Guitar players here on ATS??? I have a question.

I've never tried this FCD but I was thinking you might experiment with tuning your guitar to open Gminor like a DoBro - DGBGBD but lowering the B strings to Bb so you'd have an open G minor tuning. - DGBbGBbD

That way anywhere on the neck you can use your middle finger to get moveable minor bar chords all the way across the neck.
Then to get major chords its simply a matter of using your pinky and ring finger to mash one fret up on the Bb strings.

I like this idea because you can go from major to minor chords very quickly without changing positions.

Peavey makes some great stuff.

Also, people have mentioned Django already. Just study that guy as much as you can and you'll get it.

Try tunning your guitar to drop D tunning that means dropping the low E string to D and leave the other strings at standard E tunning that makes the 3 low strings D A D power chords when strummed together! some players say it's a sissy way to play but i say bs, i've played for 45 years and as my arthritis progressed i found drop tunnings helped me to continue playing! I'm not such a great player either but i still play every day and will never give up trying to improve my playing, good luck!

It is entirely possible to play barre chords without barring. For "E shape" chords for example, use your thumb to play the root note. "A shape" chords can be played using a half barre with your pinky finger across the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings and your index finger for the root (you don't need the 1st string, as this is just a repetition of the root note).

Chords can be played multiple ways and as long as you have the correct notes in there at least once, then you have a chord!

Similar situation with my pinky finger, separated 3 dog fight, got bit, knew the tendon was messed up, but it didn't heal.

Bone was sticking out, needed surgery, did therapy - and after insurance for PT exhausted, I decided best way to get finger working was to pick up guitar again.

It was painful, but I can play runs with just my little finger now and have good dexterity.
Too bad because the arthritis in both my thumbs is excruciating so there's no playing for hours like when I was a kid.

Here's what some of my pro friends suggest, play with the TV commercials & jingles while you're sitting around - it develops your ear and your muscle memory in the fingers - and yes you need to work on real practice too, but this really helps when it's time to do the heart-rending solo thingy where theory and structure gotta go.

Worst part of it is I'll never be able to make a fist with my left hand, so I had to learn all new open hand techniques to mitigate that. It was much less fun and more work 4sure.

ganjoa

originally posted by: 4003fireglo
Peavey makes some great stuff.

It's kind of interesting. Historically Peavy has always made some pretty decent PA stuff gear and such as amps and speakers. In the 80's they got into making guitars. However, back in the 80's was probably the worst possible time to enter the guitar market because everyone under the sun was making a guitar back then (think back to all the different guitars bands were using during this time). So, Peavy was pretty easy to throw under the bus relating to guitars. Back then, it was just a simple matter of trying to reduce some of the competition (even if you could only take one player out of the market). So Peavy was an easy target.

I can remember shortly after buying my guitar, all the guitar snobs would say the Peavy's were complete junk. So, even though it wasn't cheap, I just put it away for fear of being 'guitar shamed' (I was fragile back then I guess). Now, it seems those old Peavy's from the 80's aren't such bad guitars after all and people seek them out. Plus, they were 100% made in the USA. (even better) I don't even think the new Fender Strats are made in the USA now (Mexico I think).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You should check out the CAGED system to help you play and learn new chords. You don’t need to bar. You can always cheat on chords as long as you are playing the root. If your hands are big enough you can always use your thumb to hold down the low E on the six string.

I finger pick acoustic blues and my goal is to create as much controlled rhythmic sound as possible.

There are now tons of amazing free sources to learn from on the web.

There is a site I like (it is a little basic for me tho at times) called

Blues guitar institute

It is a pay site however. I think it is ten bucks a month. He does have free lessons on YouTube

originally posted by: nik1halo
"A shape" chords can be played using a half barre with your pinky finger across the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings and your index finger for the root (you don't need the 1st string, as this is just a repetition of the root note).

No it's not. It's the fifth if played with notes from the triad (same fret as roote note), sixth if you extend the bar from strings 4, 3 , 2 over to 1.

Honest mistake.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
However, back in the 80's was probably the worst possible time to enter the guitar market because everyone under the sun was making a guitar back then (think back to all the different guitars bands were using during this time).

I am not an historical authority on the matter, but my understanding has been that due to Fender's acquisition (by CBS) and subsequent decline in quality in the 80s, many new "players" jumped into the guitar game. So for at least a blip, it was the best time to get into the market. Then it turned into "king of the mountain"...and ironically Fender came out of the whole mess smelling pretty good.

