Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on January 25, 2024 at 7:20pm

It’s still gonna be quite a stretch with a shorter scale, so be patient, it’s gonna take some time to train those fingers, best thing you can do is keep playing? 

Permalink Reply by Mi Rankin on January 29, 2024 at 9:55am

I'll be long gone of this planet before that happens!

Permalink Reply by Bill Saunders on January 26, 2024 at 3:57am

Hi Mi.

The difficulty you're experiencing is what led me to explore tunings different than GDG.

I have personally settled on DGB, for now at least.

If you look at the I,IV,V, minor VI in G, that is G, C, D, Em; then on DGB you have (0,0,0) for G; (2,0,1) for C; (0,2,3) for D5, or (0,2,1) for D7; and (2,0,0) for Em. Can play a lot of songs with those. Note I use the D7 as it makes the chord changes easier and faster, and the difference between the sound and a 'true' D is insignificant to my ear.

Regards

Bill

Permalink Reply by MadGomer on January 28, 2024 at 10:41am

I wish someday I could grasp all of that, the theory stuff just doesn't stick with me. Fortunately I have long fingers and can make a lot of the things work on gdg.

Permalink Reply by Mi Rankin on January 29, 2024 at 10:59am

thanks, I'll give this a go.

Permalink Reply by Bill Saunders on February 7, 2024 at 6:52am

Another thing you might try is using a capo. Down tune by two semitones - from GDG to FCF. Put a capo on the 2nd fret. Then play chord shapes as you normally would. Basically moving the the nut down to the 2nd fret, about 3 inches on a 25 inch scale. Now your 2nd and 5th frets, about 4.5 inches apart on 25 inch scale, are the 4th and 7th frets, 3 1/8 inch apart. Notes and chords will be in tune, just a bit higher pitch due to the shorter scale.

Best

Bill