Old fingers, new tricks

Just when frustration takes over and I think, there's no way I can do this, my fingers surprise me and stretch--or stay put--or whatever I ask them to do in practice.  This week it's bar (or barre) chords.

On Monday, I was excited to show off my "hip chord" skills to John so, of course, he added a "hammer-on" to the mix.  Oh, and my rhythm still stinks, by the way, so instead of his being able to play along with me (or the other way around) he's just going to have to listen to what I came up with.  Thank goodness he's got a great sense of humor and is not a stickler for perfection.  He even comes up with spontaneous riffs for me to work on.  The least I can do is practice diligently.

Which is what I've been doing.  We're working on the E based bar chord this week and he pulled out the Proud Mary riff for me.  Hahaha!!  And how come I can do it in his studio, but when I get home, it sounds like a four-year old banging on the strings?  (Still laughing at myself.)

I posted my frustration on Facebook and pleaded for advice from all those musician "friends" I have out there.  The one response I got was from Mike C., a Marshall friend who was one of my original inspirations to play guitar in the first place.  He recommended that I switch from the acoustic to the electric, and bar chords might get easier.  I did, and they have.  Thanks, Mike!    

So anyway, the first problem I had was keeping my E fingers in the E formation as I worked my way up the neck.  'Course the major problem was keeping my #1 finger across the strings.  Very little in life comes easily.  Ta-a-a-ke a deep breath.  Try again. 

I worked out some drills for myself--do some scales using just the bar with #1, and then do them with the chord.  Put them together and I'm getting better. Not nearly perfect, or even good, but better.  Now my complaint is there's not enough room for both the 3 and 4 fingers inside the 12th fret.  And I don't have fat little fingers.  In fact, my fingers are about the only non-chubby parts of me.  Whatever.  I'll keep working on it. 

Yesterday I found a book I bought at Barnes & Noble . . . God only knows when . . . called Total Guitar by Terry Burrows (1998, Carlton Books Limited) whose author notes on the dust jacket flap include the following:  "He is an eclectic musician responsible for over 40 commercial releases since the mid-1980's, in a bewildering variety of styles and guises."  I looked it over when I brought it home, but there was so much I didn't understand.  I checked it out yesterday and it was like a light bulb went off over my head.  Oh-h-h, now I get it. 

And I'm looking forward to my lesson next week when I walk in with my electric guitar.  I mean, John teaches me on his electric.  My favorite music to listen to comes from electric guitars.  Why haven't I taken it before now?  Eh, (shrug) who knows?

Look out, John, here I come!