Teaching Cords

Hello all - I am new here and to the guitar, a couple months on the guitar, but have been playing the mandolin for a little over a year. I understand the difficulties and practice required in order to make cords when you must go after frets and strings that are quite a far reach.

Is there an area on here that addresses some of the best positions, for example, your arm, wrist, etc. when one finger is holding a string down close to your hand and another must reach way across without touching another - any "tricks" - or things that work for others that we can try for ourselves to see what works for us when different cords call for different positions other than good sound guitar posture? I think I've just made zero sense. I know it's what works for each person, I just wondered if anything was addressed like that.

I started at the very basic area and stayed with it for a good while - then there are sections on strumming, picking, chord changes, but I don't see anything on hints on helping on make them. If anyone has a clue to my mystery message I'd appreciate some direction. Thank you and my best to all. Harry McCormick

Hi harrymc!

It sounds like some finger/hand stretching exercises might help you out. Lisa McCormick has one that we think works wonders, called Spider Legs:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=621

You might try that out for a while and see if it helps. Let us know how it turns out!

-GT Admin

Quick tip: make sure that your thumb (fretting hand) is placed in the centre of the back of the neck and doesn't creep over the top too much. I wish someone had taught me that back in the day!

Originally Posted by: JimmyAlfordQuick tip: make sure that your thumb (fretting hand) is placed in the centre of the back of the neck and doesn't creep over the top too much. I wish someone had taught me that back in the day!

Oh yeah, dude. This ^ helps A TON with your reach, and is almost absolutely necessary for all advanced-level playing. Other than that all I would have to say is keep at it. difficult chord changes can be one of the hardest and most frustrating parts of learning guitar. But if you keep working at it with exercises like the spider legs exercise, repetition, and trying different things you will get it. With enough practice it will become like second nature.

Wow, is this a major deal, what a difference it's made in one afternoon. I needed to be in the Spider Legs section of the instructions – that’s EXACTLY where I needed to be directed, I thank the Administrator for that. It blew me away how huge the thumb placement is. Heck of a "Quick Tip" Jimmy. It's made all the difference in the world. Like you said, you wish someone would have taught you that that back in the day - I lucked out big time because you shared your experience with me. I can move some again, that’s a really good feeling. Thanks man, there is no telling how long I would have struggled with this, it seemed pretty far off. Knowing that what has been killing me is the same thing that nails everyone else at the start certainly matters Markus. It picks you up knowing it's not just you, that this is tough, just keep fighting, others have, it will come. Learning something new like this becomes more a mental struggle than anything else at this point, for me anyway. I'm not afraid of hard work, so if that's what it takes I'll be playing. I'll tell you though, I was so far away on so many cords I was honestly starting to think there just wasn't any way I was going to be able to make some of them and I'm no quitter. Some I had been working on for weeks, all with my thumb everywhere but the center of the neck, sometimes even with the neck in my palm. It was getting rough and as I said, I learned the mandolin, so I know there is a pretty big learning curve you have to get over, you just have to stick with it, but I didn't think the guitar was looking to good for me. It's amazing that you guys gave me these tips and along with the Spider Legs I can now at least reach those miserable cords. Great stuff that you guys jumped in to help me, I really appreciate it - I'm having fun with practicing again. Thanks guys, Harry

Originally Posted by: harrymcWow, is this a major deal, what a difference it's made in one afternoon. I needed to be in the Spider Legs section of the instructions – that’s EXACTLY where I needed to be directed, I thank the Administrator for that.

It blew me away how huge the thumb placement is. Heck of a "Quick Tip" Jimmy. It's made all the difference in the world. Like you said, you wish someone would have taught you that that back in the day - I lucked out big time because you shared your experience with me. I can move some again, that’s a really good feeling. Thanks man, there is no telling how long I would have struggled with this, it seemed pretty far off.

Knowing that what has been killing me is the same thing that nails everyone else at the start certainly matters Markus. It picks you up knowing it's not just you, that this is tough, just keep fighting, others have, it will come. Learning something new like this becomes more a mental struggle than anything else at this point, for me anyway.

I'm not afraid of hard work, so if that's what it takes I'll be playing. I'll tell you though, I was so far away on so many cords I was honestly starting to think there just wasn't any way I was going to be able to make some of them and I'm no quitter. Some I had been working on for weeks, all with my thumb everywhere but the center of the neck, sometimes even with the neck in my palm.

It was getting rough and as I said, I learned the mandolin, so I know there is a pretty big learning curve you have to get over, you just have to stick with it, but I didn't think the guitar was looking to good for me. It's amazing that you guys gave me these tips and along with the Spider Legs I can now at least reach those miserable cords.

Great stuff that you guys jumped in to help me, I really appreciate it - I'm having fun with practicing again. Thanks guys, Harry

Paragraphs are your friend :P much easier to read this way :)

Glad to hear it Harry! It gives me a smile when I can help someone out even in a small way. Certainly with learning any instrument and especially guitar, I think that the mental roadblocks we all find along the way can be the toughest part of learning anything new, and a big reason why many people stop learning new things after a while.

but it really does just take hard work to get past these plateaus, and of course the proper practicing techniques, like the thumb in the middle of the neck! :P like I said, it is absolutely necessary, and if you can, train your thumb to remain there all the time while you are playing, it will improve your technique much faster than your peers, though it is pretty hard when your first starting out. Happy practices!