So I'm having a hard time wrapping my thumb on the E string and also muting the A string. How many of you are able to use the thumb and get all the other notes correct? My hands are not tiny but apparently not large enough for a few of these chords.
Castles Made of Sand chords
- Thread starter Machew
- Start date
Frank Roberts
Strat-O-Master
- May 3, 2006
- 523
Show us the chords you are referring to, please.
JonnyBGood
Strat-Talker
This is a common query for playing Hendrix tunes. I have no problem playing this or any of Hendrix' songs that use the same approach in the fingering hand. I don't tend to use my thumb to mute the A string as well as fingering the low E though, I use other fingers for that depending on the chord.
Neck profile can be an issue, its harder to thumb wrap a big fat neck - what Strat do you play?
Dexterity is certainly an issue, not everyone has flexible enough joints to do this easily.
Technique, specifically hand/wrist position is certainly an issue, difficult to help you on this without a video of you playing.
Large hands are not a requirement and I'm sure a quick browse through Youtube will find plenty of Asian youngsters and/or girls (small hands) playing this stuff with no problem. Larger hands can help overcome other problem though (like lack of dexterity).
I have relatively short fat fingers and I pull it off easily.
Here's a hint that may help... Use the second section of the thumb to fret the low E (pic below). Your ring-finger can either mute the A-string, or it can finger both the A nd D strings.
The sound is excellent... big and full.
Keep working at it. You'll get it and when you do, you'll wonder how you ever did without that chord form.
I learned to do this about five or six years ago. Best improvement to my playing in decades.
EDIT: Just noticed my pinky finger is not on the high E (fifth fret )for the specific sliding chord you mentioned, but it's exactly the same otherwise.
![IMG_20230320_123838870[1].jpg](https://www.strat-talk.com/data/attachments/596/596155-5132c624c90240e0a375de2ad1b49650.jpg "IMG_20230320_123838870[1].jpg")
Here's a hint that may help... Use the second section of the thumb to fret the low E (pic below). Your ring-finger can either mute the A-string, or it can finger both the A nd D strings.
The sound is excellent... big and full.
Keep working at it. You'll get it and when you do, you'll wonder how you ever did without that chord form.
I learned to do this about five or six years ago. Best improvement to my playing in decades.
EDIT: Just noticed my pinky finger is not on the high E (fifth fret )for the specific sliding chord you mentioned, but it's exactly the same otherwise.
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These are two of them. Ill figure out a way... the G needs to ring open. It's going to take so e work to get these just right. I thought of using my pinkie to mute the A string, but it doest work then when I need the pinkie for something else.
I was going to write them down, but it's too early.
I was going to write them down, but it's too early.
Mike Manhost67
Strat-Talker
Rocksmith 2014I
I was told there would be no imagery from the 1980's 'Tron' Film on this thread.
Is this from guitar hero?
Stratafied
Dr. Stratster
I’ve been working on that for some time, it’s a great way to play chords. I think the flatter the neck the harder it becomes, 9.5 or 10 is best for me.
Appriciate the reply. I have been playing a few guitars with different necks to see which is the easiest to start the learning process. Am pro1 strat. Kiesel headless and an Ibanez RG with a super skinny neck.
I figured it's a pretty common question, but I have not spent any time online watching different people play the chords.
I dont have any dexterity or flexibility issues, so it sounds like it's just an issue of getting used to and figuring out the best way to play them for my hands.
Rocksmith 2014
Is that a video game?
Yes. An Xbox game from 2012/2014. I have been leaning over 250 songs for a few years now. I'm almost at 900 hours just learning songs. So many awesome songs.
JonnyBGood
Strat-Talker
Well I would have thought the Strat is your best bet of those 3 - the 9.5" radius neck plus rolled fingerboard edges should make it much easier to wrap your hand round.
I used to have an RG, they are not really built for this kind of thing - wide flat fingerboards, super thin neck etc - its a shredding guitar, great for fast scales, tapping and all that. Kiesels are similar in that way I think?
Yikes!Yes. An Xbox game from 2012/2014. I have been leaning over 250 songs for a few years now. I'm almost at 900 hours just learning songs. So many awesome songs.
It doesn’t have so much to do with hand size as with hand/neck proportions. That and technique. Practice it and you’ll be fine, it’s a technique most people can learn. Save for those with hand injuries or disabilities.
The trick is to not try to throw your thumb too far over the fret board. Thumb mutes A string.
Yeah rocksmith is a blessing to learn new songs with, it’s VERY Simple.
As far as the thumb wrap style, it’s all about the position of your hand on the neck… people who learned to shred early usually learned from the “classical style” with thumb resting on the back of the neck. That makes fast runs and using all fingers easier, but makes vibrato and some chords more tricky.
As far as the thumb wrap style, it’s all about the position of your hand on the neck… people who learned to shred early usually learned from the “classical style” with thumb resting on the back of the neck. That makes fast runs and using all fingers easier, but makes vibrato and some chords more tricky.
Too bad they ruined it with Rocksmith+. They basically lost all the good songs from 2012/14.
