Help a keyboardist

[Dr Teeth]

Hi, i have been playing keyboard for about 11 years now. I recently like 8 months ago started playing guitar. I bought an acoustic guitar with steel strings because all I want (for now) is to become a strumming guitarist. I learned piano almost alone, and i learned sax, bass and drums by my self. But I cant with the guitar and i am about to quit The big!!!! problem that I have is changing chords, I cant change chords fast enough to sound like i am playing a song. Secong i have many problems with the chord that you do puting your index finger pressing all the string, i dont know how to say it in english. What happens when I try to change chords is that i feel like I loose control of the neck of the guitar so I cant put back my fingers in the new positiong fast enough. And last, could you recommend me some DVD specially about strumming guitar? thanks.

[Shoes]

For a moment there I thought you wanted help moving the damn piano again.

 

I've been playing for 'bout 25 years and there are all kinds of chords that I simply can't adjust my hand to play comfortably or cleanly for that matter. It's all time and practice like anything else.

 

When you can play what you see without having to see what you play... you're there.

 

Until then keep practising and like all good keyboard players should... exercise your hands and fingers routinely but not extraneously.

[Big Red 67]

Barr chords take a long time (all the fingers across). They are important. See my logo at the bottom and return to look at it as often as possible.

 

Also try this as a subtitute.

 

x

x

5

4

3

x

 

This is a Gmaj. It can be played any where on the neck to make any major chord.

 

x

x

x

5

5

3

 

Cmaj also anywhere on the neck.

 

Soory

 

xlow

 

to

 

xhigh

Try using parts of chords that you find in the books. Remember it is a journey, the discovery can be fun, not just labor.

[Corner Pocket]

Big Red,

 

It took me a while to decode your ascii tab. You show your fingering with the low E sting at the top, and the high E string at the bottom. Tab usually goes the other way. For a new guitar player like Dr. Teeth, (where is the Electirc Mayhem????), this could be frustrating.

 

Paul

[Dr Teeth]

Originally posted by rockincyanblues:

Big Red,

 

It took me a while to decode your ascii tab. You show your fingering with the low E sting at the top, and the high E string at the bottom. Tab usually goes the other way. For a new guitar player like Dr. Teeth, (where is the Electirc Mayhem????), this could be frustrating.

 

Paul

I decoded that well thanks. And thanks to you all guys. I had the complete nickname but i think is to long right?

[BluesWithoutBlame]

I am now going to reveal the biggest secret of all for learning guitar

(strumming first...which is what most of us did)

and even though I probably will be killed for revealing this to a

non-guitarist, it is the most guarded secret that is

so secret even some guitarists that have been playing for years don't know

it...but I'll tell you (I'm kidding so far

but this is truly the key to learning)

 

 

Here it is....

 

 

ready?

 

 

"to play fluidly and fast, you have to practice SLOWLY..."

 

There are other secrets but this is the biggie. You don't need (I actually

even advise against it) a DVD,

or anything more than a chord diagram and patience. It is a paradox (seems

to go against what you would think)

but if you have some patience it will end up going much faster.

 

Just to name one thing that probably makes it more difficult...you play

keyboards and other "linear" instruments where

the notes are layed out in a row, easy to understand...but with guitar the

same notes are popping up all over the place.

You have to think differently at first, in "pictures" in your mind about

what the chord shapes are and what they are called.

 

The best plan is this. Take 2 OPEN (not needing to make a bar with the

first finger, that comes much later after you

can change chords fluidly) chords. Pick any two, but I would recommend A

and D to start with.

 

Play one of the chords (start with the A chord), string by string while you

have it fretted. Make sure all notes (strings) that should be heard ring

out

without sounding clunky or muffled. On an open A, that means do not play

the lowest (the fattest string, we call it the 6th string) string

but play all the others one by one. When you can make the chord so your

fingers aren't muffling any notes, lift your fingers

off the fretboard, and make same chord again. Do this for a while. Slowly.

Your fingers have to simply get used to fretting this

ONE chord. When you feel bored to tears, try the other chord (the D now)

which you will NOT play the 6th or 5th string, but all the rest. Do it the

same way as you did the A chord, lifting your fingers off and putting them

back on again, play each note.

