Giving Up

rambo46

Blues Newbie
I just want to thank everyone for their advice and input but I'm calling it quits.  I cannot play anything cleanly and it's just not fun or satisfying.

I think I know what the problem is.  My left hand does not rotate such that I can reach any of the frets properly.

If I keep my left arm against my left side, bend my forearm 90 degrees and try and turn my palm such that it is facing the ceiling, it only goes at most 45 degrees.  My wife can turn well past facing up.  I watch other players and their hand is flat against the fret board with all 4 fingers even across the 6th string.  Mine are angled from the 1st to the 4th.  If I want to get into the "proper" position I have to put my elbow almost in my groin and still lean way to the left.  Not satisfying.

So thanks everyone.
 

markherrick

Blues Newbie
if you still want to play the blues, there is a great alternative to guitar.  get a decent harmonica (around $35.) the key of C to start and you'll be in business!  Lot of free lessons online to get started.  Apologize for being presumptuous, but wanted to acknowledge your post with something positive.  Good luck whatever you do.
mark
 

Jalapeno

Student Of The Blues
If you really are unable to fret the guitar for physical reasons, perhaps try the Lap Steel guitar, you won't have to bend your wrist in order to hold the slide. Lap Steel makes for an awesome blues instrument.

Or, you could learn to play the guitar the way Rory Hoffman does, on your lap:

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7kNkfU0LHs[/media]

Just a thought.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
You can also try an alternate tuning, say open E or G. that way it will be easier to play chords.
You MAY have a physical situation that prevents you from playing they way you would like, but in my experience, the only people that fail to eventually learn to play are the ones that give up.
 

OG_Blues

Guitar Geezer
It's ALL about desire and practice.
If you don't believe it, watch this and be humbled. (this has been posted on this forum previously)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QjuYb_g2_o
If you have the desire, as others have said, there are many different techniques to overcome just about anything, and also other instruments that may suit you better.
Without the desire, you might as well not waste your time practicing. It's your personal decision.
Tom
 

TK_T

Lovin' the journey!
This is two months late, I know, but for anyone with physical issues in the left hand regarding fretting, 1. try a "classical guitar" position with the headstock up around your left shoulder, and wiggle it around until you have an angle that feels natural to you, where you can reach the frets without getting a big bend in your wrist. It should get lesser the higher the headstock. We are all built a little differently so give this some time experimenting with it. 2. Make sure the guitar is properly set up!! If the action is high get the nut and saddle adjusted until it is at low tolerances. Google "proper guitar setup". Also put extra lights on it. 3. Try an electric guitar if you aren't already, with light strings (or "slinkys"). I have an old Peavy T-30 that plays like butter but I'm trying to learn this on acoustics at the moment. 4. Do muscle tension releasing exercises and then do them while holding the guitar. It's mind boggling how much habitual tension can be carried over into trying to play an instrument!!
 

Bob_Cresswell

Blues Newbie
Hello

I have just started the BBG course and I also wondered if I woud be able to reach the positions that the big boys reach. The answer to that is no.

I have restricted dexterity in my left hand mainly due to the fact that I didn't start seriously exercising my guitar muscles and tendons until I hit my 61st year.

However. If you ever doubt that you can play the blues or jazz or even anything else (except perhaps "The Clap" by Steve Howe) then just read the stories of Django Reinhardt and Tony Iommi

Django is often spoken of as the greatest guitar player ever but the 4th and 5th fingers of his left hand were paralysed following a fire  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt

Tony Iommi is the lead guitarist in Black Sabath and continued playing even after he lost a finger tip in an industrial accident. He even fashioned his own prosthetic by melting and forming a new tip from the plastic of a washing up liquid bottle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Iommi

So always remember that perfection is always impossibly far away but that excellence just takes practice.

I do sincerely hope you give it another go and simply learn to play in your own unique style and enjoy the noise.
 

tommytubetone

Great Lakes
All good suggestions above. Here's another guy with the guitar on his lap. http://youtu.be/vMnrMTN26x8
The most important thing is not to give up on playing music.  :cool:
 

Bob_Cresswell

Blues Newbie
Don't know if anyone spotted my deliberate error about Django's fingers?

It was his 3rd and 4th that were injured - he didn't actually have 5 fingers and a thumb  ::)
 

Bob_Cresswell

Blues Newbie
I just thought you were still working on your counting. ;)

1 and 2 and 1, 2 3, 4, 5

I tried the "classical guitar stance" advised earlier in the stream and I found reaching the frets without excessive movement a whole lot easier
 

wgabree

Blues Newbie
Don't know if anyone spotted my deliberate error about Django's fingers?

