.

My thanks to the guy on mxtabs for writing a similar article which inspired me to write this an inspire me to suggest a tutorial section on this site. I would say his name, but I've kinda forgotten. But my thanks to you never the less.

Now, to the lesson.

As I said, I saw an article similar to this on mx tabs. I felt what it said was important to learn for the beginning. So that's why I'm writing my own version from the stuff I learned from the original writer. The article was about the fact that when the guys started playing guitar, the first thing he needed to learn was to be able to pick the strings and to be able to fret the notes correctly. I learned a bit of that in the beginning. But I didn't do anywhere near as much as I should have. Actually, I'm still pretty bad. But at least I can share this with others so they don't get the same problem.

In the first article I spoke about how to play the strings. And that is something you need to learn first. So if you haven't learned what I've got there, go have a look and get at least the pick use down first. When you can pick a note well, then you should be alright to do this.

The one thing you need to remember when playing any note is that your finger needs to behind the fret your are playing. The frets are basically those wooden lines that divide your fretboard into many sections. If you are told to play the third fret, you have to put your finger behind the third wooden line thing (to say it in non-guitarist terms). If your finger isn't pretty much directly behind the fret, then you will get this buzzing kinda sound. Not pretty. So just go slow and get it right is the best way.

Below are some exercises written in guitar tab. If you don't know how to read tab, don't worry, there are plenty of sites to learn it. Or I may put up a lesson on it. But either way, you can learn it.

|------------------------------------------------5-6-7-8----|
|---------------------------------------5-6-7-8-------------|
|-----------------------------5-6-7-8-----------------------|
|--------------------5-6-7-8--------------------------------|
|-----------5-6-7-8-----------------------------------------|
|--5-6-7-8--------------------------------------------------|

|--8-7-6-5-------------------------------------------------------|
|------------8-7-6-5---------------------------------------------|
|----------------------8-7-6-5-----------------------------------|
|--------------------------------8-7-6-5-------------------------|
|------------------------------------------8-7-6-5---------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------8-7-6-5----|

The idea behind playing this is that you should use one finger for each fret. So on fret 5 you should only use your index finger to fret it. Fret 6 you should use your middle finger. Fret 7 uses your ring finger. And fret 8 uses your little finger. If you find the little finger hard to use, one of my teachers suggested getting a little rubber stress ball (you should be able to get them at sport stores) and just keep squeezing that. It will eventually build finger strength and coordination.

When you can play the exercise above pretty easily, then you should try using the same frets, but in different orders. Like below.

|-------------------------------------------------5-7-6-8----|
|---------------------------------------5-7-6-8--------------|
|-----------------------------5-7-6-8------------------------|
|--------------------5-7-6-8---------------------------------|
|-----------5-7-6-8------------------------------------------|
|--5-7-6-8---------------------------------------------------|

Now, go ahead and make up some of your own. When you are cool with those. Then try jumping strings. Start on the E string, jump to the D string, jump to the B. And so on. When you feel really good with those, then you shouldn't have much trouble playing your strings or fretting your notes.

Have fun!

EDIT: Oops, I didn't realize the list tab was so bad, it's fixed now.

glorifytheLord · Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 6:22 am Post subject:

Hey Punkstar!

Thanks for the lesson! Its been a great help!

God Bless!

PunkStar · Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:18 pm Post subject:

Glad it could help.

I've actually seen this exercise a lot recently. I've been using it on my guitar students. But often when guitar virtuosos write articles of advice for beginners, this is what I often see. I have a really good one my Tom Morello from Audioslave that incorporates this. Also, this is start of Steve Vai's 10 hour guitar workout.

maplebaby · Tadpole Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 15

thanks for posting