I don't even think the new Fender Strats are made in the USA now (Mexico I think).

Fender has different series. The strats that are made in Mexico used to be called the "standard series" but I believe it's "player series" now. And for the record, these guitars are nothing to turn your nose up at. In fact, they have a distinct mid-range element not present in the Americans; I think it has to do with their three-piece construction (vs. two piece American).

American-made guitars are sold in "American Original", "American Professional", "American Performer", and, of course, "American Ultra" series.

Moreover, on the topic of playing guitar, I think a person has to have the right kind of gunk in their soul, the sort that can only be metabolized by making guitar sounds. I have heard people say that one has to be born with it but I'll tell you: I think life will install that gunk for you if you ask nice.

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

I just have a little Orange Crush mini.

Baby steps.

I like Orange amps. First one I heard was at a Swans concert and I loved the sound. I ended up getting an Orange Crush 20 (1x8). I absolutely love it. Since I don't gig but only record music, it's fine for me, and the one thing I truly love about it is it models a 4x12 cabinet through the headphone jack with a footswitch, which sounds incredible.

I've thought of getting a small cabinet and head (like a micro terror) or a larger cabinet, but I just...don't need it. I have a little 6 or 8" Peavey amp that was my first practice amp, and surprisingly that thing is 45W and has an external jack, so I could always hook that up to a cab instead of buying a separate head.

Prob end up getting a VOX amp next, if I don't get an SG or this beautiful Telecaster first.

My two cents, for what it’s worth.....

I started playing at 14. Gave it up and got a real job in my twenties. Didn’t pick it up again until I dislocated my left ring finger in my early forties, and was told I might never get full movement back. That was almost ten years ago, and now I play (badly) in two different local bar bands on the weekends.

You can find a way to work around any physical limitations on the guitar, and still be able to do just about anything. There’s one guy locally that also plays in working bands, who doesn’t have a pick hand at all. He got a special prosthetic to hold a pick, and to hear him play most people would never know.

Learning to play the guitar is an exercise in frustration and patience for slow incremental progress. Physical challenges aside, there are lots of peaks and valleys, and to improve you just have to fight through the valleys. It’s not easy, but it’s totally worth it.

If it were me, I’d stick with the peavey guitar. You already have some history with it, and if you like it just have at it. There are ways to play barre chord shapes without actually barring with your index finger. Dont let that slow you down at all. Hell, I don’t know that Hendrix ever used a full barre chord in anything, and I think he did ok.

Most of all, stick with it and don’t get discouraged. Improvement doesn’t happen overnight, but it will sneak up on you. If you want suggestions, bad advice, or just to talk guitar stuff feel free to hit me up (anyone).

e who care, my current rig is either a 2006 Gibson custom shop “slash” les Paul, or an ibanez js2450 played through a fractal ax8 straight into a pa. My back made me stop using my 100 watt Marshall this year except for special occasions.

It's not that uncommon for righties to play a lefty guitar. Back when I was a teen, a buddy of mine was left handed and I picked up on it after a short time. Today, couldn't do it if I tried.

But hey... There is always slide or lap:

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

You know you have persistence, when you end up not only playing a neat guitar, but making one out or Harley Davidson parts!!



How freakin' insane... and he's done more, a good youtube rabbit hole !!

For electric rhythm guitar, if I understand you correctly, you don't have to play Barr-chords at all.

If you start, say with a few enjoyable riffs from Pete Townhsend and The Who (all online somewhere these days), most of them are simple open chords. An A, D - E-sus (especially, but two fingers, everything else is open, and it sounds great) can have you windmilling your arms and jumping off the couch in no time.

Then metal power chords only take two fingers, and with distortion can easily displace a full Barr-chord.

I mean all the first finger of a Barr-chord is doing is moving the nut up, so instead of playing an E you're now playing an F. You've gone one semi-tone up. You might as well use a capo, if you really want to change pitch.

Now although some open chords sound very good both an electric guitar and acoustic guitar, playing most of the complicated ones or full Barr-chords are usually a waste of time at first, since you'll have to learn how to only hit three of those strings and silence the rest.

My advice for a beginner is rather learn three or four open chords like E, A and D (and how to sus them - very easy and good sounding, usually takes removing or adding one finger), and the rest you can do with two finger power chords.

