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Old 10-08-2021, 03:06 PM
Lead Pipe Lead Pipe is offline
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Default Another chord change question

Sorry for all the noob questions but it really is very helpful. When you change chords and one finger will stay in place, say going from Am to C, do you keep the finger in place and move 2 fingers or do you remove your fingers entirely and put it back down. Also, what if your finger is on the right string but in the wrong fret, do you slide it or totally abandon that chord and reform the new one.
Thanks again for the help!!

Last edited by Kerbie; 10-19-2021 at 03:07 PM. Reason: Title
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Old 10-08-2021, 03:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Lead Pipe View Post
Sorry for all the noob questions but it really is very helpful. When you change chords and one finger will stay in place, say going from Am to C, do you keep the finger in place and move 2 fingers or do you remove your fingers entirely and put it back down. Also, what if your finger is on the right string but in the wrong fret, do you slide it or totally abandon that chord and reform the new one.
Thanks again for the help!!
Best to post questions like these in the "Play and Write" part of the forum. In short though the finger staying in place is the usual choice.
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Last edited by Kerbie; 10-19-2021 at 03:08 PM. Reason: Edited quote.
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Old 10-08-2021, 03:28 PM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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Keeping whichever fingers you can on the fretboard 1. promotes efficiency and 2. orientates you as to your location on the fretboard without looking at it. Therefore it is preferable to lifting.

We were all noobs once.And if not at this, we are at something.
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Old 10-09-2021, 01:03 AM
Andyrondack Andyrondack is offline
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Without a teacher I've found this one of the most puzzling aspects of guitar playing, for tab pieces at moderate speed I don't think it matters much but as the bpm escalates it becomes critical to use the most efficient fingering that sets me up for playing the following phrase, very much like playing snooker. Learning on your own I think you have to get it wrong before you realise how much that can slow you down.
Think about not just how to get from A to B but also where your fingers need to be to facilitate the following move from B to C.
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Old 10-09-2021, 02:54 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is online now
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Originally Posted by Mycroft View Post
Keeping whichever fingers you can on the fretboard 1. promotes efficiency and 2. orientates you as to your location on the fretboard without looking at it. Therefore it is preferable to lifting.

We were all noobs once.And if not at this, we are at something.
Mycroft speaks for me too!
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Old 10-09-2021, 03:43 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lead Pipe View Post
Sorry for all the noob questions but it really is very helpful. When you change chords and one finger will stay in place, say going from Am to C, do you keep the finger in place and move 2 fingers or do you remove your fingers entirely and put it back down. Also, what if your finger is on the right string but in the wrong fret, do you slide it or totally abandon that chord and reform the new one.
Thanks again for the help!!
Minimise all finger movements. That's the basic rule: economy of effort.

Each finger should move the shortest distance possible, if indeed it needs to move at all. Never lift a finger off a string any higher than you need to to shift it to the next string. If it's moving to another fret on the same string, you only need to lift it enough to allow the string off the fret, but not your finger off the string. With some slides you can even keep the string on the frets (so you hear the slide).

Some chord changes are inevitably difficult, of course - fingers need to change places in awkward ways - but there is always one method which is most efficient (quickest and least effort).
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Last edited by Kerbie; 10-19-2021 at 03:08 PM. Reason: Edited quote.
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Old 10-09-2021, 03:52 AM
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ssstewart ssstewart is offline
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just like in Chess, plan your moves a few moves in advance based on where you are in finger position to where you will be..as one said earlier..economy of motion.
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Old 10-09-2021, 04:37 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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just like in Chess, plan your moves a few moves in advance based on where you are in finger position to where you will be
Yes, that too!

I.e., always think ahead. No need to think about the chord you're on, you've already got that one. Imagine the next one, and that prepares your fingers.

E.g., if you have to move several frets up or down the fretboard at any point, look to where that move is going to go, before you have to make it. (E.g., on Blackbird, where you slide up to 12th fret from 3rd, you look at fret 12 the beat before. Then you can place your hand right there.)
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Old 10-09-2021, 08:29 AM
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Mr. Jelly Mr. Jelly is offline
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Maybe the term loosening the fingers instead of lifting the fingers works best. As a beginer I'd suggest focusing on the first fretted note your finger or pick is going to strike. That gives your other fingers a moment to get in place before you strike them.
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Old 10-10-2021, 04:25 PM
capefisherman capefisherman is offline
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Minimise all finger movements. That's the basic rule: economy of effort.

