House of the Rising Sun

[tovo]

Well...my first effort here and my first ever finger-picking tune thanks to TG and Neil. It's a long way from perfect but I think it was Wrench who wrote that there is little point in waiting for the "perfect" take and I guess he is right. Couple of things, the video seems a bit psychedelic at the start but it comes good after a few moments. My pinkie on my fretting hand sticks up because it's damaged from football and doesn't bend that easily. Doesn't really affect anything but looks a bit strange. Finally...my lips are moving because I'm praying to get through without a total disaster!

[neverfoundthetime]

Hi tovo and congrats on posting your first video and joining the club! Good on ya! Sounds like that is coming along just fine. Left hand seems to work well despite the football (Aussie Rules, no doubt) finger. Maybe the next step is to practice the right hand finger picking in front of the TV (Austrailia's Got Tallent?) 'til you can do the moves without looking and thinking. I reckon you'll get there fast.

[tovo]

Thanks mate. I was smoother with the pinkie as an anchor but heard I should lose it for the greater good. No pain no gain as they say. Actually had a look at Oz Idol tonight....totally underwhelmed I must say. Thanks for the good tip on combining (hopefully good) TV with the picking practice.

Cheers,

Tony

[jayswett]

You managed to keep your pinky finger off the pick guard. I think it was you who mentioned in a previous post that you have the same problem that I do with respect to that. Nicely done, and with that inspiration, I will redouble my efforts to improve my own technique. Honestly, though, I've found that it's easier than I thought it would be to keep that right hand pinky finger positioned properly, which was a pleasant surprise. Maintaining proper left hand position is a different story, however. Your rendition of this song is great. I can't wait to hear more.

[wrench]

Congratulations and welcome to the club tovo! Well done, my friend!

Thanks for posting, and I look forward to more of them.

Tipwise, maybe if you keep the center hinge of your thumb a little lower (closer to the center of the neck), it will improve your hand position somewhat. Nice job on keeping the thumb vertical though.

Does the pinky prevent you from doing anything you need to do on a guitar?

wrench

[tovo]

Thanks Jay and Wrench. With respect to my pinkie, I can't do a lot of scale or blues exercises. It's hard to explain but although the finger will bend it angles in so badly that it simply wont touch the strings on the 4th fret. Fortunately I can use it on barre chords without too much hassle. But hey, I'm not complaining. I have seen plenty of great players missing fingers altogether so my problem is minor. There is always a way to overcome.

Thanks for your comments and encouragement guys.

[AcousticAl]

Cheers for Tovo!!

That's funny that you mentioned your lips moving- I can picture you saying 'Please don't mess up.. Please don't mess up!!'

Really good job. I would try to slow down though. It will give you time to get to your chord changes easier. Maybe a metronome would help?

[rcsnydley]

Congrats on the video tovo and nice job on the song. I know what you mean about resting the pinkie on the pick guard. I used to do it also and had to lose it. I would say though that it is better without it anchored once you get used to it.

Now if I could just get used to Neil's fingering for the A chord.

Ric

[tovo]

Thanks Al, I reckon you are a great example of a more experienced player helping others, thanks a lot.

Ric, I think you're right the pain will be worth it in the end. Thanks for commenting.

[haoli25]

Good job Tony. Anchoring that pinkie on the right hand was a tough habit to break for me. Congratulations on your success. Thanks for posting your video.

Bill