Peter Gunn Theme

Should’ve really really really did a tab lesson before this or at least just explained quickly the tab provided. It’s like incredibly hard to just get it by looking at someone playing it as a beginner. I had to figure out the tab and then I got it and actually understood how Justin was playing, but still pacing is really bad. I had no issue with actually stretching my fingers because I’ve done spider fingers exercises since I picked up the guitar, but this other aspect of this lesson was really off-putting.

1 Like

Alexandru, I remember this lesson very well, and for me it was actually a lot of fun getting the riff down bit by bit. I felt like a bit of an explorer, stopping the video every now and then, as well as testing if I could remember what Justin had explained at an earlier point in the video :slightly_smiling_face: But of course every one is different and prefers to learn in different ways.

Glad that you got on to good start with mastering the riff after all🙂

Could you specify what information you were missing? A tab? Information on how to read tabs? As far as I know the tab is available on this website and in a later modul in Beginner Grade 1, Justin explains the basics of reading tabs? So maybe you would have liked clearer information on further explanations being available from this and that link? :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like

Hello Karu adn welcome to the community.

A perfectly valid question and, sorry folks, I feel I need to counter your advice on this.

There is no reason at all to arch your fingers in an extreme manner to avoid touching the other strings. That is an artificial way of playing single notes on the thicker strings when you are quite alright laying your fingers down a little flatter - which also mutes them should you accidentally knock those open strings.

It is different for chords where each string needs to ring out.

3 Likes

Hi.
Today i learned the Peter Gunn theme, which i really enjoyed playing, but i noticed that my fingers kept moving high off the neck once i had played their note. Should i try and kep all 4 fingers hovering close above the neck instead? I found it hard to stretch them out across 4 frets, but hopefully practice will help with that.

1 Like

I have the same problem! Maybe i should glue weights onto them :laughing:

1 Like

I heard a piece of advice somewhere early on in my playing: don’t lift your fingers off, just relax the squeeze and they will come off.

I have kept to that except for cases that need something special and it helps my hand to stay relaxed as well as not moving fingers too far away. Sometimes a little nudge away is needed for speed, but not much, and I am in place to use that finger again without needing to travel so far back to the string.

3 Likes

Hi, I am new to guitar and this site and I also got the app…but on the app there is no diagram for the riff, so hard to do on app. Just wanting to let you know

1 Like

Welcome to community Michele

True, there is no tab in the app only the video. For me that was part of the adventure :slightly_smiling_face: You can find the tab on the website… Right here:

1 Like

That feeling when you are annoyed of the fret-buzz while doing the Peter Gunn practice and take the guitar to the store and the “local guitar hero” pics up the guitar, do a couple of strokes, lays the guitar on the bench, and says:

“Let me just loosen up this a bit for you…” :sunglasses:

Fre-buzz is now gone, and the practice can continue and for all of you who suffer from finger pain, they are telling us the truth, it does get better. :innocent:

3 Likes

usually when justin stresses that it’ll “seem impossible at first” i’m like yeah it’s real hard but i can see it being humanly possible but. man this seems impossible impossible. so far i can force myself to keep my fingers somewhat in the right range for about three seconds before it hurts too much

1 Like

It takes several weeks for your body to adapt, so keep up with short practices. It took me a couple months to make a stretch I wanted to make. Hand ached a little oddly for about the first of half that time. I finally can make the stretch on a short scale, but stopped working to make it on the long scale. I have a new song in my immediate future that I need to start a similar routine…

It WILL happen, just need to keep working the stretch, not too much, and give it time.

2 Likes

same lol, I’ll have to look into doing some finger yoga

1 Like

2 posts were split to a new topic: I get a noise when putting fingers on and taking them off - what is the problem here?

6 posts were merged into an existing topic: How To Hold Your Guitar

My ears and fingers want to resolve tie last note on the G :confused:

1 Like

this is not very important, but my dad is called Justin…and we call him Nitsuj all the time! haha

4 Likes

Is it normal that I can’t reach the sixth string with all four fingers without having to bend my wrist a ton? I try to keep my hand and forearm as straight as possible, but I essentially have to bend my wrist 90 degres for the 6th fret—especially if I want to keep my fingers from touching the other strings.

1 Like

hey @boumy , here’s my take:

  1. You don’t need to avoid touching the other strings since you’re not playing them.

  2. Best to avoid bending your wrist that much. See the video around 1:45 where Justin talks about spreading out the fingers. If you have a problem with that, it’s better to move your hand a bit (as Justin says) than to resort to an extreme bending of the wrist.

2 Likes

Hey Jeremy @boumy, Can you post a photo or two showing your fretting hand in this position? That will help folks better understand what might be causing your challenge. :blush:

1 Like

This was handy advice I just put a capo on and Im further down the fretboard, i can play it without looking just about, I still stretch a bit with my pinky but its near enough. I figure when I get the finger movements familiar I can move further up the fret board and stretch even more. Thanks

3 Likes