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6 Left Hand Tips When Playing Guitar
The left hand is the focus of much of our time on the guitar. For many, the right hand becomes automatic for most of playing and learning a piece. Only when there is trouble do most players work out specific fingerings for the right hand that are contrary to general rules. Therefore, let’s look at six basic generalities (left hand tips) for a good left-hand technique.
1. Strings must be held firmly to produce good tone.
This may seem like an obvious statement. However, in my teaching career, most people go to one extreme or another when working on left-hand pressure on the strings. Some squeeze so hard that they would be better suited to holding a baseball bat. Others fail to squeeze hard enough to get a sufficient tone without buzzing. The main idea is to squeeze only as hard as necessary. This will allow you to endure through a piece or piece without fatigue and create a good tone.
2. Keep the left hand fingers curved
The only time a finger should probably be straight is when playing a barre chord. I have found that many players only curve the tip joint and keep the middle joint straight. This usually happens when stretching to a lower string while having your other fingers on a higher one. It may take some time to break this habit but it will change your playing if it is an area you struggle in. The most common finger I have seen this occurring is the third finger.
3. Keep your left hand fingers on the strings after playing
Pepe Romero has said more than once, “give every note its life.” Too often we play a string and then lift it before the life of the note is done. Each note has a value of time to be heard. Keep your finger down until it is truly time to play another note and/or time for that particular note to stop sounding.
4. Stay relaxed and close to the fretboard
The goal here is to not create a hard rule that you must be hovering an exact 1/4 inch above the strings. The idea is that the had should remain in a position beneficial for immediate playing when necessary. The distance is not as important as the hand position and relaxation before the execution of the next note.
5. The thumb should usually be in the middle of the neck
Most students come to the guitar from a strumming perspective before entering the world of fingerstyle and advanced guitar playing. My personal reason the thumb is such an issue is the G chord. In order to play a G chord the hand must rotate away from the body of the guitar to let the little finger reach the high G note while the second finger holds down the low G note. To achieve this shape one must pull the thumb up so that it is usually rising above the top of the neck.
Though this is good for a G chord, it does not serve your playing the other 95% of the time. The thumb should remain in the center of the neck allowing the fingers to curl around and be ready to play as indicated in the previous point. Many students have found that a phrase that once gave them trouble now is easy when the hand and thumb are placed correctly.
6. Let your arm relax
One of the greatest tools you can use to hold down the strings of the guitar is gravity. When the left arm relaxes it has no choice but to fall towards the floor. This allows gravity to do most of the work in holding the strings down, especially on barre chords. If you feel your shoulder tighten up or your elbow protruding out towards the head of the guitar, then take a deep breath and let it relax. Every part of your playing is dependent on being relaxed in both mind and body. It could solve many issues in your playing.
I have two degrees in guitar performance and was privileged to study under Aaron Shearer, Tom Kikta, David Skantar, Ken Karsh, Tim Bedner, and currently Christopher Berg. Outside my editorial work on this blog, I teach full-time across many genres including classical, jazz, blues, rock, funk, and metal.
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