problem with chords

[feniansons]

I actually feel like I am getting better at this mando thing...I was strumming to Handle with Care by the Traveling Wilbury's, and felt pretty good... BUT THEY WERE TWO FINGR CHORDS! C D G! now any othe dhord I just cannot get that bell like sound from, no matter how I posiion my fingers... so far I know C D G and Aminor. Im ust looking for a tip or two about getting the chords down. If I cover two strings with one finger it just doesn't sound right...thanks

[woodwiz]

Position your fingers one at a time, making sure each finger sounds clear before going on to the next one.

I like to start with the finger farthest from the nut, especially on chords like a closed G or G minor, which are kind of a stretch.

Barring two strings witn one finger takes a little work to get the knack, but you'll get it with time, if you just remember to work on positioning one finger at a time.

I still go back and do this if my chords start sounding dull.

[250sc]

It just takes time and practice. Keep working on it and it will come.

[gschmidt]

It just takes time and practice. Keep working on it and it will come.
Ya know... as much as I dislike this response.... it's COMPLETELY true!! :-)

I've only been playing about 6 months and found chords MUCH more difficult than I thought they would be. At first that G chop chord was impossible for me, let alone the changes to and from G, but after many reps it has become second nature. You have to take it slow at first to make sure all notes are clear - making adjustments as you go and eventually muscle memory will take over. It also helps to repeat a change over and over. I just recently had trouble with a B to Cminor, because I had never done it before, but after repeating it many times, my finger "know" how to do it now.

It seems to me that you have to "teach" your fingers, very slowly, how to do it. Once they "know" your set.

[Dfyngravity]

You know it's funny, my best friend is by far one of the best guitarist I know. He majored in classical guitar and is very talented. One day I handed him my mando and told him to play a G chord with four fingers. He stuggled to get his pinky on the 7th fret of the G string. I laughed a little bit and said, "come on now, don't you play classical guitar!" he just handed it back to me and shook his head.

Chords are just something you have to get use to, they seem funny at first and may seem like you will never get it. But trust me, you will. Don't expect to learn something over night if you are not willing to put in lots of practice, unless you are trying to win the lotto...in that case you had better enter the monthly mando drawing here because you have a better odds at that.

One little trick is doing some finger stretching. I'll post a new topic for that in a bit. It will help you get those chords you just can't seem to get a clear sound out of.

[250sc]

I came to mandolin from guitar and found that even though the scale length is much shorter than guitar, as a player you have to stretch your left hand farther on mandolin than guitar. The good news is after playing mandolin my left hand technique is so much better on guitar than it used to be.

As to my answer "It just takes time and practice. Keep working on it and it will come." there is no magic bullet. If you work with it every day you will see improvment. Just don't get frustrated and if your hands start to tense up (or cramp) shake them off and try to let go of the tension.

Have fun.