All Questions
97 questions
2
votes
1
answer
27
views
Lilypond: Guitar stringNumber colliding with glissando
I'd like to tweak (raise) the fingeringNumber '2' in measure 1 just a bit to avoid collision with the glissando. I know how to lower the glissando endpoint, but that's not what I'm after.
Can somebody ...
- 267
5
votes
3
answers
222
views
Do guitar players use the thumb to fret two notes when playing chords and/or riffs?
I’ve been revisiting an old chord book (Sal Salvador Chordal Enrichment & Chord Substitution ©1985) and on page 45 I found this:
It’s a nice chord but the first fingering is impossible. The ...
- 445
1
vote
1
answer
248
views
How to convert @tonicjs/tonic chord data to guitar chords?
I am looking at https://github.com/tonaljs/tonal/tree/main/packages/chord which has a lot of music theory I'm less familiar with. When I was playing the guitar for many years 20 years ago, I learned a ...
- 682
6
votes
1
answer
707
views
What does a lowercase "a" mean for guitar music?
What does a lowercase letter "a" next to the notehead mean for guitar music?
- 987
2
votes
0
answers
56
views
Has anyone tried playing a Fanned Fret guitar/bass? How did it feel vs standard? Did you stick with it? [closed]
The title says it all. I'm intrigued by fanned frets, but buying an instrument like that is a big leap. If you've tried it, I'd like to hear about your experience.
8
votes
1
answer
406
views
Open string call out does not match requested music note
I am learning guitar and recently came across a sheet requesting what I understand to be an open B string (red arrow), however the music sheet shows a C (blue arrow) note being played. What is the ...
- 83
1
vote
1
answer
93
views
Which fingering to use for this section of a song
I can’t figure out the best fingering for this part of Sound of Silence. What should I do?
- 267
4
votes
4
answers
102
views
Use of Drop 2 or 3 for Polychord like A13th
Using Drop 2 or 3 on guitar offers the guitarist a variety of ways to use 4 adjacent strings for the comfortable, if not faster, way to play chords. Yes the chords are inverted. ...
- 41
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
What part of fingertip should touch the strings - Guitar
Before posting here, I have searched the net but could not find any related posts. I have been attempting to play guitar for a few years now. While I am a total amateur, right from the time I started ...
user87564
6
votes
3
answers
263
views
How or What to Practice to Get Consistent?
This might seem like a strange question. I've read a lot of books about deliberate practice and the history of music pedagogy, and I'm still a bit puzzled by this:
How do I get more consistent?
For ...
- 61
2
votes
1
answer
106
views
Controlling finger reaction
This is a follow up question of Guitar Muscle memory lesson plan for fine motor skill deficit
While melodies get longer, I'm confusing, and especially if finger path are crosssing itself a lot such as
...
user33689
3
votes
3
answers
189
views
Guitar: finger position question
My professor asked me to practice the following on any string: index finger on fret 1, ring finger on fret 3, little finger on fret 5. I keep practicing but this is pretty painful and hard for me to ...
- 141
0
votes
1
answer
129
views
How am I meant to hold my fingers for this chord?
I am currently learning how to play guitar. I haven't found a proper guitar teacher yet due to the current lockdown situation, so I have to learn from YouTube videos and other online exercises. ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
145
views
How is this C chord constructed on guitar?
I am following a tutorial on Black Magic Woman from Justin Guitar and at 6:18 he plays the C Chord in the following way. Since the C Chord consists of notes C, E, and G I notice that his index finger ...
- 77
2
votes
1
answer
202
views
Little finger positioning on fretting hand while playing guitar 3-notes-per-string
I would like some advice on my left (fretting) hand pinkie's (little finger) orientation when I'm playing three-note-per string scales at faster tempos. I find the pinkie flattens, especially the ...
- 261
0
votes
1
answer
148
views
How to barre this chord without muting adjacent string?
I found this online.
How do you barre with the third(ring) finger without it touching and muting the G string? Anatomically speaking it's really hard for my ring finger to not touch the G string while ...
user64861
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How am I supposed to play this chord?
I've tried to play this chord a couple different ways and I have no way to play it. I tried to have my index on 10 my pinky on the 16s and my middle or ring on 14. Is there something I'm missing or ...
