Barring Chords and such

[zbalz]

I just got the new december issue of guitar one mag and they have a nice christmas (silent night) song done in fingerstyle...being I am getting into that and it doesnt seem impossible to me...I decided to try it out starting with a Cmaj chord at the 8th fret....and thats when I noticed my real problem

I CANT BARRE FULL FRETS!! I tried every single position...rotating my index finger to the left and right,(I am barring with my index finger here), pushing soft and hard...everything...I always get muting or buzzing in a few strings! I figured if I have no way of knowing how to practice these then I will never actually get it down...(I think my fingers are formed weird).

Anyway, any of you have similar problems or any of you have ideas on how I can get this down?

THanks

-zbalz

PS. MY BLISTERS ARE GONE! I still played with them and I kind of wore them down over a day....painful but builds character. http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/cool.gif

[ghodaddyyo]

zbalz,

I'm working on the same exact song! I can play it, and I have the fingering down, but I'm still working on bringing it up to speed. It's definitely not as easy as it looks. What appears to be the tough part for me, is my forefinger conditioning. After playing this song for a while on my Ovation strung with .12's, the strings begin to dig into the sensitive skin under my forefinger doorknocking knuckle. I had to stop practicing last night due to the discomfort. It's easier with an electric with .10's. I read an interview in which Frank Gambale explained how he worked on sweep picking arpeggios till he developed callouses down the length of his fingers! For me it is either 1)condition my fingers over a period of time, taking the piece slowly, or 2) switch to nylon string guitar!

Just hang in their, find the chord shape giving you trouble, and just passively practice it while watching TV or something. I used one of those small, handheld microcassette recorders to copy the tune and give me a sense of the timing/melody.

[ghodaddyyo]

Oh, by the way, you can hear the tune at http://www.guitaronemag.com/columns/g1_c1.html http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

[zbalz]

frank gambale..page 63? http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Im guessing you are a guitar one magazine subscriber too? I only have 3 issues but they have been VERY helpful to me as far as technique...application...and just plain background information.

What I do is d/l all the mp3s of that month on the main webpage and look through it on my computer..being I have my computer in my room...it is convenient to look at and listen to while watching tv in there.

So I guess Ill just keep barring until my finger forms to the strings and I have no problems. Its gotta sound clean sooner or later. http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif

-zbalz

[ghodaddyyo]

I should subscribe to save money, but half the time I have no interest in the songs they transcribe. A lot of the songs I've learned from tab mags of yesteryear, or are the same 5 songs circulating in the competitor mags.

I certainly wish I knew of a way to speed up the finger callousing process. Maybe I'll dig up some old kung-fu movies and learn how to thrust my hands into cauldrons of frying sand. http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/wink.gif

[MrSamson]

SAy...either of you catz have a scanner?

http://www.zentao.com/ubb/smilies/devil.gif

I have a pending subscription to G-One...

[Kristoffer]

I remember when I used to have problems grabbing the entire neck and strangling it. It takes practice practice practice..there is no short cut to getting around the pain. Kinda like a ballet dancer and her shoes..it's a love affair. You will eventually form calluses (sp?) but they will first appear as white blisters that will cover the entire finger. If you are doing a lot of lead work it is not uncommon to develop multiple blisters on the end of a finger. And don't worry...they won't bleed, and they usually don't pop as they are very far underneath the skin.

[ghodaddyyo]

Hey Zbalz,

How is this song coming along for ya? I don't have pain playing it anymore, and have the song committed to memory with speed, but I'm now working on endurance with clean picking/fingering so that I can play this song while accompannying a choir. How many verses are there anyway!

[zbalz]

well i kind of dropped it for a little while...been busy with work...I decided I am going to practice a bit on barring chords too because notes tend to become muffled when I play barred chords. I'll probably get back on it in a few days. I think itll take me a while to get it down.

-zbalz