#16
|
|||
|
|||
This is not meant to be a flippant interwebz thread answer but
Get a mandolin. On mando each finger covers two frets. As a result the gymnastics of the instrument has helped with my guitar immensely. This is particularly true for my little finger. |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
It sounds hard, but really the only answer is practice, practice, practice.
|
#18
|
|||
|
|||
TortiseAvenger, one thing you could do that will really help - don't laugh! - is play bass guitar for a while. Bass is very stretchy, but you get used to it, and when you come back to guitar, the stretches just seem so easy. I'm serious: play some bass.
PS: just in case no-one has suggested this yet, you can substitute an E7 for the E. Instead of: 0 2 2 1 0 0 as your E chord, use an E7 - 0 2 0 1 0 0. The advantage is that you can do the chord with your first and second fingers, leaving your ring finger free, and this means a significantly smaller stretch for your little finger.
__________________
Tacoma Thunderhawk baritone, spruce & maple. Maton SRS60C, cedar & Queensland Maple. Maton Messiah 808, spruce & rosewood. Cole Clark Angel 3, Huon Pine & silkwood. Cole Clark Fat Lady 2 12-string, Bunya & Blackwood. Last edited by Tannin; 06-20-2021 at 04:06 AM. |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
I've taken lessons from Chris (a truly patient and generous person) and suggest closely watching his wrist positioning as a key element of learning to play as he does. Dropping your wrist is the secret to getting that pinky to stretch several frets accurately, especially if you have short fingers as I do. As you continue to watch Chris' instruction video(s) you'll see that he also uses a thumb-over technique which requires wrist elevation. By watching Chris perform you'll see him change wrist positioning frequently and quite dramatically, emulating that is key to helping you to master that style of playing.
__________________
AKA 'Screamin' Tooth Parker' You can listen to Walt's award winning songs with his acoustic band The Porch Pickers @ the Dixie Moon album or rock out electrically with Rock 'n' Roll Reliquary Bourgeois AT Mahogany D Gibson Hummingbird Martin J-15 Voyage Air VAD-04 Martin 000X1AE Squier Classic Vibe 50s Stratocaster Squier Classic Vibe Custom Telecaster PRS SE Standard 24 |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Where is your left thumb? If you drop it to a classical position in the middle of the neck that can help reach quite a bit.
You can eventually get more stretch in the fingers, but be realistic there. Moving your wrist (elbow more toward ribs) can help. When I listen to someone play I only care if it's musical. I don't care about how long their fingers might be or which notes they play or leave out. I have a few favorite songs that simply don't fit my vocal style (i.e., it would never sound good), so I don't do them. You can surely find a big pile of music you can play well and enjoy.
__________________
Keith Martin 000-42 Marquis Taylor Classical Alvarez 12 String Gibson ES345s Fender P-Bass Gibson tenor banjo |
#21
|
|||
|
|||
How to work around short fingers?
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) |
#22
|
|||
|
|||
try reversing your E-chord fingering: play the 4th string with your middle finger and the 5th string with your ring finger. Then slide your ring finger up to the 4th fret. Is that any better?
Also, try putting your thumb not in the middle of the neck, but even lower. At the bottom of the neck.
__________________
OM-28 Marquis (2005) Kenny Hill Player (nylon) Gibson AJ (2012) Rogue Resonator (kindling) |
#23
|
||||
|
||||
One cheat is to finger, or put pressure on, the note you are striking before fingering the other strings (notes) that you will strike next. It's not necessary to hold down strings you are not playing at that precise moment. Allot of tab will show only the notes played though often they are notes struck out of a chord. At least in country blues. They don't always indicate what chord was fingered to play the notes.
__________________
Waterloo WL-S, K & K mini Waterloo WL-S Deluxe, K & K mini Iris OG, 12 fret, slot head, K & K mini Follow The Yellow Brick Road |
#24
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Love Chris Smither's music! Regards, Howard Emerson
__________________
My New Website! |
#25
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
__________________
Eastman E6OM-TC LTD Alpine Spruce Eastman AC308CE LTD Taylor GS Mini Rosewood Yamaha Pacifica 212VFM Flamed Maple |
#26
|
|||
|
|||
A good teacher could give you some stretching exercises. I have small hands I thought would be a bonus when I started playing mandolin, but the amount of frets you have to cover is a problem. Those with larger hands can just put fingers down with no problem. I was given exercises I played exclusively for two months. Increased my reach. Went from abysmal to ok because of them, but it was a long slog.
__________________
2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |
#27
|
|||
|
|||
au countrarie
I tried to play mando for years, and never could I stretch the five frets needed for the traditional bluegrass "chop" chord formation. If you can't play that, better learn some Italian romantic tunes to play in restaurants! I, too thought the mandolin would be short-finger friendly, but what it really rewards is narrow fingertips. The hidden truth is that it's tuned in fifths, so you skip to the next string after seven frets, not five. I wish you luck and success, but that's harder than it looks.
__________________
- Tacoma ER22C - Tacoma CiC Chief - Tacoma EK36C (ancient cedar Little Jumbo, '01, #145/150) - Seagull SWS Maritime Mini Jumbo ('16) - Simon & Patrick Pro Folk Rosewood ('01) - Godin Montreal Premiere Supreme - Ibanez Mikro Bass |
#28
|
|||
|
|||
Short fingers are a handicap, but not the worst. Poor time and lazy practice habits will hold you back more.
Once I shook hands after a show with my personal guitar hero, Pat Metheny. I made a point to notice his hands. He's a small guy, about 5'7", and his hand was very near in size to mine. More finger length, I believe, and less palm. A conversation with his luthier, Linda Manzer, confirmed my impression. Thus one of favorite excuses went flittering away, like a butterfly.
__________________
- Tacoma ER22C - Tacoma CiC Chief - Tacoma EK36C (ancient cedar Little Jumbo, '01, #145/150) - Seagull SWS Maritime Mini Jumbo ('16) - Simon & Patrick Pro Folk Rosewood ('01) - Godin Montreal Premiere Supreme - Ibanez Mikro Bass |
#29
|
|||
|
|||
This is definitely the best advice given.
|
#30
|
|||
|
|||
I've got tiny little fat digits so I can feel your pain. Altering hand position will make most of these formations discussed here playable, you just have to keep trying and keep stretching.
The one thing that bugs me is having stubby thumbs that can't be used to wrap around and fret the E string. I have one buddy that has about average size hands but has monkey thumbs. He can thumb fret the E, A and D strings while positioning the rest of the chord with his other fingers. The jerk puts things like F#m and C#m in all of the songs he writes and I can't keep up with my stubby little fingers.
__________________
'59 Gibson J-45 "Spot" '21 Gibson LG-2 - 50's Reissue '94 Taylor 710 '18 Martin 000-17E "Willie" ‘23 Taylor AD12e-SB '22 Taylor GTe Blacktop '15 Martin 000X1AE https://pandora.app.link/ysqc6ey22hb |