I can play Neon

DT · Unread post by DT » Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:03 pm

well i just sat down and started to learn this on my electric and all i can say is, John Mayer has some BIG fucking hands. I can play any of the dave stretches easily but those fucking chords where youre fretting with your thumb and then with your index finger 3 frets lower.... jesus my hand hurts. i'll get it eventually, i can play it reeeealy slow right now

MWR · Unread post by **MWR** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:15 pm

Yeah he's got some banana hands for sure.

I have pretty big hands and can stretch quite far but using the thumb exclusively is just not comfortable for me so why do it? I switch between thumb and ring to fret the low C. Just a thought.

mbgreen · Unread post by **mbgreen** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:58 pm

I tried neon for a few hours or so, but I got tired of being in that tuning and not being able to play anything else so I gave up on it. Props if you can play it cleanly though. Its a much harder technique than any dave uses.

chosta · Unread post by **chosta** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:48 pm

i can't finger a single chord in that song because of my damn thumbs

chosta · Unread post by **chosta** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:49 pm

and their smallness

MWR · Unread post by **MWR** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 6:53 pm

mbgreen wrote:I tried neon for a few hours or so, but I got tired of being in that tuning and not being able to play anything else so I gave up on it. Props if you can play it cleanly though. Its a much harder technique than any dave uses.

Drop C isn't exactly the hardest tuning to get in and out of but I get what your saying.

You_Enjoy_Myself · Unread post by **You_Enjoy_Myself** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:28 pm

This is actually the only JM song that I don't use my thumbs on. It was one of the first songs of his that I learned, and I wasn't as comfortable to play. So it is possible to play it without thumbing, although it does make it a little more difficult I think.

Coldchillin · Unread post by **Coldchillin** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:32 pm

I use my thumb twice I think. Everything else I use my ring finger. My thumb on my picking hand hurts like hell though. It's going to bleed soon.

chosta · Unread post by **chosta** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:44 pm

You_Enjoy_Myself wrote:This is actually the only JM song that I don't use my thumbs on. It was one of the first songs of his that I learned, and I wasn't as comfortable to play. So it is possible to play it without thumbing, although it does make it a little more difficult I think.

can you like give me a fretting chart or something? i triedddd and no avail

mbgreen · Unread post by **mbgreen** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:50 pm

MWR wrote:
mbgreen wrote:I tried neon for a few hours or so, but I got tired of being in that tuning and not being able to play anything else so I gave up on it. Props if you can play it cleanly though. Its a much harder technique than any dave uses.
Drop C isn't exactly the hardest tuning to get in and out of but I get what your saying.

The lack of torque on the E always throws my other strings just a tiny bit out of tune, which bugs the shit out of me.

Coldchillin · Unread post by **Coldchillin** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 8:14 pm

chosta wrote:
You_Enjoy_Myself wrote:This is actually the only JM song that I don't use my thumbs on. It was one of the first songs of his that I learned, and I wasn't as comfortable to play. So it is possible to play it without thumbing, although it does make it a little more difficult I think.
can you like give me a fretting chart or something? i triedddd and no avail

I know that I only use my thumb on the 3 and the 8 on the C string, if that helps at all...sorry

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:29 pm

I have never used my thumb on any John Mayer songs. Though i know he does. For neon i just play it in capo three. No note in that song is below the third fret so its just easier to do it capo three. I have it tabbed out if anyone wants it. It will take a while to type though, and i cant scan it cause its really sloppy.

Anyway John is an awesome guitarist. Ten times better than Dave. Though I do like Dave more. I still like John Mayer.He has some really cool songs. His singles are the worst of his songs so you cant judge him on those. Yet his singles are really cool I think. I know about 5 or 6 Mayer songs including Neon. Some are really easy and others are extremely difficult until you get used to them.

MWR · Unread post by **MWR** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:34 pm

mbgreen wrote:
MWR wrote:
mbgreen wrote:I tried neon for a few hours or so, but I got tired of being in that tuning and not being able to play anything else so I gave up on it. Props if you can play it cleanly though. Its a much harder technique than any dave uses.
Drop C isn't exactly the hardest tuning to get in and out of but I get what your saying.
The lack of torque on the E always throws my other strings just a tiny bit out of tune, which bugs the shit out of me.

Yeah that would piss me off although I play out of tune 90% of the time anyway cause I'm a lazy bastard.

GSR · Unread post by **GSR** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:54 pm

neon's a great song, and i'm only a semi-mayer fan.

c_tietze · Unread post by **c_tietze** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 12:41 pm

two_stepper10 wrote:
c_tietze wrote:I would keep that to myself.

John Mayer blows.

Just my personal opinion. However, if I did indeed like John Mayer's music and learned Neon, well I would thank my thumbs and be proud of myself.

Please note I am not putting you down, but John Mayer as I loathe him.
His stuff may blow but its a hell of a lot easier to play Dave than it is to play any of Mayer's stuff. Without question.

Isn't Neon the song that Mayer makes extensive use out of his "giant thumbs"?

I think I remember a .pdf tab of Neon in John's handwriting floating around.

EDIT: I forgot how to read. You folks have already mentioned the huge thumb advantage.

DMBTabs.com

I can play Neon

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