Does anyone have any tips on stretching chords, or exercises that help or train the hand? Down about the 2nd-5th fret, I find the basic bass side major chord shown below a bit of a stretch.

I can hold it down fingered 1 + 2 + 4 as shown (rather than barre 1 + 4) without rattling, but the 4th finger isn't quite in the optimal tonal position behind the fret. All tips gratefully received!

Max

You shouldn't kill yourself by trying to hold the 4th finger up against the fret. At the lower fret positions it's simply not possible or wise to stretch your hand out that much. The angle you hold the instrument at also influences how easy it is to play this chord, lower angles make it much harder to sustain all the notes.

If you have my Basic Free Hands Technique DVD, there are two section on how to play these kinds of chords with the least amount of stress and the greatest amount of control. You'll find the first beginning at 23:12, and the second at 1:45:44.

If you don't have the DVD, well, what can I say....



http://www.greghoward.com/free_hands/dvd/

I struggled with the same thing.... still have to think about it sometimes when working on new stuff, but Greg's way of shifting the arm and hand will make Stick playing less work and more comfortable.

When I feel like the chord is too hard to play or my hand is in an uncomfortable position, it is my cue to pay more attention to what my arms and hands are doing.

I find it easiest to play if I bring the Stick right in close to my body (mine lives on a cello spike so is almost vertical), and arch my left wrist out so my hand goes a bit like a spider and my thumb is almost behind the left edge of the keyboard. This chord is first out of the gate, C/G/F in an apparently very good Stick e-book method. Nice to know everyone except neanderthals like my son (huge hands with long fingers) has trouble with this, it's not just me.

I do have your DVD Greg, hadn't got that far yet, but I will now

Max

Wasn't the use of the pinkie (identified heretofore as "4") a forbidden practice with the Stick? I believe Max that the only possible remedy for you is amputation....

Hi Gustavo,

Of course, we were talking about bass chords, not melody chords, so your point is moot. But I bet it felt good to take a shot.

Hi Max,

I'm having a hard time visualizing what you're saying about your left hand, I don't suppose you could take a photo so I could see what you're talking about regarding your thumb.

I heard some heated debates about the 3 or 4 fingers technique but nobody got a finger chopped AFAIK

Daniel.

Just an idea: try forming the chord leaving thumb floating over the board and find a what is the best (most comfortable) arm angle and wrist bend (try moving your elbow and shoulder); when you find it, put your thumb on the beveled edge or the back of the neck wherever it lands without compromising the position you've found. The idea is not to stretch / bend your wrist just to keep the thumb in your normal playing position; the thumb can also moved and doesn't need to be fixed in a particular area of the neck...

Just 2 cents, Daniel.

It's a interesting idea, Daniel. I always suggest that people allow their hand to form the chord shape as naturally as possible, and the positioning of the hand and arm that makes this easiest will follow.

Teaching tapping is so much more than showing someone a page of finger symbols. If you read Free Hands, you can learn from Emmett's explanatory language so much about the technique. It's no wonder that so many people were inspired by his book, and that it lead to such a strong musical movement. I can only hope to "amplify" that initial wave.