Hello folks, any ideas how to fix this? I know people say "Just don't do it!" but I'm struggling, it seems like there is an invisible thread pulling my finger up. It's worse going from high to low than it is from low to high for some reason. I've tried going really slow, I've tried the A and E strings only. It's freaky when I look at it and I've never noticed it before

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKmGeVQH0sk

It doesn't look too bad to me but my advice to friends is usually this (had to use a picture as this is hard for me to describe);



What helped me most was keeping the finger shape more similar on individual string, for example you bend the distral and middle phalanx more and more (too much) as you get closer to the High E. So each placement your fingers are in a different shape which probably make things harder.

Also, use the proximal phalanx as much as possible cause its a lighter touch and easyer to the hand. You'll see shredders do this a lot but blues/jazz guys when doing fast passages also does this. Chris might be a good example in this lesson; https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Melodi...luesy-Phrasing/

This post has been edited by Mertay: Feb 27 2017, 10:17 PM

Thanks Mertay but my finger gets worse when I get nearer the bass E

Cheers

Phil

You're relaxed when starting down (no problems), as you approach the high E you stress fingers (no tarantula fingers but not the right focus or comfort, almost like a fist) then as you relax going to the low E you lose control (Tarantula finger).

Thats why I see the problem is actually the fist position at high E, to me you should always be as relaxed as your starting point. But sure I'm curious what the instructors say

Thanks Mertay,

I guess over the years of mindless noodling using the pentatonic (1,4,1,3,1,3,1,3,1,4,1,4) that tarantula finger hasn't had much use and doing an exercise like this highlights its weakness.

Thanks for your advice buddy

Here's a little idea/warm up


(sorry about the potato quality, recorded it on the go )

Lets take 1234 for the sake of simplicity.
You start your 1234 and when you are about to hit the 1 on the next string make sure your other fingers don't move from their place.
Then you you move the 2 to the next string make sure the 3 and 4 don't move.
So on, So on.

I still fail to keep them still from time to time as you can see in the video.

This post has been edited by MonkeyDAthos: Mar 1 2017, 07:33 AM

Thanks monkey

Anytime

And yeah some things are hard to change but still possible, by the way how is your stretching? if you like I'll try sharing a stretch exercise (that must be done daily, but guarantied results ) as I think it might help you with what I'm noticing by your video.

Thanks Mertay,

To be honest, and I know everyone is going to go crazy, I don't stretch My practise time is so small and precious I hate to think of "wasting" time stretching. This is from someone who used to spend a lot of time in the gym over many years and ALWAYS stretched before a workout.

I'll have a look at your stretch exercise though please.

Cheers buddy.

When I was 11, I prepared for a ballet exam at the concervatory (1st place on exam but due to a problem discovered on my leg after the exam, had to quit and then started guitar). The preparation was mostly body training related and %80 was about streching my body, stuff like this was the easy part for me as a kid



Thats why I guess playing guitar to me is more about dance of fingers so more than strenght, you need a flexible but controllable hand. Though one never needs extreme flexability when dancing, its that potential of the body that make things possible.

ok so the exercise; place finger 4 (pinky) on high e string 15 fret, finger 3 on 14 of b string, finger 2 on 13 of G string, finger 1 on 12 of D string. A wide neck guitar like your ibanez might be better for this.

Now without moving fingers 2-3-4, move finger 1 from fret 12 to fret 11. Don't slide it, lift and place. Now the same with finger 2, lift from 13 to 12 not moving the other fingers etc...

The goal is not to climb to the top but keeping a good position while climing. When maxed your streching (start over each time before you start to feel hurt) start from the same place again and do this 2-3 times. Shouldn't take more that 1-2 minutes.

It can be the first thing you do when you pickup the guitar, cause right where you feel its hardest to strech you'll notice your body and hands are at the most comfortable position

First 4-5 days probably you'll feel stuck but after a week or 2 I bet even you will be amazed by results.

Thanks Mertay, I'll try that out.

That picture looks remarkably like a young Jean Claude Van Dam

Cheers folks

Phil

No pictures of me from back then so I had to find something

Let me know how it goes, if needed I'll try making a video

Thanks Mertay,

I actually thought you'd hacked my OneDrive and stolen pictures of me

WOW Monkey, that is HARD Also it highlights the fact that my fingers aren't vertical enough because my pinkie in particular mutes the thinner next string, I know sometimes this is what you want but I don't have the option It always mutes it, at the moment anyway

Mertay, just done a quick poor quality vid to be sure I'm doing it correctly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTr4PrTpk8




This post has been edited by Phil66: Feb 28 2017, 09:07 PM

Very good start! not everybody is that confident on those higher frets, you should definitly keep doing this and if it gets too easy I can make it harder for you

Start higher next time to save some time (like 10th fret maybe) and just a note; the slower you do it the harder it gets. Also hitting the strings is up to you not a must.

Now getting back to the subject, notice how radially different your holding shape is at the high E string now compared to the first video you shared (also you adjusted your body-to-guitar angle right at the end of the streching exercise). Keep in mind this is most likely your most comfortable hand-body position on guitar, try doing scale-like stuff and see if you feel lightness...

Its almost like you're holding a small ball instead of making a fist at high E string. Keep in mind that hand shape through the fretboard and now try that 1-2-3-4 exercise again slowly and carefully. Hopefully this improved positioning might bypass that tarantula habbit in time, we'll see

I remember playing those and wanted to burn my guitar
Keep on working! And remember the goal its not how fast can you play those, but with how little movement you use.

Hello folks,

So here is my progress, it's still there but not as bad, any further advice would be gratefully received

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9eGkLx-FZo


Cheers

Can you do one more with the same camera angle as the first video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPc2zDdBdFI

It seems fine to me. They don't seem to fly out of the neck.
All the excess movement can be easily rid off with practise,

Thanks,

It is getting better but when I speed up it comes back. I think it's mostly down to tension due to unfamiliarity which is what Kris confirmed in his live chat today.

Thanks for looking.

Phil