Peter Gunn Theme

Beginner Grade 1 Module 2: Rhythm & Chord Changes + Your First Riff
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The Peter Gunn theme is a classic riff and a great beginner exercise!


View the full lesson at Peter Gunn Theme | JustinGuitar

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i spread my fingers out as much as i can and i cover like 2 frets

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My Pinky is too small to reach to fourth Fret

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Welcome to the community!

In later modules Justin introduces finger stretching exercises, your pinky isn’t too small, it just isn’t used to reaching that far yet. :slight_smile: You’ll get there!

For now you can shift your hand to move your third finger to the fret if that’s easier, movement/positioning of your hand on the fretboard is a worthwhile exercise if you can’t reach the frets with other fingers yet.

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Hey Justin I am in my 70s I am doing a refresher for myself now. I remember back in my early teens my first little tune I learned and the only tune I knew was Peter Gunn. It got boring I know. But one day I played it and I got right in the pocket sorta speak . And WOW it was like a brand knew experience for me.

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Hi @Wisendorf Welcome to the community. Pop here Introduce yourself ... - JustinGuitar Community and introduce yourself plus meet many other mature learners.
Cheers :blush:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Moderator

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I revisited this lesson a few days ago just for fun, and I managed to play along with the Blues Brothers recording. It was great fun :smiley:

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I thought so too but you can actually train stretches etc.

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Is it possible to get rid of all the arm tension I have whilst stretching my fingers over the frets?

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Hello @dearieme welcome to the Community.
Rachel, have you tried different body posture, different guitar positioning, raising the guitar neck up slightly? Tension should not be so great as to prevent playing.

Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Moderator

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Thanks so much for the help!!! I realized that I was just really not used to using the muscles in that area (I play piano and I’ve never actually engaged that muscle before), I just experimented with using different inner arm muscles and the tension went away :]

Thanks again :))))

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This is fantastic :sunglasses:, makes me feel like I’m becoming a bit better. Started the second Module today and this is fun.

One thing I’m finding is that it’s hard to keep my fingers low, spread and hovering closer to the string. Mine seem to like to creep higher and higher, and bunch a bit laterally too. I’m still on rhythm and hitting sweet notes but it’s like my fingers have helium balloons attached!

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I have a classical guitar and it seems quite impossible to spread my fingers this far… I can barely reach the third fret with my middle finger. my ring finger and pinky just float around in the air. is it easier to do this exercise on an acoustic guitar? :roll_eyes:

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It’s not easy, you may need to do some stretching exercises as shown earlier in this thread. I play Classical, Acoustic, Electric and Bass - I also have small hands so it’s not easy. You don’t have to keep your fingers down on the frets so one work around is to move your fingers once you’ve played the first note.

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Hello @stfni and welcome to the Community.

Classical guitars generally have necks that are wide and flat.

Steel string acoustics generally have necks that are a bit less wide and a bit more curved across the fretboard.

Electric guitars generally have necks that are narrower and more curved across the fretboard.

For stretching and reaching across you want to find a width and a curvature (neck radius) that suits your hands.

Very wide and flat is the one I would recommend least of all.
I know that doesn’t help much given that it is the guitar you have.
My suggestion as a work around is to play the riff on a different string to begin with until your fingers have developed a bit more stretch.

Hope that helps.
Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Approved Teacher

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One thing I do have to practice on that E string is to not push up or down on it so it warps the sound, little finger struggles!

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Hi Jade,
That is a very difficult one in the beginning…but quietly practice perfectly and then this won’t take months anymore… and later on during your guitar adventure you will hopefully (Cause then you’ve held on) :sunglasses:experience it again during solos when you get to the top string… with maybe some shooting off the neck even… :roll_eyes:
Greetings and lots of fun, Rogier

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VERY relieved to see that others have struggled to spread their fingers out wide enough to cover the four frets! I was shocked. My third finger seems stuck to my second finger and my pinky finger curves in and tries to hide under the others. I shall investigate those finger stretches above asap.

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I noticed that someone said they were trying to reach the 3rd fret with their 3rd finger.
For this riff, don’t forget to start with the 1st finger on the 2nd fret. It still may not help you if your fingers don’t separate when they curl towards the fretboard. Try the stretching exercises (1 finger to a fret) at higher frets. You can even go to the 7th fret or higher for stretching exercises at first if that is what it takes to reach the frets. I did at first. Over time you will loosen up if you practice daily. Good luck.

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I wanted to add that I noticed that when I try to spread my fingers out 1 finger to a fret in the first position near the nut of the guitar, I tend to cheat a little using Justin’s advice about the C chord. Rotate your hand towards the nut and it will free up your 2nd and 3rd fingers to be able to reach out further to the correct frets. I still have to work on stretching out my fingers.

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