RARE Jimmy Page

[Vibrolucky]

Up close and personal....if you haven't seen this, find it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEVyc8sx0gI&feature=related

[fusion58]

^ From "It Might Get Loud."

[DWB1960]

Absolutely LOVE that scene! What tones and subtle nuances to his playing.

[SgtThump]

Yeah, how is this RARE? I just rented the movie for $1.00 from the local Redbox.

[shakeshakeshake]

I think everyone on this forum owns that movie

[GuitslingerTim]

Something I've been meaning ask about since seeing Page play live the first time--pause the video at 1:15. How does Page bend his fingers backwards the way he does? He can bend the first joint of any of his fingers away from his palm a full 90 degrees, and fret notes while doing it. The guy has rubber fingers without bones evidently.

I met a foreign exchange student from Thailand who could bend her fingers backwards similar to what Page does, only she could bend any finger backwards and touch the back of her hand with the finger nail: the ability to do so was developed through years of soaking her hands in hot water and training her fingers to be pliant. Now I'm wondering if its a common quality among people of Asian descent. The mother of Page was Vietnamese if I recall correctly.

[Bassomatic]

Rare? Tell it to Netflix and Redbox.

[shakeshakeshake]

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4753/screenshot20100203at324.png

that?

doesnt seem weird to me?

[cob666]

I learned how to play those 'power' chords like that from watching 'The Song Remains The Same'. Thought everybody used their pinky. It was years later that I found out most people use their ring finger.

[zep41]

Thats how I play it too -- and I dont have rubber bendable finger powers either.

:dunno

[chemical69]

My fingers are kind of like that too...

Page's mother was Vietnamese...? where did you read that??

[DWB1960]

Jimmy's mom is 1/4 Chinese so Jimmy is 1/8 Chinese and his daughter Scarlett is 1/16 Chinese.

http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/jimmy%20and%20scarlett.jpg

[Z_Zoquis]

Yeah I've gotten in the habit of using my pinky a lot for power chords (actually, even for the full A barre shape often). I find it easier than the ring finger and I find it makes for quicker transitions back to the E shape barre too. Of course, if you are addin gany notes to the chord (4ths or 6ths etc) you have to use the ring for the barre and the pinky for the added notes, but otherwise...

[chemical69]

Jimmy's mom is 1/4 Chinese so Jimmy is 1/8 Chinese and his daughter Scarlett is 1/16 Chinese.

http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages/jimmy%20and%20scarlett.jpg

yeah I've read before that his grandmother was Chinese. I guess it's great-grandmother from what you say.

Cool!

[fusion58]

yeah I've read before that his grandmother was Chinese. I guess it's great-grandmother from what you say.

Cool!

Where did you read this, if I might ask?

[DWB1960]

Where did you read this, if I might ask?

Search the web. It's noted a bunch of places.

[Tone_Terrific]

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4753/screenshot20100203at324.png

that?

doesnt seem weird to me?

Looks OK to me.
I can play power chords with my pinky, too, and I have low flexibility, overall.
Dropping the first finger down 1 fret gets you from chord E to A.
A necessary, rather common, move, imo.

[GuitslingerTim]

Looks OK to me.
I can play power chords with my pinky, too, and I have low flexibility, overall.
Dropping the first finger down 1 fret gets you from chord E to A.
A necessary, rather common, move, imo.

It's not his little finger, at least in this photo, but the way his third finger is bent backwards. Page can do the same thing with his pinky, fold it backwards close to 90 degrees and chord with it. The first joint on my fingers will bend backwards 5-10 degrees at the most.

[Primakurtz]

My fingers bend that much, and I am 100% Hillbilly.
I thought everybody's hands do that. :dunno

[Bussman]

^ LOL! Funny, isn't it? I have no clue how he plays that way.

Very light strings and super low action.

[ArmOnFire]

What I can't get is how some people play with the guitar so low.

Going hunting for the IMGL DVD today!

Can't wait to see it!

-Dan

[SgtThump]

Very light strings and super low action.

That has nothing to do with his fingers bending backwards. Somehow, I think alot of people are missing the point "GuitslingerTim" is trying to make. (I have no idea how they'd miss it, because it's spelled out, but hey...)

His ring finger in this video actually bends backwards! WTF? I've never really noticed that before, but that is freaky. My fingers don't do that and there's no way that can be "normal" for most people. Not sure what's going on there, but it's kinda gross. :)

[DWB1960]

That has nothing to do with his fingers bending backwards. Somehow, I think alot of people are missing the point "GuitslingerTim" is trying to make. (I have no idea how they'd miss it, because it's spelled out, but hey...)

His ring finger in this video actually bends backwards! WTF? I've never really noticed that before, but that is freaky. My fingers don't do that and there's no way that can be "normal" for most people. Not sure what's going on there, but it's kinda gross. :)

I suppose if you adapt a certain style, and play it as long as Jimmy has, your fingers will adapt and be able to do things that most folks can't. Look at what gymnasts are able to do with their limbs!

[SgtThump]

I suppose if you adapt a certain style, and play it as long as Jimmy has, your fingers will adapt and be able to do things that most folks can't. Look at what gymnasts are able to do with their limbs!

Can you actually train your fingers to bend the opposite way of a normal person? Wow. My guess is that he's just double-jointed or whatever that would be called. Kind of a born that way type of thing.

[freekbird]

if you do something long enough you can train your body to do it. my dad has small hands and has been playing guitar since the 70's and his left hand between the thumb and index finger opens MUCH further than his right due to having to reach on the fret board.

[Bussman]

That has nothing to do with his fingers bending backwards. Somehow, I think alot of people are missing the point "GuitslingerTim" is trying to make. (I have no idea how they'd miss it, because it's spelled out, but hey...)

His ring finger in this video actually bends backwards! WTF? I've never really noticed that before, but that is freaky. My fingers don't do that and there's no way that can be "normal" for most people. Not sure what's going on there, but it's kinda gross. :)

I can do the same with my ring finger so I guess I never thought twice about it.

[chemical69]

Where did you read this, if I might ask?

don't recall exactly.... as Donnie B. said, it's over a bunch of places. I have no idea how true it is.