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Old 07-30-2012, 02:22 AM
VinAcGu VinAcGu is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 18
Default Thumb over the neck for F in open position

I'm getting back to fingerpicking after a trip into single line world and this time I've decided to concentrate on real songs rather than patterns.

The first problem I'm facing right off the start is I'm unable to hook my thumb over the neck to fret F(first fret) on the low E. This F-shape seems to be a standard form for the fingerstyle blues and I know many other chords up the neck are fingered this way with the thumb over the neck.

For me it's not a matter of practice and time: I have small hands and if I reach over and fret the low F with my thumb hooked over the neck even on a slim necked guitar like electric all my other fingers just lie flat on the treble strings and I'm physically unable to fret any note.

For example I tried to lean a simple song by M.J Hurt 'My Creole Belle' and immediately stuck at the F chord.

Any suggestions? Should I finger the full bar or maybe alternate between F(root) on the D string and C (5th) on the A string if it will work in the context of this song?
If it should work there will there be songs where I can't get away without thumb fretting?
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