Finger stretches
Posted on August 2, 2007
Filed Under Technique |
I am having trouble playing notes on tabs because my fingers wont stretch far enough or they’re just too short. i try really hard to get it right, but it just doesn’t work. do you have any suggestions that would help me? Natalie
Natalie,
I’m not sure what specific problems you are having with stretches but one of the advantages of the guitar is that there are lots of “work-arounds” once you learn something about how the fretboard works. Here are a couple of thoughts:
In every 5 fret section of the fretboard you can find every note of the chromatic scale – twice. (The chromatic scale is the scale that includes all 12 notes that are used in Western music. 12 notes doesn’t sound like a lot but when you begin to explore the combinations available on six strings you’ll find there is plenty to keep you busy for a long, long time). Here is the tricky part: You need to know the names of the notes on the fretboard so you can find a more convenient place to play a hard to reach note.
For Example: to play an E2 chord you add an F# to the normal E chord. There are three options for adding this note to an E major chord: the 2nd fret of the 6th string (low E-string), the 4th fret of the D string or the 2nd fret of the 1st string (high E-string). Adding any of these notes will create an E2 chord. The F#’s on the E strings are fairly easy to play but the F# on the D string is a “pinkie-killer”. Each of the notes will have a different sound because of where they are placed in the chord (high, low or middle). You might prefer the sound of the F# on the D string but the other notes will be easier to play and will come reasonably close to the sound you are looking for.
Not all notes are created equal. In a chord some notes carry more musical weight than others. Listen to the chord and determine which notes are most important. Play them and leave the other notes out.
Not all notes in a chord have to be sounded at the same time. You may be able to break a chord into two playable sections. Play the first part then roll into the second part.
Use open strings whenever possible.
The good news is, as you continue to play your hand strength, dexterity and will increase. Things that may be very difficult today will be easier a month or two from now (assuming you continue to practice them a little each day.
And as much as I hate to admit it there maybe things that are beyond your reach. The important thing is to keep playing and enjoying music. You don’t need to play exactly like the person whose tabs you are figuring out. Find your own guitar voice and develop it. There are many great guitarists who don’t have “guitar hands”.
Happy exploring,
John
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Natalie,
I had the same problem, short fingers that didn’t reach. You could try playing a 3/4 or student guitar; those are smaller and more compact for smaller hands to play.
I did a lot of finger stretches, like starting on first string, first fret, index finger and while holding that down, playing the second fret with third finger, and third fret with ring finger, sort of “walking” up the fingerboard. Try playing it both holding down the previous fret, and also not holding down previous fret. Another way I got my pinky to work well was to play a high fret (so it’s closer to you and the frets are a little smaller) with my index finger, and then hold the index finger down and just stab at 2 frets further up with the pinky. Leave the third and ring fingers out of this one, it is a stretch from the index to pinky finger. Once I got that down on higher frets, I moved down to lower frets where there’s more space in between.
Off-fingerboard exercises for the pinky: I would also place my hand flat on a table and just press the pinky into it, sort of a “pinky isometric.” It works! Aside from that, there are chords that I just can’t play with physical limitations, so I do what John suggested and just change them to suit the limits that I can reach.
Jenn
guitar-playing-for-beginners.com
I have been playing guitar all my life and did many fingerstreches on the fingerboard..After many years of challenging my finger streches to longer moves I can now play most lead paterns.. I noticed that my fretboard hand has grown.I am amazed at the difference in length between both my right and left hand.. Small hands are no excuse to not persevere. Rob