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Old 03-06-2015, 02:21 PM
Crackerboo Crackerboo is offline
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Default song makes my hand hurt

Hi All, first time poster and newish player. Finally able to sing and play at the same time (wife probably hates that), and I'm pushing the comfort zone with new songs that have new chords.

Anyway, here's my dilemma and I'm wondering if it's normal. I found a song I love, Go To Sea No More by The Dubliners, and the chords are F, Dm, C, Dm, C, and Dm again on the first line and it stays pretty close to that with a little variation throughout the song. By the end of the piece my fretting hand is killing me. The muscles are screaming. Other songs I have no problem with, even songs with these same chords. Is it just a matter of getting my muscles used to it, as I suspect? Have other people experienced this? Like I said, I've had no problem with other songs that are similar, Fiddler's Green, for example.
Anyway, any insight is appreciated.

Thanks so much!
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Old 03-06-2015, 02:25 PM
RoosterX RoosterX is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crackerboo View Post
Hi All, first time poster and newish player. Finally able to sing and play at the same time (wife probably hates that), and I'm pushing the comfort zone with new songs that have new chords.

Anyway, here's my dilemma and I'm wondering if it's normal. I found a song I love, Go To Sea No More by The Dubliners, and the chords are F, Dm, C, Dm, C, and Dm again on the first line and it stays pretty close to that with a little variation throughout the song. By the end of the piece my fretting hand is killing me. The muscles are screaming. Other songs I have no problem with, even songs with these same chords. Is it just a matter of getting my muscles used to it, as I suspect? Have other people experienced this? Like I said, I've had no problem with other songs that are similar, Fiddler's Green, for example.
Anyway, any insight is appreciated.

Thanks so much!
Easy solution: Play it in G instead of F: G, Em, D, Em, D, and Em again.

To Explain: This is a simple transposition where you're just playing a step/whole tone higher for each original chord.

Last edited by RoosterX; 03-06-2015 at 02:43 PM.
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Old 03-07-2015, 06:39 AM
Crackerboo Crackerboo is offline
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Thanks Rooster, I'll give that a try for playability. As far as practice though, I like the challenge of learning and "mastering" more difficult chords, which this song has for me. I guess I'm just wondering that if I just keep playing through the pain if it will get easier.
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Old 03-07-2015, 09:21 AM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Check your chord sequences. From what you wrote I don't think you have it right. Anyway, starts on Dm. The F chords are fairly briefly. Check your guitar's string heights at the nut - fatigue on first position chords often related to that.
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Old 03-07-2015, 10:40 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crackerboo View Post
Thanks Rooster, I'll give that a try for playability. As far as practice though, I like the challenge of learning and "mastering" more difficult chords, which this song has for me. I guess I'm just wondering that if I just keep playing through the pain if it will get easier.
I agree with rick.
Make sure (a) your nut action is OK, and (b) your general hand positions are OK.

To check nut action, put a capo on fret 1. Is the guitar now noticeably easier to play (to hold the strings down)? If so, your nut is too high, and you should get it fixed. (Cheap set-up job, well worth it.) If it's only very slightly easier, or no different, your nut is OK.

If your nut is fine but barre chords still feel tough or awkward, your hand position is probably wrong. (If you're a beginner, they will be awkward anyway, but after a year or so your hand should have learned the shape and the optimum pressure distribution.)
As a basic tip, make sure the neck is high enough. Your fret arm elbow should be 90 degrees or less. Index finger dead straight all the way (as straight as you can get it) parallel with the frets, and pointing at your face.

In any case, don't play through pain of that sort. Pain is a warning, and you could cause damage if you carry on.
The only pain that is OK as a beginner is that fingertip pain from pressing the strings; you can play through that a little, if you can stand it, because it helps "train" your skin to toughen up; just use common sense. (If your fingers start bleeding, that's probably a good stop sign .) But any pain elsewhere (muscles, tendons) is bad, and a sign of either poor position (using too much force in the wrong way), or over-practising.

RoosterX's idea of transposition is also a good idea. Few folk guitarists (even experienced ones) would choose to play in the key of F or Dm if an easier key (maybe helped with a capo) is available.
RoosterX's key (Em/G) would mean singing it higher, however, so if you want (or need) to sing it in the original key, use a capo on fret 5 and Am shapes:
Dm = Am shape
F = C shape
C = G shape
- no barres required!
This is not a "cheat" . Of course you need to get comfortable with the F barre eventually, but no need to beat yourself up about it.
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Last edited by JonPR; 03-07-2015 at 10:47 AM.
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  #6  
Old 03-07-2015, 07:21 PM
Crackerboo Crackerboo is offline
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Thanks guys. Rick, those are the chords the tab that I found, and it sounds right.

I'll try the trick with the capo on the first fret.

Not sure how to confirm my fret hand is okay. I had been seeing an instructor, but that was before I was hitting the F chord regularly, so I don't have someone saying if I'm doing it properly. I don't have a problem with other songs with the F chord tho.

another question, and I REALLY appreciate the advice...I 95% just strum chords, but it's not real loud and I don't think I'm getting the full effect of the guitar's ability. so I've been practicing with picks. I just strum tho. Should I be going with thin picks or thick picks? It seems to me thin picks are appropriate for strumming chords, but I thot I'd ask here.
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