Guitar Lesson - Getting Through Those Sticky Parts - Simplify!

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What do you do when you can play an entire song quite well and at a nice, even tempo--except for one little sticky part? There is that one chord change that slows you down--or one note in that bass run you just can't stretch your finger quickly enough to reach (and keep the beat going). What can you do? The answer is simple: Simplify!

If you have trouble getting your hand in the position to play a particular chord fast enough, or you can't seem to position your fingers to play the chord cleanly, the solution may be to play the same chord in a different way. There are usually several ways to play a chord. Do a little research--you can find many chord shapes by just using the Google search engine. One thing you can often do is substitute a chord which you only play with three or four strings for a chord which you'd rather play using all six strings. No, it won't sound as full, but, hey, we're talking about being able to get through the song smoothly! I remember in my early days of playing guitar, I played the B minor chord using 4 strings instead of six.

What about a trouble spot in a bass run or lead guitar lick? The first thing you might try is picking the sequence of notes an octave higher or lower. If you have just one note giving you problem--maybe you just can't reach it in time to keep up with the pace of the song--try either playing the note an octave higher or lower or using an entirely different note, as long as it works. I play mandolin, and about a year ago I was working on Bach's Bouree I from a Mel Bay book. I could play the song pretty well, except for C note to a D note that I had to awkwardly stretch my fingers up to the 8th and 7th frets on the E string to reach. I just changed the two notes to the same notes, but an octave lower, on the 3rd and 2nd frets of the D string. No one would be aware that anything was even changed except for a real Bach enthusiast! Actually, I think those two notes sound better in that run the way I play them!

When dealing with tricky spots in the songs you are practicing for your repertoire, always look for ways to simplify. Rather than spending endless hours of frustration trying to learn a difficult chord or series of notes, don't be afraid to make a few minor alterations!

Copyright © 2008 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.