yeah i started looking at all the different ways to play any chord. youtube is ace. my problem as with most learners is being able to go to the next chord a bit quicker. without an embarrassing pause while i reposition my fingers. and i very rarely vary from the first 3 frets. ive just learned to play certain strings only and so can "cheat" like you say only playing 3 strings. re 3 strings when my mind is switched off and im just strumming i like playing a cadd9 then slide it up 4 frets. but go down one fret with the first finger so its on the 5th fret. so 2nd and 5th strings are on the 7th fret. and the 4th string is on the 5th fret. play all the strings. back to the cadd9 and then back up a few times. then after the "higher" cadd9 i go to a 2 string chord 2nd string 8th fret 4th string 7th fret play all strings then finish it off with a d plus the little finger on 1st string 3rd fret and then off with the little finger to play a d. the sounds on my accoustic are lovely.
i did try that tuning . i wanted to learn lady jane almost a year ago but was hopeless. might give it a go again. one thing ive noticed is the simple and laid back bit. accomplished players seem to play riffs with their fingers hardly moving fast at all. such as him off pink floyd. comfortably numb. whereas i cant seem to go fast enough to keep up despite being frantically at my limit. i suppose theyve been playing a while though....
What strings do you use and how often do you change them? I use Daddario strings,my granddaughter uses these coated strings 'Elixir' or something(Too dear for my pocket)? They've got some sort of rust free coating on them that makes them last longer and they play quite easily Alternatively,have you ever used fast fret on your strings? Cleans and lubricates them at the same time and your fingers shift faster on them
Probably because you are pressing down on the strings too hard. The pros know they don't have to press hard to fret the strings correctly, the beginner tends to press harder so as not to make mistakes. It will come. String gauges are also important, try lighter strings they are easier to play. The Cadd9 trick sounds great, this "mucking about" is exactly what you need to progress.
thats good, weve been playin air that i breathe hollies and that has the Bm Cm and i use the shapes he playes half way through. and alos we play show me the way and ive been using the same shape to play the F#m and F. miles less stress on the wrist and fingers
its swings and roundabouts. due to my poor technique when i tried lighter strings i was inadvertently bending the odd string through not pressing on some strings at the right angle so my chords were sounding odd with the odd sharp note.
i too was using those daddario with elixir coating. but i found after no time at all maybe because i play a lot? i thought it was my guitar that was rubbish in that if i tuned the g string bang on and then pressed the second fret on the g string it was sharp. i thought the action was bad on my guitar. but i took it to ben at paddys music hoping he'd give me my money back cos ive never got on with the thing. but he replaced the strings and all was perfect. so it was my strings that were going out of tune as i went up the fretboard. he did tell me what strings they were that he'd fitted. id' never heard of them before but fingers crossed they still sound good.
Hint - Always leave empty string packet of most recent set of strings in guitar case or gig bag. Are we talking electric guitar or acoustic?
My guy says don’t worry about ‘perfect’ chord play , no one will notice if you are in a band !! I played the acoustic I the garden last night it was so hot - and so was I LOL I actually got some decent rhythm going which for me is hit and miss .
my jamming pal said in his band the bassist was always poking him in the back when he either changed chord too early or played the wrong chord. we might play in his garden this evening i pity the neighbours
with it being accoustic theres only the saddle and nut i can adjust? if the nut was too high on one string then it might cause that string to go sharp as you press down the greater height. have i got that theory right?
Pretty much, you shape the contours of the saddle to fine tune intonation on an accoustic. Or screw adjusters at the bridge on most electrics.
You can get acoustic bridges with built in intonation stagger (and they also come with different heights to adjust the action) but it's best to take it to a luthier.
