Hey, there! Glad you are enjoying the blues course. Anders does a great job on it!
Originally Posted by: SpiezerI fear I have hit a wall at playing the blues riff up and down the neck. My hands are not so big and I can barely make my fingers stretch across 5 frets holding down the root note and hitting the high note with the pinky. Anyone have a tip to train the fingers to make that reach?
I think Anders suggests an alternate voicing of that kind of riff later in the course. Or in another course?! Anyway, it is a huge stretch. So here are two possible alternate voicings you can use instead.
1. Just use the power chord, but let go of the root when you need the 6th.
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|---3---3----5---5---3---3----5---5----|
|---1---1-------------1---1---------------|
2. Move the root up an octave. Thi is the exact same chord, but with a slightly different voicing.
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------|
|---3---3----3---3---3---3----3---3----|
|---3---3----5---5---3---3----5---5----|
|-------------------------------------------|
Those are perfectly valid substitutes for those difficult stretches.
I also have these exercises that can help develop pinky strrength & dexterity.
Trill Drills
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1829
Building Pinky Strength & Dexterity
https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1292
Hope that helps. Please ask more if necessary. Best of success with the blues!
