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Post by Whiterook on Jun 15, 2023 8:42:01 GMT -5
…tuned up the guitfiddle last night and played around with the first chord of the song, and oh DAMN, my fingers don’t stretch that far between the index and pinkie! I did a little reading up and found, it’s a problem for a lot of folks…especially those like me who don’t have insanely long fingers (I realized early on in my quest to learn guitar that my fingers are basically clubs, in the guitar playing world!).
I’m not saying I’m giving up on the song… I’ll be curious to see if I can train my left hand to achieve that kind of spread some day… but I did see that there’s a version of this with a Capo on the second fret that achieves much the same sounds so, I’ll give that a whirl!
I don’t want to loose momentum at this early stage so, I think I’ll also look at Dave’s, Say Goodbye as a starter song…
…yeah…I know, “starter” is not even close, but I like to throw caution to the wind!
Another possibility is Cry Freedom…
It’s good to hear my beloved guitar singing again! I bought new picks that are so far, game changers!
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Post by josta59 on Jun 19, 2023 7:15:44 GMT -5
I have the same issue. It took a lot of patience and practice, of course, and in some cases I just had to cheat a little and figure out a practical way that I could play certain chords without injuring myself, LOL. I play the F chord really weird, using my thumb! But it works for me and I never miss that chord.
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Post by Whiterook on Jun 23, 2023 7:28:05 GMT -5
I have the same issue. It took a lot of patience and practice, of course, and in some cases I just had to cheat a little and figure out a practical way that I could play certain chords without injuring myself, LOL. I play the F chord really weird, using my thumb! But it works for me and I never miss that chord. Thank you for that! …it gives me encouragement. Yeah, I’m gonna have to do some cheating here and there; but dang, I remember seeing Dolly Parton play so great and she does it with super long fingernails, just using her finger pads, so where there’s a will, there’s a way! I found this great version with cheat version of “Crash Into Me” that I’m gonna try next… I just need to figure out what chords to use based on his video… he shows the hard (regular) way and then the cheat way, but they’re chords I’m totally unfamiliar with, plus he writes hos chords a tad different than I’ve seen before. |
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Post by Geek44 on Jul 5, 2023 23:21:52 GMT -5
This is very exciting! I'm proud of you. And I thought it was so funny that your first chord was fittingly "Em"! Isn't this everybody's first chord? (Player of 40 years. Consistently mediocre). |
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Post by Whiterook on Jul 6, 2023 21:25:38 GMT -5
This is very exciting! I'm proud of you. And I thought it was so funny that your first chord was fittingly "Em"! Isn't this everybody's first chord? (Player of 40 years. Consistently mediocre). I’m trying desperately to get to mediocre  |
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Post by Geek44 on Jul 6, 2023 22:42:43 GMT -5
Keep strumming mate, it'll come. 🤣
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Post by Whiterook on Jul 9, 2023 10:00:35 GMT -5
Keep strumming mate, it'll come. 🤣 Thanks, mate… it’s feeling more “natural” each session. Finally feel like I’m *getting* it. |
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Post by magna on Aug 29, 2023 20:18:52 GMT -5
My guitar efforts always start with me having delusions of adequacy.
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Post by Whiterook on Sept 1, 2023 18:56:52 GMT -5
My guitar efforts always start with me having delusions of adequacy. …well, that’s farther ahead than me!  Honestly, I did somewhat better with a teacher, as he could tell me right away what I was doing wrong, or needed work on…but I’m managing alone…just taking longer |
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Post by magna on Sept 3, 2023 7:05:16 GMT -5
Ah, I don't need a teacher to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I already know that is playing it in the first place. You and I will get there eventually though.  |
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Post by magna on Dec 20, 2023 3:44:13 GMT -5
Am also mastering the newer digital instrument called streaming. Easy to tune and I can already play
just about anything. I know, don't forget your hat and coat on the way out.......