 

After a while, try VERY slowly but evenly to move from one to the other.

Watch what your fingers do when they go from one to the other.

Notice that sometimes they "twitch" or move WAY far away and your fingers

seem "confused" as to how best to get from one to the other.

Correct that....one finger by one finger until they "know" how best to move

to the new chord.

 

Sometimes it helps to open your left hand, spreading the fingers wide and

go to the new chord. You are learning two things, one; how to specifically

go from A->D, and D->A, and two; how to go from "no chord" or "any other

chord" to A, or to D. Mix the practice up, but every now and then

check that each and every note that is supposed to be sounding.

 

When it starts (and it won't take nearly as long as you think) to get a

little easier, try a G chord. Go from A->G, also A->D, also D->G, and G->D.

 

You will make mistakes, but after awhile you will find it is happening

more and more without you having to think or press so hard on the

strings...

 

 

Take lots of breaks. Always have the guitar nearby, when you are watching

TV, or whatever, just pick it up an try a chord and a change....

do it until it goes a little more smoothly, and then put the guitar down.

This is teaching your fingers to remember...sometimes it is better to

practice many times for short periods, than one really long session. Play

slowly. Later on when it starts to feel natural, use a drum machine,

or metronome and set it at the slowest possible setting and try to change

chords with each beat, sticking with two or three chords.

When you can do that, start raising the speed just a little. Go to the

point where you cannot keep up try that a few times, then back it off a

little

to the speed you can just barely keep up. The speed will increase.

 

This phase won't last forever, even if it feels that way. I bet you if you

do this every day for a week, you will be able to go between these

three chords.

 

Then start learning C chord. etc.

 

Much later, when you want to learn solos and lead guitar, it is really the

same procedure. It becomes fun when you see progress. You play slowly,

to get the fingers to know where to go, and the most efficient way to go

from note to note, or chord to chord...and you will find naturally which is

the most effecient for you. I always alternate between going slow, and for

a change, faster than I can keep up with for a while, then back down to

slow...it is weird, when you have tried for a while to go too fast, then go

back to slow, the slow is TOO slow, so you can actually raise it a little.

 

Play a game, "I want to see if I can change between A and D 3 times without

hesitation", then "maybe I can do it 5 times?"...

 

Also, you really (in my opinion)should first be really comfortable with "open chords" before diving into bar (in some books also called barre) chords. The reason is, all bar chords are really the open chords with the index finger used as the "nut". So when you get really got especially at the open chords E and A (and you need to try A with your last three fingers as an alternate so later you can place the index in there and you are set, AND another alternate with the third finger barring the whole open A. I have been playing for 30 years and I always tend to use the third finger for open A, except instances where it just isn't practical. The hardest part of that is to hit all strings and bend it enough that you can still have the 1st string open, and ringing out.

 

It WILL go quicker than you think, hang in there buddy!

[Big Red 67]

Oh that's why every thing I learn from tab sounds funny! hehehe I just couldn't remember which way it went. That is why I edited the post. Plus I's dyslexic so I get shit backwards and sideways sometimes.

[Chris.]

hey teeth.. take the advice in Red's sig line..

 

don't give up... EVERYone learning guitar feels like chucking it in with these problems you are experiencing!!

 

BlueswithoutBlame gave a good account of what i was going to say.. but i'll re-iterate anyway.

 

you obviously are a musician and have the feel for timing etc already so i would suggest the best thing you can do is to play a song(preferable open chords) at the speed you can comfortable make the changes whilst still keeping it IN TIME. no matter how slow it is. and then, yup you guessed it, speed it up, but always keeping it in time. if the chords are buzzing or not sounding right, then slow down again until it sounds clean.

 

this stage of practice is one of the most gruelling, so stick with it. once you've got the open chord changes nailed, then you can focus properly of becoming a decent strummer.

[Big Red 67]

I still feel like selling my stuff from time to time. Not cause of ablity cause of money. Economy is improving?

