i dont understand the meaning of the “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and” i dont know how to properly use it
1 Like
Might be helpful to peek ahead to the lesson “Counting Ands”. It’s in the next module, but should help you now!
3 Likes
I started playing in 77. I defiantly wasn’t blessed with Hendrix fingers; I have little girly fingers that have always been an issue especially my pinky. Weak, weird tendon thing going on, etc… Don’t worry about it much, it’s just means a little more time strengthening and stretching them. the finger strength video, and the finger stretching video in these lessons really do help. I would recommend adding those both to your practice schedule right from the beginning. Btw… I’m relearning. Self-taught, developed a lot of bad habits, not knowing anything about theory is always like trying to dive around a new city with no map and no clue, Had two TIA strokes and trying to get my hands to work again and remember some of this stuff, and leard the right way… I’m having really good time doing it too… 
1 Like
I just started picking up again after about 20 years. I never took lessons and always had a horrible problem of not being able to keep time. For some reason when I try to play this I’m tapping my foot with each note instead of on the beat. Drives me nuts. Does anyone have any tips other than just practicing to help with that? Basically I can’t have my foot doing one thing and my hand doing something different.
2 Likes
Try tapping your foot to the beat and doing the riff as a vocal, then keep going and tap the riff against the guitar to the timing of the riff, and then move to picking it. Keep repeating this until it gets automatic. That’s what I did.
1 Like
Hi @rdstudio , the best advise I can give you is to slow things down, way down if necessary, so you give your brain time between each note to decide what your hand and foot should or shouldn’t do next. When that gets comfortable, speed up step by step until you get to the right tempo. You’ll get the hang of it!
Also make a habit of tapping your foot, fingers, … to the beat whenever you listen to music. It will help to make tapping to the beat automatic so your brain won’t have to think about it anymore.
1 Like
Eric, I am sure that many beginners the same problems. Keeping track of 2 things at the same time takes practice. I would just start by tapping your foot and saying:
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and while tapping your foot on the 1,2,3 and 4 (the beat)
TIP: It helps me to say the the 1, 2,3 and 4 a little louder and the “and” a little bit softer, that is to emphasize the beats.
Once you can do that easily, try tapping the beat with the left foot and tapping with your right hand (or left is that is your picking hand) on your other leg or table on both the beat and the “and”s. That is, when the foot taps 4 beats, the hand taps 8 times. When you can do that then your picking hand will be trained to work with the tapping foot 
3 Likes
What can I do to make it sound more clear? I’m already pressing down the string pretty hard, but once I start playing faster, the string makes noises.
1 Like
Can you describe the noise? I can think of a couple different ways to get “noise” but need more information to figure out what is not right.
You don’t need to press hard. Make sure you are pressing just behind the fret so the string is making good contact with the fret. No more is necessary, and your hand will get tired.
3 Likes
It’s kind of a clanking sound, it doesn’t sound clear. Although when I‘m playing the riff on other strings, it doesn’t make that clanking noise. I‘m just struggling with the thick e string.
1 Like
a “clank” sounds like the string hitting the fretboard. Can you fret notes without playing the riff - taking your time to do the fretting - without the clank?
A light press i could classify more like a buzz, but that heavy string may sound a bit clanky with a light touch. you’d get a similar sound if you were too far ahead of the fret, but the note would sound one fret high.
2 Likes
Yes, that’s it. The string is hitting the fretboard when I pick it too hard, thus creating a buzzing sound. But it‘s only the thick E string that seems to buzz when I pick it.
Is that just inevitable when playing?
Sorry for the confusion with „buzz“ and „clank“… English isn‘t my first language.
Thank you for your suggestions though, I appreciate it!!
2 Likes
There are three things to look for that are common to correct.
- if you play each note, well fretted, along the neck, do you hear a buzzing sound anywhere - if so, your relief may be off. This is fast to check: Capo the first fret and use your picking hand to press the string on your last fret. Is there space between the strings and fret in the center at fret 12? This is “relief”, and you want a little. Too much and your string feel too high for comfortable playing. Too little and you get weird clanking and buzzing. This would need a truss rod adjustment.
- Can you play each fret cleanly along the length of the neck? If you have trouble at one place, then it is likely you have a fret leveling problem. This is where you have one fret that is high or low compared to its neighbors. Most folks will take their guitar into someone who has the experience and tools to handle this.
- If you found buzzing along a group of frets, then the saddle height probably needs to be raised. On an acoustic, that is again something better left to someone with the right tools, on most electrics, it can be adjusted with a tool that comes with the guitar (when new), normally a hex wrench. You can do the adjustment yourself on electric - loosen the string a bit, raise the saddle and then tune to pitch again. If you really make a mess of it, it is easy for a qualified technician to put it right.
Of course, you might be picking way too hard. This seems unlikely and you’d suspect you might be. I actually try to get the string slap on one song I have worked on. I pull the E string away from the fretboard instead of parallel to it for this distinct sound. With a low action, it doesn’t take much pulling away, but with a high action, it takes more pulling that I feel comfortable with.
3 Likes
Excuse me if this question has been asked before, but do I need to be good at this in any capacity before I move on? It feels like the type of thing that gets easier with time, so I’ll be favoriting the lesson to remember it later, but DAMN.
I have pretty big hands but pretty slim fingers. Currently, my pinky feels like a vestigial organ. Thing can barely do anything and there’s not enough surface area on the tip of it, so I end up either going too low and slipping the string between my nail and skin (ouch) or going too high and slipping off entirely (yeouch).
2 Likes
Welcome to the Community, Mazen.
Good is such a relative term. This is one to keep in your practice routine and keep at it. As you’ve pointed out there is much to be gained in terms of finger dexterity and control. So spend a few minutes regularly as part of the routine but don’t get stuck on this.
4 Likes
I find that the only way I can achieve this riff and any riff that requires spread fingers is by severely lowering my arm and cocking my wrist into a right angle. Not comfortable but I made it happen lol!
1 Like
that sounds likely to cause problems. You do not want to have your wrist that far bent. It can eventually cause things like carpal tunnel.
Play it slowly and have patience over 3-4 months to keep your wrist moderately straight while stretching the fingers a bit. It is ok to scoot your thumb position a bit to help with the reach while you are getting your body to achieve the reach.
Your body will adjust slowly, do not try to force it. it takes weeks.
2 Likes
Someone help me out, I’m a total beginner and I’ve been going through the modules. Have we actually talked about riffs in any sort of way before this video? Because this is new for me and it seems maybe… more complicated than whatever I should have started out with?
1 Like
Hi @toodledoodledoo, if you’re following the lesson structure, this is indeed the first time you encounter a riff. It can look complicated, as it’s different from what you’ve seen so far, but if you try it, you’ll see it’s not that bad. The aim of this exercise is to start learning to move around the fretboard. Start slowly, just focusing on the placement of your fingers. Once you get the hang of it, you can start speeding up a bit. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to start getting comfortable playing those single notes, moving your hand around.
2 Likes
Yes, quite normal for beginners and for people with smaller hands.
Try playing this on the 5th or 4th string until you gain a little more stretch and reach in your fingers.
Go with separate practice of simple strumming quarters and 8ths and make sure you count out loud 1, 2, 3, 4 all the way and make a conscious effort to monitor your foot tapping and sync it with your count.