but it has become my passion. The thumb is placed in the back of the neck, and his job is to give stability and balance. This makes a “position” on the guitar a 4-fret span, with one finger over each fret. You'll find loads of tutorials and resources. A discussion and lesson about the left hand thumb position for classical guitar. Learn more about our Terms, Conditions, Cookies, & Privacy Policy. Question. The large base knuckles of the finger are positioned on the side of the fretboard opposite the player. Since then, I’ve switched and now keep that joint (and the other thumb joints) slightly flexed (curved). ... add a comment | 2. The basics of left hand position on the guitar by Shawn Bradshaw. Left hand thumb is vertical and behind 2nd finger; Left hand fingers are curved and on fingertips; Left hand fingers play very close to the fret It ‘s very important to have a well-balanced position of the hand and relaxed, to make smooth the execution of the music. However the thumb should form a 90 degree position with the neck, not dragging behind, or in a parallel position with the strings. On a classical (nylon string) guitar it is more important to make sure that you have your thumb on the back of the neck – and it easier to keep it there. Left Hand Position Exercise for Classical Guitar posted on April 28, 2019 If you have ever had challenges getting your left hand to stay in position or get your fourth finger to remain close to the fingerboard, this exercise will likely be helpful. I think your photos exaggerate the … The main rule concerns situations with more than one finger playing on the same fret. Using the “C” shape, we keep our thumb behind the fingers. Yes I am. Left Hand Position for Classical Guitar by Douglas Niedt - YouTube If we take the analogy of speaking, the left hand would choose the words, and the right hand would say them. I’ve never interacted or seen any pros that play with a bent tip. This means that we can further flex or extend each finger at will. Use the correct hand position for a given passage. 4. Use the correct hand position for a given passage. Extend your left hand, palm up, and make a loose fist, placing your thumb roughly between your first and second fingers. This places the hand in a more sideways position, like in a handshake. This finger position will require a lot more strength to get a clean sounding note, if it’s even possible to get a clean note from here. Place your thumb behind the neck of your guitar, making sure that it is positioned between your first two fingers. For the first time ever, I have achieved great tone on my acoustic guitars. Each joint is in the midrange of its possible movement. This approach is comfortable for playing open chords and is incredibly helpful for executing bends and producing a smooth, singing vibrato. Now I help guitarists find more comfort and flow in their music, so they play more beautifully. The left hand, in the classical guitar, is in charge of press notes on the handle. Also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Patreon. This is one of the “basics of classical guitar.” Ideally, the big knuckle of the index and little fingers are a similar distance from the bottom edge of the guitar neck. Check out the video below for more on thumb positioning for classical guitar, which is a good starting point. Here are other tips for left hand stretch. Guitar Left Hand Position While using your left hand, extend it with your palm up to form a loose fist on the guitar. what kind of guitar support are you using? Hand position. Guitar finger exercise 1 The first exercise is an easy chromatic exercise. ... We are going to start with what I call the home base left hand position. Thanks This lesson teaches you the basic left hand position and technique. Really enjoy your work. Principle #4 Fingers Close to the Frets & Flexibility of Left Hand Angle. Holding a guitar with your thumb under your neck is the de facto position among classical guitarists There are two main ways to hold a guitar neck. Left Hand Technique for Classical Guitar. Thank you!! Q&A Lesson: Left Hand Thumb Position for Classical Guitar - … And it needs to stay in a safe and healthy position to avoid injury. Sharp nerve twinges/pain up the fret hand thumb during Dorian fingerings also through playing runs and rhythm around and on the low E and A strings. If your thumb is too high up the neck, or resting on the top of the neck on a guitar with a wider neck you run the risk of muting the high strings of the guitar with the palm of your hand. 2. Sometimes an angled hand positions makes things easier. I've been studying fingerstyle guitar and music theory for about one year now. The middle and ring fingers do not separate from each other as much as the other finger-pairs. Sit up tall. It needs to avoid muting the other strings. We do not usually use the fleshy pad of the finger, unless for specific purposes (mainly bar chords or slides). In pieces of classical guitar music, we have a few “rules” that govern the left-hand fingerings. 20 years of classical guitar now left hand thumb pain the last 3 years by: Jim Hi. The thumb should stay extended and long, not bent. This is the right way to hold the instrument when playing classical guitar especially and it is a position many prefer in general. We avoid crossing the fingers. All your knuckles should be bent. It is simple in concept but very effective at developing good habits in your left hand technique. The little finger is lowest in space. I changed to it many years ago so that I could comfortably reach the three notes per string type … This is normal and a characteristic of our anatomy. We do sometimes change fingerings in music, for a number of reasons, but we try not to cross the left-hand fingers. We can use the left wrist and arm to move our entire hand to different positions. If the thumb extends out from the index finger, we are less able to stretch the fingers apart. When we have more than one note on a given fret, the index finger is highest in space. for the classical guitar left hand technique. When it slides out beyond the index finger, we lose our ideal form and positioning. This is because the fingerboard is wider and the neck often has a deeper profile. 4. Your hand should look about like that after you stick a guitar neck in there. Once we have the “C” left-hand position, we can move this position up and down the guitar neck. We offer … Now that I’ve gotten used to doing it that way, it seems more relaxed, natural and consistent with keeping the other LH fingers curved. Although I've played for over 20 years, only in the past 2-3 years I've had a problem with increasing, acute pain in my left thumb joint when holding particular shapes. Left-hand position: Fretting made easy. Principle #3: Appropriate Left Hand Finger Pressure David. This is a question from Paul who wanted to know about the left hand thumb position while playing scales. I struggled with excess tension. Because of the demands of left hand playing, it is not always possible to stay in this position. The picking hand’s thumb is at approximately a 45º angle. ... Notice how the first joints of my left-hand fingers are right over the knuckles of my right hand. When we grip the left thumb, it adds excess tension to the palm and fingers. In general, the thumb is relaxed and not bent at the tip segment. Wrist Position. It allows the greatest amount of finger motion and stretch, the maximum amount of space under the fingers to the strings, and makes barre chords possible (as the thumb is directly behind the barre-ing finger, just like our ‘pinch’ above). Allows the fingers of your guitar, making sure that it is positioned with the that! 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