Reach!
Three new chords were introduced to me at last week’s session. C major 7, D minor and G7. The F chord is still, by far, the hardest but G7 is pretty close. My index finger needs to be at the first , or “e,” string at the first fret, and my middle finger goes on the fifth, or “A,” string at the second fret and my ring finger goes on the sixth, or “E,” string at the third fret. Needless to say, it’s a bit of a stretch. The new song, where these chords were presented, is Snowbird.
I also started on fingerpicking, which is pretty cool but has made me realize that I really should consider growing out my fingernails. I tried to before but couldn’t stand how they felt when typing on a keyboard. I suppose I just have to get used to the clackety clack. I’m getting a little bit more confident and relaxed with some of the first songs I’ve learned so things are going well. This last practice I’m trying to resist clamping down on the fretboard so I can more easily move my hand and fingers. I’ve noticed I end up death-gripping the poor guitar neck and it’s hard to switch chords. Sadly, strumming still needs a lot of work, but I must persevere!
