Hi, I just started learning electric guitar but I can't play it while sitting. I put the body on the right leg but the neck slides away when I play, I can play only with the strap very short, and the guitar not touching the leg.
I can't do the spider exercise as well, so I'm getting I little demoralized.
I've been trying for 3 days but can't do it yet.
Should I skip it and train on the chords?
Any advice?
You don't have to play with the guitar on your right leg. Use a strap like the instructor does in the beginning course. The problem with setting it on your right leg is most people hold it parallel to the floor. That's the wrong way to hold it. The neck should be elevated like Lisa does in the beginner course. That puts the Fretting hand in a more natural position and it will be easier to play notes or chords. I struggled for months trying to use it on my leg like they showed us. No luck but as soon as I started using a strap setting down all my problems gradually went away. Hope this helps.
Originally Posted by: pratterrYou don't have to play with the guitar on your right leg. Use a strap like the instructor does in the beginning course. The problem with setting it on your right leg is most people hold it parallel to the floor. That's the wrong way to hold it. The neck should be elevated like Lisa does in the beginner course. That puts the Fretting hand in a more natural position and it will be easier to play notes or chords. I struggled for months trying to use it on my leg like they showed us. No luck but as soon as I started using a strap setting down all my problems gradually went away. Hope this helps.
Thank you very much for sharing your experience with that!
Originally Posted by: loreatwAny advice?
Ref "spider exercise" in "3 days". Assuming your join date coincides approximately with your start date learning guitar. How many hours total hands on is that in "3 days' of your attempt to achieve fluidity with the spider exercise in practical application. 15 minutes, 3 hours or ? Patience. Persistence. Time.
What electric guitar do you have that you're experiencing the neck wrestling with? Les Paul, ES-335, SG?
[br]If you are forced to use a strap as a kludge to work around this, posture notwithstanding, most probable is that there's something [u]fundamentally[/u] wrong with the [u]physical fit[/u] of that instrument with you.
Originally Posted by: manXcatOriginally Posted by: loreatwAny advice?Ref "spider exercise" in "3 days". Assuming your join date coincides approximately with your start date learning guitar. How many hours total hands on is that in "3 days' of your attempt to achieve fluidity with the spider exercise in practical application. 15 minutes, 3 hours or ? Patience. Persistence. Time.
What guitar do you have that you're experiencing the neck wrestling with? Les Paul, ES-335, SG electric?
[br]If you are forced to use a strap as a kludge to work around this, posture notwithstanding, most probable is that there's something [u]fundamentally[/u] wrong with the [u]physical fit[/u] of that instrument with you.
I've been practicing for the last 3 days for about 5 hours. I physically can't do the spider with all the fingers kept down, maybe I should do it one finger per time.
I think I found the good posture for me, I press the guitar down with my armpit, I'm very comfortable with that.
I bought an entry guitar on gear4music, stratocaster shape.
Without intending disrespect, I'd have trouble accepting anyone has actually practiced spider fingers for five hours (collective time) over three days. It's a boring if useful exercise, so 10-15 mins max of it per session would be pretty 'had enough of that' normal. And I say that as an atypically disciplined and persistent individual.
Even if you used it for warm up on two sessions daily over three days, that'd still just be between a total of between an 60 to 90mins hands on at it. OTOH if If you really have done three hours hands on over that period, you should be starting to get it. Make sure you carry out hand and finger flex and stretch exercises first, then just persist. 10-15 min sessions reinforced a couple of times a day every day or every other day. That will get you there fastest.
Single fingers? No. Ke[u]ep at the progressive all fingers down-up discipline[/u]. It's a co-ordination & control motor skills exercise as much as a stretching and flexibility warm-up one.
Patience, persistance, time will get you there. Keep at it.
Keep moving on progressively with other lessons though e.g. chords, and come back to it for that 10-15min warmup each session. That's how you're supposed to use it.
Nothing to be dismissive about re 'entry level' guitars. With few exceptions they're more than adequate for that task today. Conventional Strat balance and body shape (thigh fit) ordinarily shouldn't be causing neck wrestling problems. You shouldn't have to press the guitar (body?) down with your armpit. More info req. Are you average height and build m/f or?
the spider exercise is NOT easy. That's why it is effective.[br][br]When start to learn something new, like learning an ambitious solo, I use what I call the "chip away" approach.If its new and tricky i work on it for about 5-10 minutes, then move on to some other aspect of playing. I may play the 5-10 minutes a few times spread over a day. As the exercise BEGINS to fall under under my fingers, I increase the time. Once I can actually do the exercise i increase the time spent on it. [br][br]I believe one should have SEVERAL different "exercises" (scales chords drills new riffs) in "rotation" so as to rest fingers from difficult moves and to keep your attention span. Learning guitar is a lifelong endeavor, and it comes easily to NO ONE. I worked for YEARS developing a pleasing vibrato, for instance. Also, no matter how good you get, there is always someone better; so compare your self only to yourself, but listen to, be inspired by and learn from the greats.