- 113
3
votes
3
answers
277
views
Need advice on a bent pinky problem
I am looking for a good reference for hand exercises and advice on pinky problems.
After an accident on 2017 where I sprained my wrist (3rd degree that forced me away from my guitar) my index and ...
- 31
1
vote
5
answers
427
views
Guitar - pinkie finger independence [duplicate]
I am doing some exercises and the instructor noted to keep my fingers as close to the strings as possible.
However, i noticed that every time i go to press my second or third finger, then the pinkie ...
- 933
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Fingers not spreading when curled
I play guitar and I should have my fingers directly above the frets when placing all four fingers down. But if I curl them just a bit, I cant spread the middle finger and ring finger AT ALL. They are ...
- 1,213
8
votes
10
answers
960
views
How to ensure the fretboard hand and the plucking hand are working on same string?
Recently I bought a guitar (but I am learning it totally through internet, due to lockdown condition). If I hold the guitar in suggested posture (or like everybody do), I cannot almost see the ...
user33689
3
votes
2
answers
287
views
A very specific bar chord problem
There are loads of posts about bar chords but this one is a specific problem.
So I can bar all strings on each fret without any trouble, not even much pressure, even without using my thumb on the ...
4
votes
6
answers
728
views
How to finger Dm -> Dm9?
I'm playing a song that goes Dm to Dm9. Moving from either open Dm or fifth-string bar Dm to the pictured Dm9 shape feel pretty awkward. Is there a better shape or fingering? I imagine Dm->Dm9 in any ...
- 1,817
2
votes
3
answers
139
views
How to change chord from xx5333 to xx7765?
I'm trying to play Gm and Dm as follows, which is described as "a typical reggae rhythm played on the offbeat".
The natural way for me to finger these are Gm with fingers 1 (bar) and 2/3 for Gm, and ...
- 1,817
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Classical guitar: right hand finger movement when playing chord
When playing a string with the right hand, it is suggested to have the finger pushing through the string. That is to say, the finger is moving inward the guitar, rather than pluck the string outward ...
- 239
2
votes
2
answers
328
views
(Indian Classical) Violin note-spacing vs. Guitar note spaces
I play the Indian classical violin. In that, when you have a song in A, for instance, you would tune the first (lowest) and third strings to A, an octave apart, and the second and fourth to the ...
- 23
0
votes
4
answers
229
views
Economizing finger movement in exercise vs following the book
In Al Di Meola and Bob Aslanian's books "Al Di Meola - A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios" there's an exercise to strum a chord four times and move from one form to another, fluidly. Below is ...
- 101
0
votes
1
answer
66
views
Guitar fingering question
When I play G#/Ab on the high E string on the guitar, I use my pinky for the fourth fret, but what about all the fingers before the pinky? Can they be packed closely to my pinky? Or do all fingers ...
user64861
3
votes
2
answers
383
views
How to bar Fm6 with another finger?
I don't see how this Fm6 fingering, with the index finger on fret 5, can work out without holding my guitar upside-down. Is it a mistake or am I misunderstanding the contortion?
I've also tried it ...
- 1,817
2
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Which finger is correct for number 5 on guitar tab?
I'm very new to guitar and I'm practicing beginner stuff, I press the appropriate fret with the numbered finger, 1 for index and 3 for ring.
Also I play in fret hand position 1 with index on first ...
user64861
0
votes
2
answers
198
views
Classical Guitar Exercises for Proper Tab Fingering? [closed]
Related: Figuring the Classical Fingering from Sheet Music
Are there any classical guitar exercises, (for classical music), that also include the Tab as well as proper frettting-hand fingering ...
- 103
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Finger dexterity issues
I have some weird issues with my left fret playing hand. I’m a brand new guitar player and the way my fingers automatically react when spreading, especially when trying to spread them in a claw, is ...
- 21
5
votes
3
answers
870
views
Is fingers pointing towards each other a problem when fretting a guitar
I've been practicing the guitar for a few months now and am currently learning a song that requires me to slide from the 10th and 12th fret on the A and B string down to the third and fifth frets, ...