It was his 3rd and 4th that were injured - he didn't actually have 5 fingers and a thumb  ::)

pianist would have missed this point - they number the thumb as 1 - ring and pinky are 4 and 5 ;-)
 
I just want to thank everyone for their advice and input but I'm calling it quits.  I cannot play anything cleanly and it's just not fun or satisfying.

I think I know what the problem is.  My left hand does not rotate such that I can reach any of the frets properly.

If I keep my left arm against my left side, bend my forearm 90 degrees and try and turn my palm such that it is facing the ceiling, it only goes at most 45 degrees.  My wife can turn well past facing up.  I watch other players and their hand is flat against the fret board with all 4 fingers even across the 6th string.  Mine are angled from the 1st to the 4th.  If I want to get into the "proper" position I have to put my elbow almost in my groin and still lean way to the left.  Not satisfying.

So thanks everyone.

I am a few months late on replying to this but hopefully you haven't given up or if you did you still get notifications here.

At least give these two videos a few minutes of your time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLlwDqTh_s4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0skCHzJ0fU 

Anytime you have a question that you would normally ask a real live teacher, check Griff's YouTube freebies: https://www.youtube.com/user/bluesguitarunleashed/

Cheers,
Tim
 

SteveB

Blues Newbie
I have a similar concern to the gentleman who is calling it quits. Only, I just started. I have small, pudgy fingers and very poor manual dexterity. What I do have is incredible passion for the Blues and especially electric blues guitar. But, I got a guitar as a Christmas gift and then I happened upon Griffin.

So, I want to avoid committing to this and just not be able to do it for physical reasons. So, level with me guys, am I better off going for a blues harp instead?

This forum see.s filled with generous people willing to share what they know.

Steveb
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
I hear your concern. Let me ask you, did BB King play much in the way of chords? Did he play a lot of lightening riffs? I was just listening to his greatest hits kind of CD driving home and I'll tell you the answer to both questions is no. He was a master of playing the minimum and making excellent points and counter points. And he sang. But that still takes dedication and hours of practice. My point is that is it is all up to you. Do you want to play like BB King? then work hard and it's doable. If you want to play like James Taylor? It might be a tough go of it. It will also be in the actual kind of guitar you play? If you are all that concerned? Maybe you get a nylon string acoustic guitar like Willie Nelson played with steel strings? But you can play it with nylon strings as I bet Willie had to get a lot of work done on that guitar to be able to string it with steel. Or you can punt and play harmonica.
 

SteveB

Blues Newbie
I hear your concern. Let me ask you, did BB King play much in the way of chords? Did he play a lot of lightening riffs? I was just listening to his greatest hits kind of CD driving home and I'll tell you the answer to both questions is no. He was a master of playing the minimum and making excellent points and counter points. And he sang. But that still takes dedication and hours of practice. My point is that is it is all up to you. Do you want to play like BB King? then work hard and it's doable. If you want to play like James Taylor? It might be a tough go of it. It will also be in the actual kind of guitar you play? If you are all that concerned? Maybe you get a nylon string acoustic guitar like Willie Nelson played with steel strings? But you can play it with nylon strings as I bet Willie had to get a lot of work done on that guitar to be able to string it with steel. Or you can punt and play harmonica.
 

luckylarry

Student Of The Blues
Steve it is great you are going for it. Don't put pressure on yourself that you have to be this or that good in a certain time. If you take your time I know you will be surprised at how much you can do in a short period of time. Always measure your progress against where you started. Record yourself at least weekly and you will be amazed a few months from now when you play your first couple of weeks and compare that to your present playing. Hope this helps.
 

SteveB

Blues Newbie
Steve it is great you are going for it. Don't put pressure on yourself that you have to be this or that good in a certain time. If you take your time I know you will be surprised at how much you can do in a short period of time. Always measure your progress against where you started. Record yourself at least weekly and you will be amazed a few months from now when you play your first couple of weeks and compare that to your present playing. Hope this helps.
Steve it is great you are going for it. Don't put pressure on yourself that you have to be this or that good in a certain time. If you take your time I know you will be surprised at how much you can do in a short period of time. Always measure your progress against where you started. Record yourself at least weekly and you will be amazed a few months from now when you play your first couple of weeks and compare that to your present playing. Hope this helps.
 

SteveB

Blues Newbie
Thank you as well for the encouragement and advice. May I ask what you use to record yourself? Also, this question should maybe be posted elsewhere, but the guitar I got as a gift is a combination acoustic and electric; any advice on how to approach this as I begin to learn?

Please let me know if I am over-using the forum or let me know how I can contribute given I'm such a newbie.
 
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