G...C...G...C...G...C...G...

[missroserose]

So my chords (at least, the four that I know) are getting pretty solid, and I'm starting to approach something resembling playable speed between them. But the change that's killing me is going from G major to C major and back, since in the standard configuration they have almost nothing in common with each other and require completely repositioning your hand. I spend about twenty minutes drilling between the two with no measurable increase in speed.

So I get the bright idea to call my mother, since she's been playing guitar far longer than I have (even though she's not really doing it actively at the moment), and ask if she knows any tricks for speeding up the process. Sure enough, she tells me to do C major, then just move my second and third fingers up one string and catch the high E with my pinky, and behold! G major! And this version requires rather less hand-contorting, too. Admittedly, my pinky isn't super-strong yet, but the chromatic scales I've been playing mean I at least have some callus there.

'Course, after all of five minutes going back and forth in the new configuration, my fretting hand is sore in a whole new way. Ah, the joys of musicianship...

(Also, calluses? Best Thing Ever for guitar playing. Even if I do keep thinking that I have band-aids on the tips of my left fingers - the sensation is not unlike that.)

Comments

[joyfulleigh.livejournal.com]

I'm so jealous of you and your progress! Or maybe not jealous, just happy for you and delighting in knowing I'm a year behind you in learning to play and someday we'll jam together! :)

I've already got left hand callouses from the violin, so that should help me a bit. Part of my problem is that my fingers are tiny and the guitar fingerboard is so much larger than a violin's.

L.

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Do you already have a guitar? If not, go down to a shop and try playing a few models - you'd be surprised in the variation between fretboard sizes. Also, unless you want to learn classical-style (i.e. Spanish) guitar playing, you'd want a folk/rock guitar - classical guitar playing uses so much more fancy fretwork that the fret board is huge. (Brian's father left him a quite nice classical guitar, but Brian's fingers just plain aren't long enough to play it.)

Blessed Fingers!

[faith-rose08.livejournal.com]

Ah darling, I'm so happy I could be of help - and you are making me want to go buy a new guitar!!! Have fun - and perhaps we can play together next time I visit. Now THAT would be AWESOME! Love, Mum