Each finger should move the shortest distance possible, if indeed it needs to move at all. Never lift a finger off a string any higher than you need to to shift it to the next string. If it's moving to another fret on the same string, you only need to lift it enough to allow the string off the fret, but not your finger off the string. With some slides you can even keep the string on the frets.
Some chord changes are inevitably difficult, of course - fingers need to change places in awkward ways - but there is always one method which is most efficient (quickest and least effort).


This. Over the course of 50 years of teaching guitar to many, many hundreds of students, most likely well over 1000 of all levels and abilities one of the most common pieces of advice I offer is - don't move if you don't have to!

And here's a little hint: if you're struggling with a particular chord no matter how much your practice, nine out of ten times, the LAST finger you place down is the culprit! Spend some time moving from the previous chord and placing the "problem finger" down FIRST for a couple of practice sessions, then filling in the rest of the chord. Yes, in the beginning your change will be slower than setting up the chord as you've probably been doing for some time (but still are unable to land it all at once) but trust me on this - that is only temporary and what you're doing by dealing with the problem finger FIRST is the start of defeating "muscle memory" - something that is very, very frustrating when you command your fingers to go down all at once but they just won't do that.....

Oh, and one other thing. Don't be afraid to learn a chord with different fingerings, especially first position ones. For decades I preached against this: this is the right way to play that chord so do it!!! But the reality is that what surrounds that chord, i.e., where you're coming from and where you're headed after a particular chord should determine which fingers to use. First position A Major is a perfect example of this. There are at least three ways to finger that chord that will facilitate fast and accurate changes.

Fact: Great players don't move any more than they absolutely have to!

Good luck, hang in there!

Gene
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Old 10-10-2021, 07:23 PM
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Then there is the area of finger planting to get ready for the next notes. Examples being as in measures 2 and 4 with
fingers used indicated. Also in measure 1 and 3 using a pinky finger half barre is smoothest.

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Old 10-19-2021, 02:22 PM
Big Band Guitar Big Band Guitar is offline
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When learning.

1 Form the chord get all the notes to ring clear.

2 Remove your hand completely from the fingerboard and place it flat out on flat surface. Your leg works best.

3 Form the next chord as in step 1 then go to step 2 and repeat as needed.

Go very slow in the beginning, increase speed as you progress.

This worked for me.
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Old 10-21-2021, 06:45 AM
Tadmcd Tadmcd is offline
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Originally Posted by capefisherman View Post
Oh, and one other thing. Don't be afraid to learn a chord with different fingerings, especially first position ones. For decades I preached against this: this is the right way to play that chord so do it!!! But the reality is that what surrounds that chord, i.e., where you're coming from and where you're headed after a particular chord should determine which fingers to use. First position A Major is a perfect example of this. There are at least three ways to finger that chord that will facilitate fast and accurate changes.
As a noobie, I found this guidance to be invaluable. After learning basic chords/fingerings, I started paying a lot of attention to the various ways to finger basic chords, entirely dependent upon what song I was playing.

As Gene says, for instance, you can play an A chord at least three different ways and the method you choose at any given time may enhance or diminish movement depending on what came before and what comes after. I form an EM three different ways, too (index/middle, middle/ring, ring/pinkie); using the ring/pinkie works great when moving to/from a barred F.

The real benefit is you can play...not just chords, but actual songs and you'll feel like a "musician."

One other tip that helped me: learn alternate chords (not just fingerings) that may substitute for other chords you haven't yet mastered. They may be easier/faster to play from the outset and allow you to play...not just practice. Take a look at the Cadd9 (substitute for a C chord). Often, it sounds just fine (Justin talks about this a lot) in a song. If you use the "big" G chord (four fingers), the ring/pinkie fingers stay put while you play Cadd9 and G and playing a D is just moving your index finger and lifting your pinkie (sounds more complicated than it is). With hardly any real movement, you can play C/D/G like a pro...and there are, at last count, 87 million songs with just those chords.

Last edited by Tadmcd; 10-21-2021 at 09:07 AM.
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Old 10-21-2021, 07:03 AM
mr. beaumont mr. beaumont is offline
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Stay put, but it may need to pivot slightly, while remaining down on the string. For example, the position of my finger/hand is different on a D7 than it is on a C.

Economy of movement is always desirable, but don't "lock" your fingers into place either, in a death grip.
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