Phrases 7 & 8
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Melvin Schofield
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August 12, 2019
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I find it physically quite difficult to play this in the position shown, starting at the 12th fret on the low E string. I have to take my thumb out from behind the neck to reach the highest notes! Is there any reason for not playing it from the 7th fret on the A string, following the same pattern? Same notes, just with a slightly different tone.
Jonathan Boettcher
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August 12, 2019
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Hi Melvin, you can absolutely play it in a different position. If you play from the 7th fret, the only thing to keep in mind is you’re now getting into the 2nd string, so you need to adjust that last note by one fret.
In general, when I’m thinking about where to place riffs like this, I look at how much movement is needed before or after the riff, and try to minimize that. In this case, the following riff starts from the 12th fret, so you’d have to move up there from the region of the 5th fret…. however you also get that nice open A note which gives you lots of time to move your hand.
Melvin Schofield
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August 13, 2019
Reply
Thanks Jonathan. Actually, with practice, I have managed to somewhat overcome the thumb problem! I take your point about the hand movement, but it helps to know there is a valid alternative way to play the riff.