There's probably many rockers who've never played a full Barr-chord on an electric guitar.
There's also folk-guitarists or acoustic players who don't like doing it either, and they rather use a capo if they want to shift keys higher.
Unless you only want to play only reggae, jazz or disco (even then you can use a capo), but they your rhythm hand needs to be pretty nifty too. A later stage.
The only convenient thing about a Barr chord is, if you walk into a jam session, and somebody says, play an A flat minor (for example) I know exactly where it is. But you can do that with a two-finger power chord too in harder rock.

[The only real thing to remember, which confuses a lot of beginners is there's no sharp/flat between E and F and B and C. So if you take the open E string your first power chord is F, then G flat, then G, then A flat, then A, then B flat, THEN C, then D-flat, then D, then E-flat, then E, then F again and E again (repeat). So yeah with a basic E Barr chord you can find all those chords very easily on an electric guitar, whereas on an acoustic guitar it's probably better to find a chord dictionary, and some weird fingering.
Same goes for the A-string root (and power chords only play the root note and the fifth): A; B flat; B; C; D; E flat; E; F; G flat, G ...]

But you don't need full Barr-chords at all!
In fact, for beginners I'd actually say don't even look at full Barr-chords until you can play E, E-minor E-sus (the same with A and D) openly, and at least 10 other full open chords, or you won't understand what's going on.

Forget about turning the guitar around, ala Jimi or other virtuosos and geniuses, especially if you're not even left-handed.

If you hopefully persist what I think you'll end up doing after the slow "military basics" (lol), is you might finger things a bit differently, as things speed up.

So power chords, you might find are easier to play with your second finger and pinkie.
Most guitarists ignore their thumbs and pinkies, but they can be used to hit the same notes too, especially if your hand is big, and the guitar neck is slim.
Or, as Jimi did, throw your thumb over the fret-board, as an extra finger.
In fact I've got guitar chord-books from the 1970's where it's actually indicated that the Barre should be half or entirely done with the thumb curling over the fret-board.

Everyone on the guitar has a handicap, and finding a way around it.
But you must first do some basics to find out the destination, and then you see, you will find your way to get there.
But this is how style evolves.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

So...to my question...As a beginner, I wonder how difficult it would be for me, a right handed person, to learn to play a left handed guitar? OR, should I just fight it out and try to figure out how to compensate for my handicapped left hand? A left handed guitar would eliminate my fret hand issues, but I don't know how well a righty can make rhythm on his right hand. 

I am left handed. I play right handed.

It is just a matter of time. You have to pick the guitar up all of the time and practice. It is whatever you get comfortable with, left or right handed.

Guitar playing doesn't come over night or even two weeks. It takes dedication and commitment over time. I learned about 20 years ago because a friend of mine told me I should get a bass guitar and strum around with him. I did and we lived guitar, ate, drank, slept, and partied guitar.

It got to where I knew where he was going to go on the fret board. But this took a few years of constant practice.

If you want to do it, be patient and pick the guitar up when you are sitting around the house. Watch t.v. with a guitar in your lap.

I don't play as much as I should anymore, but I still plunk around and I also take pride in knowing that my 16 year old son shreds.

a reply to: halfoldman

Thanks! Great advice! (to the extent I even understand it) I'm just a total noob at this point. I don't know an "E-sus" chord from the bag of frozen chicken-leek pot stickers in my freezer...but I'm tryin'.

Hey, so far, I can plug in my guitar and make a bunch of racket, so I figure that's progress! And, my dog comes in the room now and periodically howls and then flaps his ears like he's got a flea, so that's progress too. If I could just get past my wife's constant shrieking and swearing that would be helpful, but I guess this will come in time.

I think I need a bigger amp!

ETA - I put one of those tuner thingies on the head of my guitar tonight and I thought it was supposed to display the note I was playing, but all it displayed was "WTF was THAT???? Call 9-1-1!!"

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I would stick to the right handed program if it were me but I’m about as far from being ambidextrous as you can get. I throw like a girl left handed and playing guitar left handed, I feel like Steve Martin in the Jerk when he’s trying to stomp and clap to the soul beat. I have 42 yrs playing and I’m pretty sure my guitar would become firewood if I had to learn left handed, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t do it though. Some people are just better at switching between left and right than others, I just know I suck at it.

a reply to: mtnshredder

I am by no means good at anything ambidextrous. But given my hand issue I thought I would ask. You answered my question, which was...would it be harder to try to learn lefty than just overcome my hand issue.

For now, I think I'll stick with trying to learn right handed.

P.S. Right now I SUCK at both right AND left handed, so I suck equally. I guess I just want to understand the path of least 'suck' resistance.