- 53
2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
awkward stretchy fingering
In bar 4 http://jonaslefvert.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-Piano-The-Heart-Asks-Pleasure-First.pdf
there is a chord arpeggiated across these frets x35503 (capo on 5)
here is a video of Jonas ...
user25111
2
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to form an A chord on higher frets?
I can play an A chord okay, as seen here:
However, I tried putting a capo on the 10th fret and playing it from there and couldn't do it at all. I have thin fingers and it was still impossible to ...
- 3,044
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
How to get clean sound when playing guitar
I have been practicing guitar (classic, electric) for years.
But I cannot get a clean sound when playing melodies or chords. Often notes do not sound at all.
To get a clean sound I have to press so ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
535
views
G chord guitar fingering - one finger?
I bought a guitar course on DVD and am puzzled by the way they have begun teaching the chords, specifically the G major. In the first lesson we were taught to put our third (ring) finger on the E ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
365
views
Sometimes when i focus my attention to strumming i struggle with proper fingering speed and precision
I'm fairly new to guitar and i need some help.
First off, i'm playing an acoustic guitar. I'm not a beginner yet not a master. I've been playing for a few months, i know a few scales, a dozen of ...
- 387
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
Pinky finger cracking while playing guitar
While exercising my pinky at playing the guitar I noticed a huge problem which I am not able to find on the internet. My pinky kind of cracks when trying to bend it from its flat state. I tested it on ...
- 111
15
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Is there a reason not to play A/C# as x42225?
I'm having a hard time fingering A/C# as this sheet suggests: x42220. I've tried:
barring with the first finger, but it's difficult for me not to touch the high E.
barring with the first finger and ...
- 1,817
11
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Should I avoid using my index finger on non-barre chords?
I'm a guitar beginner who knows the basic, non-barre chords and is now learning some barre chords.
I've noticed that, usually, barre chord shapes are just like non-barre chords but shifted. For ...
- 211
4
votes
2
answers
776
views
Guitar - fingering for playing multiple consecutive notes on a string cleanly
Let's say I need to play
10 13 12 13 - 10 13 12 13 - ...
quickly on a single string. Label my fingers as index 1, middle 2, ring 3, and pinky 4.
If I put 1, pick, lift 1, put 4, pick, lift 4, ... ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What happens if you anchor your pinkie and how do you avoid it?
Beginner at Ukulele and thinking of doing guitar someday.
I've read some places where it's a bad habit to leave your pinkie resting on the surface of a guitar...
I tend to leave my pinkie in the air, ...
- 43
0
votes
3
answers
365
views
Why is the 7th of e.g. GMAJ7 an octave darker than scale degree 3 and 5?
The chord shape for Major 7 is this(photo only meant to show the shape)
Why is the 7th[F#] the second darkest pitch, and not played on the 2nd fret of the 1st string, where it actually would be in a ...
- 163
15
votes
9
answers
3k
views
How can I learn about reasons for choosing different ways to play a chord?
I was playing a song where E7 was written as 022130 as opposed to 020100 which I'm used to playing. It sounds "stronger" and "rounder" to me, similar to playing G as 320033 as opposed to 320003. I ...
- 1,817
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Guitar Playing Barre chords
Why do we base a barre chord on two different shapes ?
Is the E shape more important than the A shape ?
Why can’t I use the E shape all the time ?
- 89
2
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Problems with holding Barre Chords
I'm a bass player, and I just started to learn to play guitar.
I decided to learn barre chords because I find it the most intuitive.
However, I have a few problems with holding the chords.
First ...
- 21
3
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do I know which position to use when I'm playing by ear
I come from a piano background ( and I know enough theory to read intermediate piano sheet music) and I want to learn fingerstyle guitar. but It's so difficult because there is more than one way to ...
- 371
0
votes
2
answers
180
views
Are there rules of thumb that let me quickly determine a possible playing position from the key?
I am playing some pieces in various keys; for example this one (from William Leavitt - Melodic Rhythms For Guitar):
I want to play it in a certain position (not using open strings), such that each ...
- 2,635
3
votes
5
answers
14k
views
Difficulty in playing Guitar in Standing posture
Usually I am able play my electric guitar all right at amateur level while in sitting position. The advantage of this position I find is that you can slightly tilt the guitar towards you so that the ...
user35201