• M.B.
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Topic: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

. . . there would be no miracles at all. I've been working on Bm a long time. I thought I had it pretty good when I strummed, but then I started to finger pick and what to my wondering ears did I hear? Muted strings!!!! Seems my barre wasn't as good as I thought it was. Oh, despair. For weeks, I heard no progress at all; when I picked the B string it went "thunk" and my heart went "plunk" and my playing stunk.

This morning, I was practicing and thought I heard improvement. Put on the capo to listen to what it would sound like with a really good barre and  practiced a picking pattern. Then I took off the capo, barred and started picking and . . . it sounded good! That B rang out clear and true. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! She chortled in her joy.

My mom says, "Stop shouting and get ready for church!" Today I'll have a new thing to be thankful for.

Mary Beth

  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

And it all happened because of practice  and desire.  Good for you.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

Congrats MB! At my age, a good solid Bm is often the highlight of my day!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • M.B.
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

topdown wrote:

Congrats MB! At my age, a good solid Bm is often the highlight of my day!

FUNNY! Made my dad laugh a lot, too. My mom said, "Oh, please." Mothers have no sense of humor.

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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

bensonp wrote:

And it all happened because of practice  and desire.  Good for you.

But was it practice motivated by a desire to be better, or practice motivated by a desire not be be sucky? Is there a difference? I'm serious!!!

  • From: Tooele Ut
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

They probably both go hand in hand.  Either way, you get better. I would like to think I am getting better rather than less sucky.  Is the glass half empty or half full for you?

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • Zurf
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

M.B. wrote:
bensonp wrote:

And it all happened because of practice  and desire.  Good for you.

But was it practice motivated by a desire to be better, or practice motivated by a desire not be be sucky? Is there a difference? I'm serious!!!

There is no difference. 

Congratulations on the Bm.  That will open a lot of horizons for you.  Or at least some songs. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

bensonp wrote:

They probably both go hand in hand.  Either way, you get better. I would like to think I am getting better rather than less sucky.  Is the glass half empty or half full for you?

Depends.

On what?

On whether I'm thirsty.

Ok. Can you--?

If I'm thirsty, then it's half empty, but if I'm not thirsty then it's half full.

I see.

Yup.

So what are you now?

I'm hungry. When's lunch?

Teenagers!


Annnnnnnd scene!

  • dino48
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

MB glad to see you stuck it out and did not give up.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • From: Tooele Ut
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

If you try to always see it as half full, regardless of the reason, you feel positive thoughts instead of negative.  Positive thoughts get you further down the road, negative thoughts bum you out.  It's all perspective, as I'm sure you are already aware.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • M.B.
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

bensonp wrote:

If you try to always see it as half full, regardless of the reason, you feel positive thoughts instead of negative.  Positive thoughts get you further down the road, negative thoughts bum you out.  It's all perspective, as I'm sure you are already aware.

I agree, Pete. It's hard to stay positive, but it's a lot better. And it's good to be reminded of that fact, cuz even when you're aware of it, you don't always remember it.

  • Registered: 2012-03-04
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

learn some acoustics yea baby show me the way ! where do I begen? nuff with the the small talk. smokeysan lets rip it!

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

????

robest@live.com wrote:

learn some acoustics yea baby show me the way ! where do I begen? nuff with the the small talk. smokeysan lets rip it!

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: Tooele Ut
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

I agree Russell.  ???

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • Zurf
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

I'm waiting for that individual to come back and edit in some spam to the post.  At this point, there's nothing we moderators can or should do.  But I'm watching.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • dino48
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

Good to see the mod squad is watching him, sounds like a very strange person.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

There's a general pattern for spammers.  They're evolving and we evolve with them.   The latest trick is to drop into a thread with a mildly on-topic post, then come back and edit it with the spam.   This guy fits the pattern.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

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  • From: Tooele Ut
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

Tricky little devils

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • auxi
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

Just read this post. So funny!!! I Have noticed muted strings when I fingerpick my B, I'll try the capo. Thanx

"absolutely epic and really really loud" ~Zurf
                            ^
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

auxi wrote:

Just read this post. So funny!!! I Have noticed muted strings when I fingerpick my B, I'll try the capo. Thanx

Hi Auxi,

On the topic of Bm--today it wasn't as good as yesterday. Blerg. Oh well, maybe it'll sound a little better tomorrow. I find that if I want a good solid sound, I need to slow down and make the barre with careful attention to pushing my wrist up  perpendicular to the neck. If anyone has good advice about this, I'm all ears. Or hands.

Now, the book that I'm using to learn basic fingerstyle provides a "Cheater Bm" where instead of using a barre you make the Am shape with fingers 2, 3, and 4, and then use finger 1 to fret the high E string at the second fret.

X    X
----------------------   Nut
:    :    :    :    :    :   
:    :    :    :    :    :     
----------------------
:    :    :    :    :    :
:    :    :    :    :    1     
----------------------
:    :    :    :    :    :
:    :    :    :    2   :       
----------------------
:    :    :    :    :    :
:    :    3   4    :    :     

When the Gods of Barre are not smiling on me, I use that method.

  • Zurf
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

There's another weird one you can use for fingerpicking, but it's as much or worse of a bear as the barre version.  I like bass enough that the barre was worth the effort for me.  It's not as clean sounding as an open chord, but it's good enough if you pick quick enough that you don't have time to hear the blung instead of plunk.

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • zguitar
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

You can try to roll your finger over to the side a little so your finger nail is closer to the nut. Hope that makes sense. That way your finger is more rigid and the strings don't fit into your knuckle creases.


Check it out:
http://justinguitar.com/en/IM-111-EShap … Chords.php

Right about 4:00 mins. is where he gets to it. But the vid is good.

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!
  • From: Bellevue, WA
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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

That's not "cheating."  It's a perfectly valid Bm shape.  It's also a Cm, C#m, Dm, D#m, Em, Fm, F#m, Gm, Am, and A#m, depending on where on the neck you fret it.  smile

Someday we'll win this thing...

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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

zguitar wrote:

You can try to roll your finger over to the side a little so your finger nail is closer to the nut. Hope that makes sense. That way your finger is more rigid and the strings don't fit into your knuckle creases.


Check it out:
http://justinguitar.com/en/IM-111-EShap … Chords.php

Right about 4:00 mins. is where he gets to it. But the vid is good.

Thanks, z!   I had heard about rolling your finger like you describe, but I'd plumb forgotten it. It really helps! Also thanks so much for the link to Justin video. One of his videos gave me a lot of insight in the past, and this one did too. I like his teaching style, very encouraging and down to earth, and he takes it nice and slow and with a gentle sense of humor.

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Re: If it wasn't for the small miracles . . .

jerome.oneil wrote:

That's not "cheating."  It's a perfectly valid Bm shape.  It's also a Cm, C#m, Dm, D#m, Em, Fm, F#m, Gm, Am, and A#m, depending on where on the neck you fret it.  smile

Thank you, Jerome!  It's good to know that. My knowledge of how chord shapes work up the neck is limited, but I'll remember your advice as I slowly get more familiar.