Need Help From Accomplished Guitar Players

[canadaski]

I just recently started playing guitar again. My fret hand has really bad timing. I end up fretting the note right when I strum, so it sound muffled and dirty. what's the best way to work on timing and flexibility of the fret hand?

Also, what's the best way to coordinate my strumming hand to keep from hitting low E and A all the time?

Thanks

[dark_soul777]

I don't think I'd really classify as accomplished, but my advice is to just practice a lot while playing songs you actually want to learn. You will get it in time.

[Mortal Coil]

Slow it down and put some conscious effort into getting it right. It's like learning a piano piece, you do it slow first to make sure you have it all right, then bring it up a few metronome marks.

[ImCoolBeans]

Slow it down and put some conscious effort into getting it right. It's like learning a piano piece, you do it slow first to make sure you have it all right, then bring it up a few metronome marks.

This

Start off slower, it'll be easier to hit the notes and you'll be really aware of what you're doing. Then once you have it down you can bring it up to speed.

[Genghis Khan]

I just recently started playing guitar again. My fret hand has really bad timing. I end up fretting the note right when I strum, so it sound muffled and dirty. what's the best way to work on timing and flexibility of the fret hand?

If you're looking to strum properly you probably want to first practice switching between chords fluently. Often when you're starting out and switching chords some fingers often end up in the wrong place (zing), so that's something to work on. This doesn't mean you should completely neglect the strum hand, you can practice that side by side too, like someone else mentioned before me it's imperative to use the metronome to work on timing and accuracy. Can't stress that enough.

If you ever feel like exceeding your expectations there's tons of fret hand exercises out there on the internet involving chromatic chord shapes, diminished, suspended, augmented chords that are often more difficult to play or switch through, but for now focus on the aforementioned.

Also, what's the best way to coordinate my strumming hand to keep from hitting low E and A all the time?

Maximum practice and minimal discouragement. Keep trying, don't get bogged down if you keep hitting it, just keep going.

You might want to set yourself a target, say an A minor chord progression. Play through it, try to get the strumming right, when you've got that down, add more chords in and keep challenging yourself.

--

P.S - You're lucky. I usually never bother to make productive posts like these.

[Wakesetter03]

One word, scales!
They are one of, if not the most important exercise for guitarists.
Work your scales, and try and get them faster and faster, work on both your picking/plucking and fingering technique in one.
It's boring, it can be difficult, but necessary? Hell yes.
Make sure you try many different scales - major, minor, blues, pentatonic, even arpeggios.
Then do different variations of each scale. Before long, you have that knowledge of what your doing with the guitar, over all frets and on all strings.
Good luck!

[Genghis Khan]

One word, scales!
They are one of, if not the most important exercise for guitarists.
Work your scales, and try and get them faster and faster, work on both your picking/plucking and fingering technique in one.
It's boring, it can be difficult, but necessary? Hell yes.
Make sure you try many different scales - major, minor, blues, pentatonic, even arpeggios.
Then do different variations of each scale. Before long, you have that knowledge of what your doing with the guitar, over all frets and on all strings.
Good luck!

Uh, I'm not sure if scales are significantly helpful with strumming issues, I think that should be left for general alternate/fingerpicking.

Plus, arpeggios are not scales.

[Djentleman]

Plus, arpeggios are not scales.

I'm afraid Khan is right.

And man, just practice and e persistent and eventually your progress will catch up with you and you'll be back on it big time.

[canadaski]

Thanks for all of the help. I kind of fixed a little problem in my strumming. I was using way too much hand and wrist instead of moving my whole arm. I was putting the pick at awkward angles and getting shitty sounds as a result.

I still need to work on my coordination though.:D

[Wakesetter03]

Uh, I'm not sure if scales are significantly helpful with strumming issues, I think that should be left for general alternate/fingerpicking.

Plus, arpeggios are not scales.

I know arpeggios aren't scales, hence after listing scales I said "even arpeggios".
My mistake that my post wasn't as articulate as I thought.
And in fact scales help all parts of playing. Without the right picking/strumming angle and technique you will never do your scales properly.
I wasn't aware that the OP was actually strumming wrong, I was under the intention that they were just trying to get better.
I found scales help strumming, as well as about 90% of playing technique.
Ask any decent guitarist, or musician at all, the most important exercise is scales.

[Genghis Khan]

I know arpeggios aren't scales, hence after listing scales I said "even arpeggios".
My mistake that my post wasn't as articulate as I thought.
And in fact scales help all parts of playing. Without the right picking/strumming angle and technique you will never do your scales properly.
I wasn't aware that the OP was actually strumming wrong, I was under the intention that they were just trying to get better.
I found scales help strumming, as well as about 90% of playing technique.
Ask any decent guitarist, or musician at all, the most important exercise is scales.

Your last part is arguable. Scale shapes can be used as exercises but not necessarily for your fingers as much as your overall familiarity with the fretboard and notes. So for example if you know different positions of the A minor scale, you'll automatically be more comfortable with the fretboard and where the notes lie.

Scales in my opinion are definitely more towards alternate/economy picking, shredding or any other solo technique rather than strumming. Chords are more often affiliated with strums.

As far as exercises for speed goes I've personally found chromatic runs to be helpful, particularly the one from this John Petrucci CD, it's up on YouTube too. I've never used the metronome to play a scale shape from the high E to the low E ever. I'm not sure if that would help me either, it might work for some but I doubt it.

[Wakesetter03]

Your last part is arguable. Scale shapes can be used as exercises but not necessarily for your fingers as much as your overall familiarity with the fretboard and notes. So for example if you know different positions of the A minor scale, you'll automatically be more comfortable with the fretboard and where the notes lie.

Scales in my opinion are definitely more towards alternate/economy picking, shredding or any other solo technique rather than strumming. Chords are more often affiliated with strums.

As far as exercises for speed goes I've personally found chromatic runs to be helpful, particularly the one from this John Petrucci CD, it's up on YouTube too. I've never used the metronome to play a scale shape from the high E to the low E ever. I'm not sure if that would help me either, it might work for some but I doubt it.

It could be argued quite thoroughly yes, and as a solo/lead guitarist I do sometimes forget not everyone shreds on an LP when they play, haha.
I do agree that scales aren't the only exercise you should work on, that would be suicide technique wise, but I found out of all the exercises I do (which is a lot) the scales helped me personally the most, even for stuff like chord changes etc.
But I agree that knowledge of chords and exercises to do with strumming would get results quicker, scales concrete the ability IMO.