[Dr Teeth]

Thank you guys, great advices. One more question... when you change chord it is supossed that all the finger should lift from the fretboard and land in the new position at the same time?

[baronedo]

Dr. Teeth,

Don't give up. I similarly came from a keyboard background played the bass guitar for years. However, it took me 3 attempts and trying and quitting before I learned to play the guitar. We've all experience some of your same problems as a novice player. It takes time and a lot of practice to increase your finger strength, build callouses, and learn how to fret notes cleanly without inadvertently muting adjacent strings/notes.

 

Keep at is and you'll eventually get it. It's like learning to ride a bike. At first it seems impossible and then one day it will start to click. The chords you are speaking off are called Barre chords, also known as moveable chords. They do take some time to learn but have the advantage of being able to keep the same shape along the fret board, allowing you to play different chords with the same basic shape.

 

I also like the post indicating to take it slower to learn to play faster. It reminds me of my other passion golf. In golf, you learn to swing slower and easier to hit the ball further. Swinging hard ususally results in off center hits on the ball which are detrimental to both distance and location. Keep practicing and you'll eventually be playing "par".

[adamsj]

Dr. Teeth,

 

I have several beginner students, mostly kids under the age of 13, and the problem you're having is the same thing all beginners face.

 

I've had great success quickly getting them beyond having trouble moving from one chord to another and on to actually playing songs by having them practice moving back and forth over and over again between just two chords -- say C and G. Just do it over and over and over and you'll soon see your ability and speed improving.

 

Then do the same between C and D, and then G and D, and so on until you can easily, accurately, and quickly move between all the chords you need to play.

 

Barre chords are another thing. Try practicing just the barre part of the chord -- the first finger laid flat across all six strings and strummed -- with no other fingers on the fretboard. Squeeze hard and be sure you're sounding all the strings correctly, then slide up a fret and do it again, then up another fret, etc. This is a great way to strengthen your barre and improve the sound of your barre chords.

 

In the meantimes, keep playing your other chords, and work specifically on the E and Eminor chords, and the A and Aminor chords -- as these translate directly into barre chords.

 

For a ton of great DVDs on learning guitar, try the sites in my signature...

 

Good luck, and just keep trying! You'll get it.

[BluesWithoutBlame]

I tried replying a few days ago but am having trouble statying connected, so I saved off my reply and am trying again here...

 

Originally posted by Dr Teeth:

Thank you guys, great advices. One more question... when you change chord it is supossed that all the finger should lift from the fretboard and land in the new position at the same time?

Short answer, it doesn't matter at all as long as they are all in place before you strum the chord :-)

 

What you'll start seeing if you really look at the hand doing the fretting is...sometimes, some of the fingers don't have to move at all between certain chords. C to F for example, the index finger stay right where it is. Also, I tend to play a G chord with the first AND second strings fretted at the third fret. When I move from D to this kind og G, the third finger just stays put but also flattens out to cover the first string also.

 

Don't mean to pile too much on here. Again, economy of movement is the thing. I mentioned taking all fingers off and making a chord just as an exercise to qickly finding the fingering from anywhere. In reality when playing, after you learn some (again, keep your sites low..don't learn all chords, start with TWO! then work up only when they are right) chord, when you are switching you'll only be thinking "okay..now A" and it will just happen.I used to see the diagram in my mind...still do occasionally on chords I am less familiar with, but not on the old reliable ones.

 

It takes some time, but I promise, you practice for a while and suddenly it will work for you. Just like that. I always found like a barrier, and when I hit it suddenly I could do those chords.

 

Good luck!

[Ricochet]

Personally, I think the reason I took more naturally to open tuning slide guitar than the standard tuning fretted sort is its greater similarity to keyboard playing. There's a linear layout of chords up and down the neck with open tunings that's way easier to relate to than the seemingly random "chord shapes" of standard tuning. And you always know which strings have the root, fifth and third of the chord at any fret. (Of course, there are many more chords possible in open tunings than the barred ones and their modifications like minors, sus and seventh chords.)

 

I'm back working on keyboard stuff too now, after about a 36 year layoff.