Determination vs limitations

[kayharley]

I have a bit of arthritis in my fretting hand....small bump on the first joint of my index finger plus the tip leans inward a bit. I can barre some chords enough to get a decent sound strumming but fingerpicking is a different story.
I'm getting frustrated and just wonder if I should just move on to different, easier songs or keep at it. I'm working on a song I've wanted to learn for years after finding some excellent tutorials online. Thanks for any input.

[LeightonBankes]

consider critiquing your technique. What kind of guitar? Unless it is large for your body, it always seems easier if it is on your left knee, moving it up towards your neck often helps, or consider a thumb over the top method?

[sirwhale]

Possibly consider getting a neckup? Best thing I've bought for my guitar.

And light strings? 11-50s or lower?

Round core strings will make a big difference in the flexibility of the string (I won't use hexcores). Round core brands:

DR Sunbeams
Thomastik Infeld Plectrum
Newtone (this brand has many strings that are round core and also have special tension sets - check out their website)

[LeightonBankes]

nylon string guitars can be a lot easier to fret too. Don't get discouraged. There are songs I've been working on over 10 years and still can't play

[GBS]

Just cheat! For those sections that just can't be played as written, it's time to delve into alternatives. Can you find an alternate fingering that doesn't require the barre? Can you break the section into bits, where you hold one simpler combination and then switch to another, rather than hold one hard one for the whole thing. Is there a note or two you can substitute, so again you don't have to do the impossible? Is there a note or two that you just have to skip, but doesn't have too much impact on the overall music? Only if you have to alter the piece so much that it becomes unrecognizable should you think about moving on.

The above said, I find while in the initial phases of mastering, a particular fingering may seem impossible for me to do. (Especially anything requiring thumb wrapping on the 6th string). It sounds terrible when practicing. But I constantly surprise myself that when I have repeated it enough, and play it closer to "at speed", suddenly it all sounds fine. Getting there, though, sometimes takes a very long time.....so ponder wisely before assuming you have to look for alternatives.

[creamburmese]

Barres for fingerstyle (or classical) can often be accomplished by isolating the parts of the barre that need to be solid - almost note by note- ie changing where the pressure lies - by either altering the pressure points (eg applying the pressure at the base or tip) and/or moving or tilting the barre -sometimes a mm will do it. This is much more accuracy than people are generally used to for strumming but much easier than trying to get the whole thing to sound at once with knobbly fingers

[Silly Moustache]

Hi, remember that every version of a piece is just that ...a version. You are perfectly entitled to simplify, substitute etc.

Remember that simple done well is far better than complicated done poorly.

[rick-slo]

Get a good low action guitar setup (especially at the nut).
Short scale
Lighter gauge strings
Lower tuning a step or half step.
The same as above but on a nylon guitar.

[kayharley]

Thanks for all the suggestions....Being petite with smaller hands, I do have a smaller body guitar (Guild OM) and pretty light strings (.12 -.053) but I doubt I'd like the sound with nylon strings. I will try some round core strings though.

Funny I always play with my right leg crossed and the neck a tad downward...wouldn't hurt to check my form seeing I've never had a proper lesson.
Sad that the song happens to be "Stairway to Heaven" and the part I have trouble with is scattered throughout the song....Darn you Nancy Wilson and Heart's tribute to Led Zeppelin.

[jeanray1113]

Originally Posted by LeightonBankes;4923197 Don't get discouraged. There are songs I've been working on over 10 years and still can't play
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Thank you for sharing that! It's really encouraging!

[RayCJ]

You might want to try some Martin Marquis Silk & Steel strings. All 6 strings are steel and are 11.5 to 47. They sound great on my Taylor guitars and are notably easier on the fingers.

Martin also sells the "Folk" version of these strings. The description is the same but I don't know what the differences are.


Ray

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by kayharley

Thanks for all the suggestions....Being petite with smaller hands, I do have a smaller body guitar (Guild OM) and pretty light strings (.12 -.053) but I doubt I'd like the sound with nylon strings. I will try some round core strings though.

I don't know what "round core" strings are, but I'd definitely suggest going down to 11s. I played for years (decades!) with 12s on acoustic before realising my hands were never going to get strong enough to do the bends I wanted. I went down to 11s and haven't looked back. (I later found my hero Bert Jansch used 11s, so if it's OK with him....)
You get a minimal (insignificant IMO) loss of tone and volume, in exchange for greater control and expressive potential.

Originally Posted by kayharley

Funny I always play with my right leg crossed and the neck a tad downward...wouldn't hurt to check my form seeing I've never had a proper lesson.

The secret to easier fret hand control is usually bringing the neck higher, the left hand closer to your face. Ideally, when you barre around 5th fret, your index is pointing right at your eye, less than a foot away. Which leg you use, or whether you cross them, is irrelevant, as long as left wrist angle is good.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by kayharley

Thanks for all the suggestions....Being petite with smaller hands, I do have a smaller body guitar (Guild OM) and pretty light strings (.12 -.053) but I doubt I'd like the sound with nylon strings. I will try some round core strings though.

I don't know what "round core" strings are, but I'd definitely suggest going down to 11s. I played for years (decades!) with 12s on acoustic before realising my hands were never going to get strong enough to do the bends I wanted. I went down to 11s and haven't looked back. (I later found my hero Bert Jansch used 11s, so if it's OK with him....)
You get a minimal (insignificant IMO) loss of tone and volume, in exchange for greater control and expressive potential.

Originally Posted by kayharley

Funny I always play with my right leg crossed and the neck a tad downward...wouldn't hurt to check my form seeing I've never had a proper lesson.

The secret to easier fret hand control is usually bringing the neck higher, the left hand closer to your face. Ideally, when you barre around 5th fret, your index is pointing right at your eye, less than a foot away (keep your guitar in that position wherever your fret hand is). Which leg you use, or whether you cross them, is irrelevant, as long as left wrist angle is good.

[Silly Moustache]

Also, try out a 12 fret guitar with a wider neck.

[Truckjohn]

You said you switched to an OM. That's a smaller body but not really a smaller scale length. Remember that a 24.9" scale or 24.75" scale is still "standard" size.

I would suggest trying out guitars with 24" and 23" scales. The shorter scale reduces the reach significantly.

I would also check to see if a narrower neck and fatter radius on the fretboard would help. Most Martins run around 20" which is pretty flat. 16", 12", and 9" are all pretty standard fretboard radiuses. These will make barre chords progressively easier.

The place that most of these things come together these days is electric guitars. Not saying you switch to electric - but it gives you an idea of the feel of shorter scales and more curvy fretboard radius.