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Old 09-28-2017, 07:14 AM
Taylor414ce Taylor414ce is offline
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Default Dust In The Wind

Hi all! I'm a beginner who started about 3 months ago and last week began learning this song. I appreciate its going to take some time so not expecting to have it down already but the change from G (bottom string 3rd fret with 3rd finger) to Dm7 (barring top two strings with 1st finger and 2nd finger on 3rd string) I find particularly challenging and I wondered if others also found it difficult when they were a beginner? I'm playing it slowly with metronome but even at 60 bpm (quite a lot slower than the song which is at 94 bpm) I struggle to make that particular change accurately.

I appreciate different people find different things challenging but interested to hear how others got on with this when they first learnt it and how long they had been playing before attempting it. I am not playing any of the vocal melodies just the travis picking underlying parts.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 09-28-2017, 07:28 AM
Stevied63 Stevied63 is offline
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I had trouble with this transition when I first learned it as well. You'll get there with practice. One thing that will help is if you transition to the DM7 in advance - so after you strike the G you should lift your fretting hand and be moving to the DM7 while you are plucking the open B, D, and G strings. With a little more practice you'll get it.
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Old 09-28-2017, 07:29 AM
Mortimor Mortimor is offline
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I'm also a beginner and I'm also learning Dust in the Wind. The arrangement I am learning doesn't have a G -> Dm7 transition, but it does have one that is similar.

I find it much easier to do this transition if I play the G chord using fingers 2, 3, and 4. Middle finger on the A string, Ring finger on the low E string, and pinky on the high E.
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Old 09-28-2017, 07:33 AM
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guitargabor guitargabor is offline
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I would concentrate on mastering the basic chords before attempting partial or full barre chords.
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Old 09-28-2017, 08:11 AM
Taylor414ce Taylor414ce is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stevied63 View Post
I had trouble with this transition when I first learned it as well. You'll get there with practice. One thing that will help is if you transition to the DM7 in advance - so after you strike the G you should lift your fretting hand and be moving to the DM7 while you are plucking the open B, D, and G strings. With a little more practice you'll get it.
Hi Steve thanks yes I've started to do that and it helps but still find it tough to do it cleanly. I think part of the problem is the last string you play on the G chord (the open G string) also happens to also be one of the two pinch strings you play on the Dm7 and often that last open G note gets lost as I panic to make the transition. I've nearly managed to get it working at 54 bpm so will just keep at it. Appreciate your message and glad to hear you found it hard too!
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Old 09-28-2017, 08:45 AM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor414ce View Post
I appreciate its going to take some time so not expecting to have it down already but the change from G (bottom string 3rd fret with 3rd finger) to Dm7 (barring top two strings with 1st finger and 2nd finger on 3rd string) I find particularly challenging a
Yes, the Dm7 is easy to muffle. This may sound strange, but try using your 2nd and 4th fingers -- I find this makes it easier to get clean notes.
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Old 09-28-2017, 08:47 AM
Taylor414ce Taylor414ce is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guitargabor View Post
I would concentrate on mastering the basic chords before attempting partial or full barre chords.
Fair advice although I can already play several barre chords (mainly F and playing A as a barre) along with all the basic chords. My teacher gave me the song to get on with and I don't think it's over ambitious given I'm only working on the basic travis picking elements not the vocal melodies... yet! A beginner will never master anything (does anyone?!) so they would end up never moving forward learning new things as they mistakenly believe they should only move on when they've mastered the thing before!
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:08 AM
5th Element 5th Element is offline
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On the G > Dm7 transition, I just finger low G with my ring finger, since no other fretted notes are needed. That allows me to poise index and middle for the Dm7 beforehand. The hardest part for me to coordinate was shifting my right fingers over a string, from index on the D string to the G string. [I play with thumb and three fingers. That becomes thumb plus two on chords like D and F, when the bass is on D and G strings.]
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:10 AM
Taylor414ce Taylor414ce is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zmf View Post
Yes, the Dm7 is easy to muffle. This may sound strange, but try using your 2nd and 4th fingers -- I find this makes it easier to get clean notes.
Thanks for message. Just tried that but find that much much more awkward! It's getting better will just keep at it at slower pace and build it up. I'm re-assured others have found it a tricky change and my guitar is pleased as it was getting close to being smashed into the side of my house!
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:25 AM
Taylor414ce Taylor414ce is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 5th Element View Post
On the G > Dm7 transition, I just finger low G with my ring finger, since no other fretted notes are needed. That allows me to poise index and middle for the Dm7 beforehand. The hardest part for me to coordinate was shifting my right fingers over a string, from index on the D string to the G string. [I play with thumb and three fingers. That becomes thumb plus two on chords like D and F, when the bass is on D and G strings.]
Hi yes preparing the index and middle in advance definitely helps but it's still tricky! I find if I'm not careful I avoid playing the last open G note on the G with my picking hand in order to give me more time to execute the Dm7. When you play that last open G note on the G chord it really doesn't leave much time to play the opening pinch on Dm7. Think it's going to take a while to get it consistently clean and accurate even at a slower pace but that's ok. I'm not a million miles away from getting it just frustrating at times!
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:30 AM
zmf zmf is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor414ce View Post
Thanks for message. Just tried that but find that much much more awkward!
Yeah -- it is awkward, and I don't do it unless I focus on it. Just a question of doing what's needed for clean notes. We all have different hands, so sometimes something out of the ordinary is needed.
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Old 09-28-2017, 10:22 AM
5th Element 5th Element is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor414ce View Post
Hi yes preparing the index and middle in advance definitely helps but it's still tricky! I find if I'm not careful I avoid playing the last open G note on the G with my picking hand in order to give me more time to execute the Dm7. When you play that last open G note on the G chord it really doesn't leave much time to play the opening pinch on Dm7. Think it's going to take a while to get it consistently clean and accurate even at a slower pace but that's ok. I'm not a million miles away from getting it just frustrating at times!
It just takes practice. I've played it a thousand times and still mess it up sometimes. You're correct in practicing it slowly. If something can't be played slowly, it can't be played fast. It can be worth slowing down difficult things to a crawl, analyzing the movements, and perhaps taking corrective action.
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Old 09-28-2017, 11:35 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Taylor414ce View Post
Hi all! I'm a beginner who started about 3 months ago and last week began learning this song. I appreciate its going to take some time so not expecting to have it down already but the change from G (bottom string 3rd fret with 3rd finger) to Dm7 (barring top two strings with 1st finger and 2nd finger on 3rd string) I find particularly challenging and I wondered if others also found it difficult when they were a beginner?
How about this:

-1- middle
-1- index
-2- ring
-0-
---
---

There is an occasional melody note on 3rd fret 1st string, which is more difficult that way (pinky), but if I was playing that I might play as in Sungha Jung's arrangement, on a plain Dm.
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Old 09-28-2017, 11:57 AM
pf400 pf400 is offline
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I've been using Dm not Dm7 for about 35 years !
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Old 09-28-2017, 12:10 PM
5th Element 5th Element is offline
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One thing that can make playing in open position a little more difficult is the nut. The slots often are left too high, requiring extra pressure at the the first fret. It can make it harder to do that little barre for Dm7, which should require very little pressure. High nut slots also make the barred first-position F harder than it needs to be, and can cause other little issues, such as more difficult hammers.
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