Finger stretches

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  • #2420
    Frank Maurer
    Participant

      Richie,

      I started looking into this course today and got as far as the Mixolydian patterns 1, 4 and 5 in F. Now I’m not really a beginner. I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to play jazz guitar for at least 10 years, but I find pattern 1 in F very difficult with the suggested fingering. I don’t have very small hands but my pinky is quite short which makes the 5 fret stretch very difficult, especially with the ring finger on the 3rd fret. In fact there is no way that I can leave the ring finger on the 3rd fret and reach the 5th fret with my pinky. Even when taking the ring finger off the string I have to move the index finger a bit to reach the 5th fret. Up until now I have basically avoided fingerings that use a 5 fret span. Now I can play the pattern but I just cant keep the lower fingers in their position on the strings. I basically end up doing a bit of a position shift to reach the notes on the 5th fret. Is that OK or do you have some advice on this

      Frank

      #2433
      Richie
      Keymaster

        Hi Frank,

        I agree, 5 fret finger stretches can be difficult for some, especially in the lower positions. What I recommend is to use your middle finger instead of your ring finger if you have trouble, at least when playing the scale. When playing the arpeggio however, you will need to go from your index (playing the root) to your pinky (playing the 3rd) on both the 6th and 1st string. No way around this except like you mentioned, in your case having to pick up your index finger in order to reach with the pinky.

        Ultimately, what I recommend to my students who have this problem (as I do in the videos when we start the etudes and bebop calisthenics in Module 2) is to play everything in the key of C (Pat1) which is on the 8th fret where the frets are much closer. Here you can learn to play the scales and arpeggios with 5 fret stretches hopefully without picking up your fingers. This is natural for some and difficult for others. Those that have difficulty have to patiently practice slowly and consistently (every day!) and in due time (usually a couple of months), the hand becomes flexible and adapts to the proper habit. Then you gradually start stretching in the lower regions of the fretboard where the frets are farther apart. Fortunately most soloing is not done in that region.

        5 fret stretches are common in jazz guitar technique and are present in several of the fingering patterns in diverse modes. Even the ever popular Berklee Guitar Method teaches you this as do the “3 note per string” composite fingerings designed for economy picking.

        I could have started with another easier fingering pattern, however aside from breaking the logic behind the numerical order I explain in the heptatonic cycle of horizontal fingerings, the moment we introduce chord changes, there is no getting away from at least one or two 5 fret stretch fingerings if we want to improvise through a busy progression smoothly (connecting all the changes).

        The good news is that I teach and demonstrate all the Bebop Calisthenics in the key of C (8th fret). These are the exercises to build up your technique and bebop chops.
        Hang in there… I’ve watched literally hundreds of students throughout the years patiently persevere and get good at stretching!

        Richie

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