Heard enough theory?

[Rocket]

Nah...just the right age! ('cause I refuse to be old).

We'll refer to it as "old-school" or "classic rock" then.

 

[just strum]

We'll refer to it as "old-school" or "classic rock" then.

Real Rock.

As Tom Petty commented when getting his picture taken with Mudcrutch - the comment was something like "Now all the young kids will want to be old"

 

[marnold]

When do the hip injuries kick in?

 

[Tynee]

Nope... everything requires practice!

Well, crap. Count me out, then.

Seriously, I'm looking forward to this. Just thinking about it motivated me last night to work more on the time lessons Mark posted in this section a while back.

 

[mcgreggor57]

Any progress?

 

[Rocket]

Sure... been busy.
My wife went to perform at a resort in MX and within 10-minutes, broke her ankle & foot.

Lesson 1: Fist-O-chords
Learn to make this chording formation up & down the fretboard. T = Pulgar (Thumb), cover both B & e with indice (index finger) and cover both A & D with anular (ring finger):

 

[Childbride]

Sure... been busy.
My wife went to perform at a resort in MX and within 10-minutes, broke her ankle & foot.

Lesson 1: Fist-O-chords
Learn to make this chording formation up & down the fretboard. T = Pulgar (Thumb), cover both B & e with indice (index finger) and cover both A & D with anular (ring finger):

[...]

dang, Rocket, poor Rockette has just been through the wringer.

our commiserations for her pain and suffering. that stinks.

hope she is on the mend.

as for the lesson, thank you.

my muscle memory lessons/this new teacher have enabled me to actually make that chord, albeit not w/o muting yet.

will add it to my practice regimen.

again, thank you.

 

[evenkeel]

Sorry to hear about Rockette.

My little skinny fingers always struggle with this shape. Always revert to the four finger option. Got to work on that.

 

[luvmyshiner]

It's going to take a little work for me as well. My biggest problem is fretting two strings with the ring finger. Right now I'm muting the G string. But I'll keep working at it. I see my potential.

 

[Tynee]

Sure... been busy.
My wife went to perform at a resort in MX and within 10-minutes, broke her ankle & foot.

Lesson 1: Fist-O-chords
Learn to make this chording formation up & down the fretboard. T = Pulgar (Thumb), cover both B & e with indice (index finger) and cover both A & D with anular (ring finger):

That's so tough, my right hand cramped out of sympathy.Imma have to work on that.

 

[piebaldpython]

Fist-o-chords

Sorry about Rockette. OUCH!!

I'm with Shiner........that ring finger's gonna be tough. Maybe if I take a mallet to it??? I must say that I like that Thumb wrapped around. John Mayer does that a lot I think.

Anyway, thanks for the lesson and it'll be good to work on. :master:

 

[Childbride]

was playing, shiner in the room, fiercely determined and jaw set,

[i will play this once w/o muting before i go to bed]

and i did it. just once, so far, but i did.

progress. forward, soldier.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I use that chord shape, but use both my ring finger and pinky on A and D. I will check out doing it your way. Any particular reason not to use your pinky?

Sorry also about Rockette.

 

[markb]

Post deleted

 

[peachhead]

I use that chord shape, but use both my ring finger and pinky on A and D. I will check out doing it your way. Any particular reason not to use your pinky?

I do that too, but am trying it out this way as well. After all this time trying to get my pinky in gear, now it's hard not to use it.

 

[markb]

Post deleted

 

[Rocket]

Patience grasshoppers... it's only lesson 1.
There's method (and reason) to this madness, (but no theory!)

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

(Remember, I'm old!)

We already knew that 'cause you live in Florida.

I'm definitely a beginner. I think that it's a good idea. I'm currently working on fingerstyle blues however. I'll try out your tacks when the time is right.

 

[just strum]

Sure... been busy.
My wife went to perform at a resort in MX and within 10-minutes, broke her ankle & foot.

Lesson 1: Fist-O-chords
Learn to make this chording formation up & down the fretboard. T = Pulgar (Thumb), cover both B & e with indice (index finger) and cover both A & D with anular (ring finger):

I remember these lessons, but am I missing something in the instructions - no reference to the G string although it's obvious the middle finger (am I allowed to say that?) is used.

