the first chord you played on your guitar

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Genie
Date: 30 Sep 01 - 11:46 PM

Ian,
I have the same arthritis problem in my first finger, left hand--osteoarthritis. "C" was one of my staple keys -- one of the first I learned to play in--long before the key of E, which involved the dreaded B7!.

Then, about 7 years ago, I cut off the end of that same finger while cutting carrots with a very sharp knife. I just cut all layers of the skin off, but for a while I could not play a 'normal' C chord at all. That was when I got comfortable playing C, G, A, etc., as bar chords. Prior to that, I told myself I "couldn't" play bar chords and avoided them like the plague (except for F#, which I couldn't play any other way and often had to use).

Now I can and do play in C again, but I use a barred C almost as often as the unbarred one, just to save my arthritic joint and the end of my finger (which has never quite got back to its pre-slice state).

Genie

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Mark Clark
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 12:05 AM

M.Ted is correct about the chord name for the open strings, it's a G6/9. Of course if you don't play the A string, it's also an Em7.

I no longer remember what my first chord was but I was probably trying to mimic the Kingston Trio's version of Tom Dooley and I'm guessing I used four-string chords and played a one-fingered C and one-fingered G. If I'm right, that lasted for about a week before I just couldn't stand it anymore and learned real chords.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: JB Michaels
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 12:25 AM

Without a doubt: an E chord.

At my first "folk" lesson (I had studied classical for 3 years) my first chord was E major, first position.

My second chord: the F major barre.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Cappuccino
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 03:37 AM

Genie, I wonder if everyone in this thread is now waiting breathlessly to see if I'm going to cut the tip off my little finger to rescue my C chord....??!!!

Do you remember that once there actually was a flamenco guitarist who had a surgeon cut back some of the flesh between his fingers, the tiny webbed bit down where the fingers join the palms, in the belief that it would help him play faster?

Careful with the carrots.

- Ian B

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: LR Mole
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 10:49 AM

I'm going to start a Society of thin-pick users. Point is, you get the touch right, you can make the chord just "be there", without any pick attack noise at all. Or you can stick the guitar in a bicycle wheel.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Cappuccino
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:15 PM

I'll join.

All the best - ian B

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:45 PM

Well, Mole,
I'm a thumb pick user and addicted to the Herco pick that is like a flatpick that attaches to your thumb. The thin ones -- the thumb-holding part -- bend and break when I back strum, so I try to get the heaviest ones. I wish someone had a Herco type pick with the thumb support part very heavy but the pick part light!

Ian,
Yeah, I guess I should use a Cuisinart!
BTW, the violinist Nadja Solerno Sonnenberg said that she did the same thing a while back, but to the tip of her left pinkie! She was afraid her career was threatened, but somehow she got her fine fingering form back.
I wish I knew more about medical treatments for osteoarthritis of the hand, fingertip reconstruction, etc. My primary care physician at Kaiser Permanente and other MD's I have talked to don't seem to think anything can be done.
Is there a weblink or a thread dealing with patching up musicians?
Some of may have to revert to our first guitar chords eventually, if modern medicine can't catch up with Father Time!

Genie

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: mousethief
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:48 PM

Cain't remember. It was in Jr High School, in music class, maybe 7th or 8th grade. Nylon-strung with black strings at GBE instead of clear. Played songs in keys of A and D. So prolly D.

Alex

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: GUEST,Genie
Date: 01 Oct 01 - 01:48 PM

Oh, wow!
I should not have phrased my last question so broadly! There are oodles of links in Mudcat about arthritis;it's going to take me some time to wade through them. I'm going to narrow my questions and post them in one of those links or start a new one about skin grafts!

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: 53
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 09:40 PM

refresh.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: SummerGirl
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:40 PM

Cheatin' G. Then C and D, so I could play "Camptown Races" out of a Mel Bay book...

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Armen Tanzerian
Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:52 PM

E!, E!, E! The guitar is voiced in E, how could one start with any other chord?!

...or was it just 1958 and rock 'n roll that made me think that way?

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: BluesMojo
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 02:02 PM

My first chord was a C. The first song I ever played at proper speed without screwing up was Blowin' in the Wind. I was able to sing it with the guitar after about another hour, then two hours later I could manage some harp with it too. And that was what I did for the next week or so.

What's a cheater's G?

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 03:04 PM

No one ever answered dorareever's/ (and now) BluesMojo's question:

A 'cheater's G' is using one finger to play the G note on the first string, at the third fret, and only playing the first four strings... as opposed to making the whole chord by fretting the sixth string at the third fret; the fifth string at the second fret; as well as the first string at the third fret.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: M.Ted
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 07:47 PM

A whole G chord requires only three notes-- G-B-D, and can be played on three strings--although you can use all six strings, and people do when they want the sound of a chord supplemented with bass notes, it isn't necessary to play the full chord--In fact, sounding the B note on the A string at the same time as the G on the Low E string sounds a bit muddy to many people--

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: 53
Date: 17 Oct 01 - 10:13 PM

try the 4 finger g chord, it has a nice chime effect.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: SharonA
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 05:40 PM

4-finger G chord? Are we talking about the barre chord (which I know and use) or a chord with four fretted strings and two open (which I do not know, so if that's the one, please describe it!)?

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 05:50 PM

It was an A - Loved the roar it made! It was also the only main chord in my first song - "This Old Man." Took me forever to get the change from an A to a D!

I'd also like to see a thumb pick with a little lighter pick part. I've tried sanding them down but they don't seem to wear very well - usually just break.

Steve

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: 53
Date: 18 Oct 01 - 07:01 PM

a 4 finger g chord is one that you add a d note on the 2nd string holding it down with your 3rd finger and using your 4th finger on the 1st string. bob.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: Armen Tanzerian
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 11:18 AM

(The note you're adding is a D -- third fret, right next to that G you're holding on the 1st string.) Many bluegrassers like this for the "ring". I use it on rare occasions to vary the sound or relieve monotony.

Subject: RE: the first chord you played on your guitar
From: 53
Date: 19 Oct 01 - 04:17 PM

yeah , that's it , sounds good.