Fingering for Bishop St. Blues
Found in: Foundation Songs
Anneka S., Western Australia
I have always played the I chord of Bishop Street Blues with my third finger in the middle rather than finger two, and a lot of my students find that easier too. Is there any reason why they shouldn’t?
Neil Moore
I recommend staying with using the second finger. Granted it is often easier for students to use the third finger, but they already get plenty of practice doing this with the triads.
As we move on to more advanced chords, specifically the four-note chords all throughout the jazz process, I have found that it is far easier to produce a more successful result having already trained the students to use fingers 1, 2 & 5, as compared to 1, 3 & 5. In four note chords, almost always fingers 1, 2, 3 & 5 are used, so I like to lay the foundation a good 18 to 24 months in advance.