stretchy handy hintys

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Here's where the big boys get to laugh at me.

Basically, I'm toying around now with some of the more intresting barre shapes. Movable Eadd9 and the like. Anyhow, I'm finding it REALLY tough to stretch my hand over five frets for chords like Fadd9 or Gbadd9 without doing it REAAAAAALY slowly or muting a note or two along the way. I only started practising this the other night, but christ I wanted to throw my guitar into the wall (and looking at the shape of it, it'd probably stick there like something out of a 70's Kung Fu movie).

Is this just a "it'll come with time' thing, or should I grow extra bones or shout and kick my amp in defeat?

[Dan G]

It depends on a few things here really.

Firsty, bigger stretches do come with time. As your fingers become more supple and used to stretching further you'll find it becoming easier.

Also the neck on your guitar can effect this; eg my Jackson is harder to do bigger stretches on, because it has what is known as jumbo frets (nothing too out of the ordinary, but they are just larger frets than some other guitars) Whereas my Gibson Explorer is a lot easier to stretch bigger distances as the frets are slightly smaller)

Finally - and possibly the most obvious of the lot - your finger size will inevitably effect how far you can stretch.

If you are a 3 foot high midget you have no hope in nailing those add9/sus2 chords, whereas if you are pretty average in size (hands, that is) then you should have no reason to not eventually manage.

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Originally posted by Dan Atom:

It depends on a few things here really.

Firsty, bigger stretches do come with time. As your fingers become more supple and used to stretching further you'll find it becoming easier.

Also the neck on your guitar can effect this; eg my Jackson is harder to do bigger stretches on, because it has what is known as jumbo frets (nothing too out of the ordinary, but they are just larger frets than some other guitars) Whereas my Gibson Explorer is a lot easier to stretch bigger distances as the frets are slightly smaller)

Finally - and possibly the most obvious of the lot - your finger size will inevitably effect how far you can stretch.

If you are a 3 foot high midget you have no hope in nailing those add9/sus2 chords, whereas if you are pretty average in size (hands, that is) then you should have no reason to not eventually manage.

I'm definitley not a mr. sausage hands, even though that does sound like some kind of disturbing Mr.Potato Head spin-off, so that's a relief. Practice, practice, practice then. My guitar neck isn't anything out of the ordinary (Dean ML-Select).

Cheers!

[Nicky Ca$ino]

Here's a tip I picked-up during my bass-playing days (God, I love hyphens) to help with streching your fingers: get a rubber-band and put it 'round the tips of your fingers and just splay out your hand, the rubber-band gives you some resistance to work against improving both strenth and "stretch-fret-speed"©.

Use thicker bands as your strenth improves, might not get you what you're looking for but it'll give you fingers like a ninja. *Death-touch*

[Hog]

This works for me, although Im not known to be technically correct. The Black Atom gentlemen are probably best to talk to regarding this, however I can tell you how it works for me. Put your pinky in one position and do stretch chords i.e power chords but using the index finger even further down (great in open D). Fuck, its easier if I show u! em, if your ever at a Spike Pile Driver or Element 106 gig, say hi and I can show u! Cant promise its the right way though:up:

PS practice like a bastard...thats the best thing too do!

[Dan G]

Hog means "drop-D"...not open-D which is something entirely different

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Originally posted by Hog:

This works for me, although Im not known to be technically correct. The Black Atom gentlemen are probably best to talk to regarding this, however I can tell you how it works for me. Put your pinky in one position and do stretch chords i.e power chords but using the index finger even further down (great in open D). Fuck, its easier if I show u! em, if your ever at a Spike Pile Driver or Element 106 gig, say hi and I can show u! Cant promise its the right way though:up:

PS practice like a bastard...thats the best thing too do!

Will do, I'm curious to see the Piledriver. Cheers.

[Leckie Gilman]

aye when you're talkin about like Ebadd9 or whatever is that a 9th?

e------------------------------

b------------------------------

g--10-------------------------

d---8-------------------------

a---6-------------------------

e------------------------------

so is that the Ebadd9 ? Thats the biggest stretch i've ever had to implement. i read in total guitar that mick from slipknot can reach the 12th fret from the 5th and from the12th he can reach every other higher fret. it had like a ruler illustrating his stretch which was like an inch and a half bigger than mine.

weirdo.

[psydoll]

He be a big bastard to be sure.

Strangely I was pondering this very thing the other night so cheers for the info. informative fellows

[M.A.R.T]

Originally posted by Leckie Gilman:

i read in total guitar that mick from slipknot can reach the 12th fret from the 5th and from the12th he can reach every other higher fret.

i can do that...its not that hard.

i knew a guy who practised stretched chords with toilet roll tubes between his fingers.

worked for him.

i just kept playing message in a bottle and got a wider span from messing around with that.

[Dan G]

Originally posted by Leckie Gilman:

aye when you're talkin about like Ebadd9 or whatever is that a 9th?

e------------------------------

b------------------------------

g--10-------------------------

d---8-------------------------

a---6-------------------------

e------------------------------

so is that the Ebadd9 ?

Thats actually Ebsus2.

2nds and 9ths are the same, but the name of the chord depends on what other notes you play.

In the chord you showed there was a root (1st), a 5th and a 9th. But as you had no 3rd, 4th, 6th or 7th - it becomes a sus2 rather than an add9.

An Eb add9 would more likely be:

------

--8---

--10--

--8---

--6---

------

As now you are playing an Eb chord (which has a root, 3rd and 5th) with an added 9 (the 10th fret on the G string)

Also add9 chords will sound either happy or sad, because you either play a major chord or a minor chord and then add the 9. A sus2 chord however is neither happy or sad sounding as it is neither major or minor.

[Leckie Gilman]

yeah gotcha.

well that's as far as my self taught music theory stretches.

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

A Minor (or should that be add9, LOL I AM TEH MASTAR OF FUNNAY!) update.

It's happening with practise, cheers folks. Brings me back to the old days of finding Open G hard. Ah...

[Leckie Gilman]

hey what's all that madness about pac man in your signature?

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Originally posted by Leckie Gilman:

hey what's all that madness about pac man in your signature?

I'm a big Pac-Fan, and it's a quote from the game's creator that I like. WACCAWACCAWACCABLIP!

[psydoll]

The Moorings + Drink + Pacman game + Friend = virtual bliss

[Flash@TMB]

if you like

Originally posted by psydoll:

The Moorings + Drink + Pacman game + Friend = virtual bliss

If you like Pac Man then also try Pepper II, this is a very similar game with some added complexity. Pac Man has a subtle depth to it, but for me Pepper II is the more fun game. It's also installed in our arcade box.

http://www.cinemarcade.com/TGTTF/gametime51.html

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=P&game_id=8992

[Hog]

Originally posted by Dan Atom:

Hog means "drop-D"...not open-D which is something entirely different

Thats the second time you hace corrected me on this ya bastard!

[Lawy Lawson:Attorney]

Originally posted by Hog:

Thats the second time you hace corrected me on this ya bastard!

I'm assume open D lets you strum a D when all the strings are open while drop-D is that Nu-Metal standard thing where you detune the bottom E, right?

[feeble!]

Yeah.

[David]

Originally posted by Leckie Gilman:

i read in total guitar that mick from slipknot can reach the 12th fret from the 5th and from the12th he can reach every other higher fret. it had like a ruler illustrating his stretch which was like an inch and a half bigger than mine.

weirdo.

that quote was from eddie van halen, but mick can do the same thing....

David