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Post by Whiterook on Dec 24, 2023 13:42:03 GMT -5
Ah, I don't need a teacher to tell me what I'm doing wrong. I already know that is playing it in the first place. You and I will get there eventually though. Yes, we will! I need to get back to the point of building the callouses back and that’s when I am more apt to work on things, lol Am also mastering the newer digital instrument called streaming. Easy to tune and I can already play just about anything. I know, don't forget your hat and coat on the way out....... Karen and I went full streaming and got rid of cable… the shows and no commercials are much better, and better for viewing. We recently got a 3 month trial for Apple+ and I loved it so much, we kept it |
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Post by Whiterook on Mar 18, 2024 9:09:07 GMT -5
Bought a used guitar this past Saturday!!! …was posted on Facebook MarketPlace and it’s the first time I’ve ever purchased anything off of there. From a guy in Connecticut…met him at Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe, nice and public-like in the parking lot… I was able to get lunch after too, lol!!!   It’s a Takamine and a brand I’ve admired and wanted for a long time… seeing a country music singer I like play it, and then noticing a bunch of other musicians using them; I did some research and saw it was a popular brand. I’ve been of a mind that I wouldn’t buy a top quality brand guitar until I felt I was getting somewhere with the cheaper models I’ve had/have, and would upgrade later… Takamine was at the top of my list; not too expensive, but not cheap, either. I do feel like I’m making steady progress and know I’ll definitely continue, so it was time… and at a great deal certainly didn’t hurt the cause!!! I really like the sound and it’s an acoustic electric…a couple small dings on the top side but not broken through the wood. Everything sounds great on it, except one low sting tends to sound buzzy now and then, but I’m banking on it being the old strings; if not, a tech can tighten things up. In the mess time, I can definitely replace the strings myself. It’s a Series-G, which is basically a scaled down Jumbo size; basically, more of a student guitar, but plenty of pro musicians use them for their smaller size than those big dreadnaughts.   The seller made me a super deal, including the gig bag for free. I had told him in my inquiry of whether it was still available, that I was especially drawn by the sun burst pattern, which matches a guitar my mom owned: If you recall from an earlier post on this thread, she died when I was 14, and I noticed a broken guitar hanging on my dad’s bedroom wall a few months later. I asked him why he had a busted up guitar and where’d it come from? He said, matter of factly, “…it was your mom’s”. WHAT!!??!! I had no idea she owned a guitar, let alone played one. Turns out she self taught herself and loved playing her favorite song, Buttons & Bows. I guess that’s where I got my musical genes!!! She’s my inspiration!  …anyway, the guy I bought it from said the story impressed him, along with my wanting to finally learn the instrument in retirement, so he knocked $85 off the $285 price and threw in the bag! I practiced with it last night… I have group guitar class tonight and am bringing it to use, and will go a bit early and ask the teacher what he thinks. It’s always a chance buying a used guitar off of someone, but the price was great and worth a shot. Oddly enough, I had exactly $275 left from my retirement donation from work colleagues so, it’s good karma.    Time will tell how phenomenal a deal this was. |
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Post by Whiterook on Mar 27, 2024 21:51:55 GMT -5
Had a complete Setup done to the guitar this past Sunday! A local Luthier who’s retired made an exception in my case to accepting me as a new client and what an amazing job he did!!! I learned so much about guitars, and my guitar in particular. Turns out that manufacturers (as well as the music stores that sell guitars) ship them out not setup fully… the action of the strings (height up from the fretboard) can be quite high due to things like not filing the nut correctly, the saddle, even the holes the pins go in, for instance.
Harry first, adjusted the torsion rod in the neck, which realigned it… it wasn’t turning correctly at first and we fears it may be busted, but it finally gave way. Then he measured the string height again and filed down the grooves in the nut at the top of the neck. New strings were put on and the holes had to be widened a tad for the pins to seat properly. Once again, another measuring was done and we determined the strings were at a nice height so the saddle didn’t have to be removed.
Oh my goodness, it’s like a whole different guitar now… feels so much better to fret and play! When I went to class the following evening, I couldn’t believe how much easier it was to work through the exercises. I’m so happy I spent the $60 to have it worked on…he usually charges $80 and hour, but he made an exception in that too, as I’m on a pension, lol. Us retirees need to stick together!!!
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Post by Whiterook on Apr 10, 2024 8:43:25 GMT -5
Well, it’s been almost a month since I posted my Takamine purchase, and its subsequent setup of the whole guitar… and I feel assured in answering that question quoted above: It WAS a phenomenal deal! Without a doubt, the best acoustic steel string guitar I’ve ever owned! Plays wonderfully, feels great, sounds great, and it’s a pleasure to play. So much easier on my fingers; so much more comfortable to hold. And great looks, to boot!!!
…I owned a new Yamaha classical once, and it was probably the highest end guitar I owned, the Dean acoustic maybe the second highest. I guitar from a name company isn’t always the litmus you go by, but chances are they are going to be better than no-name brands. End of the day though, it isn’t the name of the company, but the manufacture quality. Of course, major companies bang out guitars in mass quantities, so there’s that. At the end of the day, we are going to buy the musical instrument we can afford, and with wise choices and a lot of luck, that special one may end up in your hands. That’s how I feel about this guitar… it feels special to me!
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