Topic: Cannot sync my hands!

Hey, I am pretty new .. bout a week.


I can play some simple one string tunes and whatnot.


My problem is thus! When I am playing a song that has my fretting hand moving all over the shop.. My strumming hand usually hits the wrong strings. Any tips to overcome this? It gets pretty frustrating!


Thanks

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

Just keep practising! Eventually your hands will know where to go! If youre having lots of trouble with it try playing the songs that you know best and the easier chords that you know and it will help you get a better feel for it! Good Luck! <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_razz.gif" border=0 alt="Razz">

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

I don't think there will be anyone on this forum who never had this problem when they started. There is no magic answer to this. Just practice. A week is not a long time when learning to play an instrument. Keep plugging away and you will find that your fingers start to do what they're told.

I might even go as far as to say that at this stage the sound isn't all that important. Get those fingers used to the feel of the strings; where they are and what they feel like. Practice every day and you will see and hear a difference as the days roll on.

There's nothing else for it. Keep going, it may be frustrating just now but in a few weeks you will have moved onto another chapter in frustration and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

As noted.  Practice, and practice every day.  Give yourself three months to become barely comfortable.


And practice.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

Practice. It's the only way to get to Carnegie Hall!


Try to oractice as many strumming patterns as you can. When I was learning (not that I'm done learning by any means), I decided that I wanted to be a good rhythm player before trying to do leads. That also helped me when I started playing leads by already making me aware of cadence and tempo.


Good Luck!

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

Try doing this handy excercise once a day -

Not only does it help with synching your hands, but it also adds tons of coordination and finger strength.


play


|-------------------------------

|-------------------------------

|-------------------------------

|----------------------0-1-2-3-4

|------------0-1-2-3-4-----------

|-0-1-2-3-4----------------------


And so on.

Then, when you can do that, try doing it with your eyes closed. Backwards. With your guitar behind your head. Anything at all.

It should help your playing in no time.

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

I-------------------------------0-2-3---

I-------------------------0-1-3---------

I---------------------0-2---------------

I---------------0-2-4-------------------

I--------0-2-3--------------------------

I--0-2-3--------------------------------


Try out this exercise and be sure and use the correct fingering for each note.

1= Index

2= Middle

3= Ring

4= Pinky


For this exerice the fingering and the fret position line up.Start out SLOW and work your way up to a faster pace. After a couple weeks your fingers on both hands will do it without you having to tell them to. The best way to get good quick is to learn the fundementals instead of trying to play songs. Also you should start out practicing basic easy chords (Em,Am,etc.) and working on changing from one to another.

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

This is great advice...only thing I can think to add is to practice doing this exercise using only single downstrokes...over and over and over...then try a downstroke and upstroke on each one...then maybe two down, one up...until it becomes second nature...start slow! Work on accuracy first and you'll be surprised how the speed will start creeping in...then learns some scales and practice, practice, practice...yes, it can get boring but you'll progress much faster!<font color="blue"></font> <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_cool.gif" border=0 alt="Cool">

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

practice       the key.

one caper after another

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

practice scales

major

natural minor

melodic minor

harmonic minor

blues scale

pentatonic scale


everyday in every position,

also,

play the scales SLOWLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

but move your fingers quickly (prepare each finger before you play the note)

there is no better way to achieve good coordination than by mastering your scales

goodluck<b></b>

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

My guitar teacher once told me that if you're not bored with what your are practicing after a while, and you don't want to move on to newer, more challenging stuff, to practice more. Because you WILL get mored with practicing just the basics, but bored can be good. bored means you know what you are doing forward, backward, behind your head.........


I know as soon as I get bored with an exercise, I should move onto the next one, something a little harder, because that means I'm ready for the next step. And don't get frustrated with yourself, no one is perfect. Even the masters know the importance of the basics and practice.


And my last piece of advice, GET TO KNOW YOUR GUITAR! Just screw around with it sometimes, having fun helps too, often in ways you would never expect, I speak from personal experience...

Re: Cannot sync my hands!

"the only reason I pick up my guitar is to have some fun, learn something, or make some money"

                  -Charlie Christian