Every step leads to bigger and better things.

 

[Rocket]

Strum... see diagram.
Put medio (middle finger) on 2... what other instruction is needed?

 

[just strum]

Strum... see diagram.
Put medio (middle finger) on 2... what other instruction is needed?

Never mind, the point was lost.

 

[Robert]

I must be missing something here. What is the purpose of fretting 2 notes with the ring finger? Why not use the pinky on the D string instead?

 

[Childbride]

[humbly]

Robert, i would never dare speak for Rocket, or presume to know what he is thinking.

but i guess from what i know of Rocket...

he's got something else planned for the pinkie. Rocket is a pinkie advocate.

 

[Rocket]

I think this is why I stopped doing this at Washburn forum.
It was supposed to be a fun little project for "Beginners & Newbies" to just get them playing some actual music other than bumming on endless scales & theory and ended up, every single post being hyper-analyzed by the old-timers who know they are all WAY past this.

Are you comfortable barring chords?
Are you already playing a band?
Are you an intermediate or advanced player?
Are you a pro?
Do you give guitar lessons?
Do you teach guitar theory?

If you answered yes to any of these, this isn't even intended for you. It won't be fun for you. The simplicity will insult your established advanced methodology. It will piss you off and cause you to sabotage the rest. You will kill it for everyone else because you won't be able to help yourself muck it up with Hal Leonard-like lessonage... and that's not what this is.

Yes, you are all rock gods... you're on TV and in movies... girls swoon at your feet and beg for your dirty laundry, manufacturers line up to pay you millions to promote their products, you are ridiculously wealthy, reside in a mansion, and are free to treat commoners like the rabid dogs they are...

...but please let the "Beginners & Newbies" have a little fun too! That's why it's in the "Beginners & Newbies" section.

 

[Kazz]

Rocket....I for one have not had time yet this week to try this....and it looks painful

Please do not let this end like it did at the Washburn forum....there are several of us that are either trying the exercise so far...or are reading along. We appreciate it...even if it has not yet been said.

 

[piebaldpython]

Fist-o-chords

Rocket,
I feel like the CLASS DOPE....like the ONE kid who's gonna flunk kindergarten. I am having a world of trouble fingering this chord. I flatten out my index finger, I finally get my ring finger to flatten out AND then I have a devil of a time trying to NOT have my middle finger flatten out. Any suggestions?????

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, I am all for just following along on this. Rocket, please keep it up. Excuse my question, it is in my nature to question. But it will be fun to just follow along and see where it leads. It was hard at first to change how I shaped the chord, but I got the hang of it after a while. The hard part for me is getting the A and D strings to ring out without muting G too much. I am not getting perfect tones if I pick the strings individually in this fingering yet, but I am getting a chord that works.

 

[PAPPY]

I had trouble with the ring finger killing the G string but finally figured out if I pulled the G string down a little with the middle finger it would work. My problem is short stubby fingers and thumb. I am having the dickens making my thumb reach for enough to catch the top string but I'm not giving up. Keep it coming Rocket!!

 

[Rocket]

Rocket,
I feel like the CLASS DOPE....like the ONE kid who's gonna flunk kindergarten. I am having a world of trouble fingering this chord. I flatten out my index finger, I finally get my ring finger to flatten out AND then I have a devil of a time trying to NOT have my middle finger flatten out. Any suggestions?????

Practice.
Everything new is difficult at first. This chord formation beats barre hands-down for speed & consistency. Fist-O-chord was handed down to me by Ted Nugent long a time ago. You'll see the full beauty in it shortly (another thing... works equally well for electric or acoustic because it requires less finger strength.) I'll show y'all how to do complete Rock/Blues rhythm runs using ONLY Fist-O-chord method.
When I started playing seriously, this was the great equalizer... it is what allows anyone to sit in with anyone else and jam without feeling like a "CLASS DOPE".

 

[piebaldpython]

Fist-o-chords

OK, thanks Rocket, I'll just keep at it. Right now, I feel like I need the finger strength of SAMSON to make this work. Which, of course, that along with being tense probably only adds to my problems.