Seeking help with Lesson 14 chords

[ChrisGSP]

Hi there everyone, from a rather frustrated Aussie. First thing let me say that I'm not asking for help after looking at the lesson for an hour, or fiddling around for a little while. I've been working on this lesson pretty diligently for about 2 weeks, and I've just hit a wall with a few of the chords. My 70-year old left hand just will NOT shape the chords that Griff has written and I need some help in coming up with substitutions/replacements for them.

The Bb7/D in Bar 5 is killing me. I want to preserve the Bb, C, Db, D, Eb bassline, and the only thing I've come up with is a straight Dm7 at the 10th fret. It doesn't sound BAD, but it doesn't sound excellent either. Any suggestions? Or will the Dm7 be OK?

The C#7#11 in Bar 8 is a doozy as well. Can't finger it and get all 4 notes to sound (I mostly dud the G on the second string with my pinky from the third string). What can I do?

And the Bbsus2/D in Bar 9 that I think others before me have struggled with is also a pest. I can't make the stretch up to the Bb at the 8th fret of the 4th string.

I've trimmed my fingernails so that I get the tips of my fingers down on the strings; I've gone over these things over and over again, trying to get a bit more extension; I've tried standing up with the guitar on the strap instead of in my lap. I've cussed these chords out with the stongest Aussie cuss-words. And I'm stuck.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted

 

[jmin]

Hey Chris, don't let it get you too frustrated. Here's an excerpt from my post in Jan, 2015:
Really, Griff - Bb7/D?! Bb7sus2/D?! Are ya trying to make me quit?!?!
I think I spent about 2 months on is one before I recorded it and moved on. (I refused to not be able to play those chords - Stubborn). I kept working on it (almost daily). After about two years, I was finally able to play it without flubbing those chords.
I just tried playing only the sixth and third string notes in those 3 chords - sounds ok. You'll notice the two notes are on the same frets (8,9,10) and walk up together. Let me know what you think.

 

[MikeS]

Hi there everyone, from a rather frustrated Aussie. First thing let me say that I'm not asking for help after looking at the lesson for an hour, or fiddling around for a little while. I've been working on this lesson pretty diligently for about 2 weeks, and I've just hit a wall with a few of the chords. My 70-year old left hand just will NOT shape the chords that Griff has written and I need some help in coming up with substitutions/replacements for them.

The Bb7/D in Bar 5 is killing me. I want to preserve the Bb, C, Db, D, Eb bassline, and the only thing I've come up with is a straight Dm7 at the 10th fret. It doesn't sound BAD, but it doesn't sound excellent either. Any suggestions? Or will the Dm7 be OK?

The C#7#11 in Bar 8 is a doozy as well. Can't finger it and get all 4 notes to sound (I mostly dud the G on the second string with my pinky from the third string). What can I do?

And the Bbsus2/D in Bar 9 that I think others before me have struggled with is also a pest. I can't make the stretch up to the Bb at the 8th fret of the 4th string.

I've trimmed my fingernails so that I get the tips of my fingers down on the strings; I've gone over these things over and over again, trying to get a bit more extension; I've tried standing up with the guitar on the strap instead of in my lap. I've cussed these chords out with the stongest Aussie cuss-words. And I'm stuck.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted

I always suggest:
1) forget playing it cleanly for now
2) get the head stock up near your ear. (almost vertical)
3) slowly place your fingers in position press down just barely enough for the strings to touch the frets
4) release pressure but don't move your hand
5) repeat 4 & 5 for a minute or so
6) rest
7) repeat 4, 5 & 6 for a few minutes a day

After a week you should be able to play the chord
Now practice moving from the prior chord (C#dim7?) to the Bb7/D SLOWLY.
The Bb7/D should feel much more comfortable by now.
At any point in this process you can start moving the neck back down to a normal position.

 

[Jalapeno]

Griff's Pentatonic Mastery course has an exercise moving your fingers down the neck and stretching them. I spent one full year doing that exercise and my fingers now have much less trouble with chords that stretch and tangle my fingers. It's been like 8 years since I did that course too. It's the first exercise in the "Warming Up" section. I started with a parlor guitar because my hands were not very flexible and could only go about 3 frets when I started and now I can do it with a Strat. It does take a long time to get your fingers to stretch but daily practice will get you there. At least it did for me.

Eric

 

[ChrisGSP]

Thanks @jmin, @MikeS, @Jalapeno for your comments and suggestions. Good advice from all of you. I WILL persist because like jmin I am stubborn about it. And from your experiences I believe that I will get there ..... one day . Lesson 14 will continue to be part of my daily routine, while moving on to Lesson 15+

 

[PaulGiglia]

I always suggest:
1) forget playing it cleanly for now
2) get the head stock up near your ear. (almost vertical)
3) slowly place your fingers in position press down just barely enough for the strings to touch the frets
4) release pressure but don't move your hand
5) repeat 4 & 5 for a minute or so
6) rest
7) repeat 4, 5 & 6 for a few minutes a day

After a week you should be able to play the chord
Now practice moving from the prior chord (C#dim7?) to the Bb7/D SLOWLY.
The Bb7/D should feel much more comfortable by now.
At any point in this process you can start moving the neck back down to a normal position.

Well, after weeks of trying to hit that darned Bflat7/D, I came to the forum to check on how everyone else was doing it. I'm obviously not the only one having a problem with it. But Mike S's tip #2 really helped. I WAS sitting and trying to play (just on this lesson because of how much time I spend on it), but when I stood up and got the head stock up, nearly vertical, I found it much easier to get to the chord reasonably well. So thanks, Mike. Maybe I'll get it right now that I'm standing and tilting.