fingers on billies and grey

[DMBFan63]

Because it's better to learn the mobility with your pinky and ring now then have to try and do it later on in your guitaring life

[Jonny123]

I strongly agree with the above suggestion - learn it the way dave plays it. Not that I'm a stickler for playing EXACTLY like dave or anything like that... but he's right - it will come back to get you later.

I started learning this song the same way as you, and just played the intro part and chorus with my pointer and middle finger... but just start practicing using the tabs for finger guides. It's much much much more accurate when you get it down, and as mentioned, much more mobile - you won't be sliding your hand up and down the neck all the time, which will also cut down on the sliding noises along the strings. It may look like more work, but actually it's quite the opposite.

I can't say enough about acquiring a strong and accurate pinky, either. These songs, played according to the finger tabs, will help improve this.

Good luck.

[eks8597]

Hmm much easier to just use 1 and 2 . . . it's very easy why complicate it?

[erech]

i find that using all 4 fingers makes trippin billies a lot easier to play, especially transferring from the chorus to the verse. since you have to go right into the nature chord in the verse, you'll only have to move your index to the D string, the rest are already where they need to be. that make any sense?

[eks8597]

True I've never tried to play billies just Grey Street and I think there's no need for the 3 and 4 fingers during the verse for that.

[Speenis]

True I've never tried to play billies just Grey Street and I think there's no need for the 3 and 4 fingers during the verse for that.

Are you talking about Grey Street or Tripping Billies. Because the verse in Billies is impossible to play without your ring and pinky fingers. You might be able to pull it off in Grey Street, but I think the rhthym of it gets thrown off. Its also 10x easier to use your 3 and 4 fingers in the verse for Grey Street so why not do it?

[Dave is good]

when using fingers 3 and 4, what do you guys mute with...


i usually use 3 to mute but it is inconsistent (need to practice)

[2StepGranny]

when using fingers 3 and 4, what do you guys mute with...


i usually use 3 to mute but it is inconsistent (need to practice)

If you're talking about Grey Street, I only play the top four strings, so I don't have to worry about muting anything, because he doesn't mute the open D String during Grey Street, of Billies for that matter But I don't mute for those parts of each of those songs, not really any need to

[mzauberman]

If you're interested in adding a little bit extra to dave chords (the two-note chords on the low-E and G strings, as in Tripping Billies, Grey Street, and LIOG jams, etc.), then you can double the low E string on the high one. There are basically two forms of Dave chords, one where the notes are on the same fret and one where the low-E string is down one fret, for example:

Code: Select all

---   ---
---   ---
-2-   -4-
-0-   -0-
-x-   -x-
-2-   -3-

If you're doubling the low-E, you would play:

Code: Select all

-2-   -3-
-x-   -x-
-2-   -4-
-0-   -0-
-x-   -x-
-2-   -3-

The fingering for a chord like 2x02x2 is 2-3-4, with your middle finger on the low-E, your ring finger on the G, and your pinky on the high-E.

The fingering for a chord like 3x04x3 is 1-3-2, with your index finger on the low-E, your middle finger on the high-E, and your ring finger on the G. To switch from a form like 3x04x3 to 2x02x2, you swing your middle finger up to the low E from the high E, lift your index finger (or not), and drop your pinky on the high-E. To go the other way, reverse the process (obviously).

This makes for some interesting neat sounds when playing the Grey Street chorus or the LIOG jams.

This process does slow down chord changes from Dave's four-finger approach (which you should also learn & master), so using it in a part requiring fast transitions like in the Grey Street verse is probably a bad idea, but it's good for slower parts that use Dave Chords.