Hi. I'm new here and I'm in the beginner level 2. One thing that's been bugging me is there hasn't been any emphasis on which fingers to use to play as efficiently as possible. For example, she does the e major scale and ends with her index and middle finger in the lower octave and when she moves up an octave she starts with her index finger again, which is fine when doing it slowly for the lesson but not practical if you were actually trying to improvise or do a solo. Seems like it would work better to use her middle and ring finger instead? Does that make sense? Is that something that's up to me to figure out or is it discussed later on or am I missing something? I might have skipped over something because I did skip over most of the beginner level 1 stuff, as I'm not a total beginner.
Which fingers to use
Hey & welcome to GT!
Originally Posted by: anniemacleodmusicOne thing that's been bugging me is there hasn't been any emphasis on which fingers to use to play as efficiently as possible.[/quote]
Guitar fingering is so unique to every individual that pretty much anyway you can get the job done is fine. Guitars & fingers vary a great deal. The only thing to watch out for is painting yourself into a corner.
Having said that, the guiding principle is to play with the most natural, smooth & efficient motion possible. Make sure that however you finger any given chord, notes, music is going to help rather than hinder you getting from one chord to the next. Or from one group of notes to the next.
A great rule of thumb here is to use one finger per fret in any given position. But since you might need to use more than one finger in a fret for a chord, or change anchoring positions for various melodies or scale lines, that rule can get thrown aside pretty quickly. :)
I always tell students to get it done how it works best for you. Then if you encounter a playing situation that requires you to reconsider your fingering, then learn a new way to negotiate it!
Learning multiple ways to play any given chord is just a natural evolution of learning to play guitar.
As long as you stick to the guiding principle of playing with the most natural, smooth & efficient motion possible, then you'll be fine.
My old tutorial on scale practicing may be helpful in demostrating practical applications of fingerings.
[quote=anniemacleodmusic]Is that something that's up to me to figure out or is it discussed later on or am I missing something? I might have skipped over something because I did skip over most of the beginner level 1 stuff, as I'm not a total beginner.
You might want to ask Lisa directly in her instructor forum.
https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/threads.php?f=46
Ask more if necessary! Best of success with the guitar. Have fun. :)
