Basic Right Hand Mechanics
1. Use your left hand to get information
- Our feelings can be deceptive
- Our touch can give us more accurate information about what’s happening in our muscles and movements. You might be used to your teacher using touch to gain information about your playing
- I recommend also using a mirror so that your sight is also helping you gain information
- Our feelings can be deceptive
- Our touch can give us more accurate information about what’s happening in our muscles and movements. You might be used to your teacher using touch to gain information about your playing
- I recommend also using a mirror so that your sight is also helping you gain information
2. Avoid tension in your hand
- Gauge the tension of your right hand by touching it with your left hand (see above)
- Be specific: feel around different parts of your hand
- Tone, movement and other things will be sacrificed if tension is out of control
- Ensure that your hand is relaxed before you start playing. There’s absolutely no need for tension if your hand is just floating over the strings!
- Gauge the tension of your right hand by touching it with your left hand (see above)
- Be specific: feel around different parts of your hand
- Tone, movement and other things will be sacrificed if tension is out of control
- Ensure that your hand is relaxed before you start playing. There’s absolutely no need for tension if your hand is just floating over the strings!
3. The primary movement of a pluck comes from the knuckle joint
- This will result in a more relaxed hand
- If your primary movements come from the tip joint, then your hand could get locked up. Many beginners pluck from their tip joint, which also results in unnecessary movement
- This will result in a more relaxed hand
- If your primary movements come from the tip joint, then your hand could get locked up. Many beginners pluck from their tip joint, which also results in unnecessary movement
4. Contact point: flesh and nail
- The contact point is important for both the start of a stroke and the transition to the next stroke
- Start your pluck by placing the contact point of your finger precisely so that both nail and flesh are touching the string. When you place the next finger down onto the string, then ensure you place the flesh on the string
- If the nail lands onto the string then it will result in a click in the sound (nail click)
- This is a very fine distinction, to the extent of a few millimeters
- Listen and feel for the nail clicks as it’s hard to observe it by sight
- The contact point is important for both the start of a stroke and the transition to the next stroke
- Start your pluck by placing the contact point of your finger precisely so that both nail and flesh are touching the string. When you place the next finger down onto the string, then ensure you place the flesh on the string
- If the nail lands onto the string then it will result in a click in the sound (nail click)
- This is a very fine distinction, to the extent of a few millimeters
- Listen and feel for the nail clicks as it’s hard to observe it by sight
5. Use your arm to bring your hand to where it needs to go
- Don’t let your fingers reach for strings. This reaching often occurs when plucking the top string.
- If you play the bottom E string, then your arm should move closer to you. When playing towards the top E string, your arm should move away from you.
- Don’t let your fingers reach for strings. This reaching often occurs when plucking the top string.
- If you play the bottom E string, then your arm should move closer to you. When playing towards the top E string, your arm should move away from you.
| basic_mechanics_of_the_right_hand.pdf |
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Tired of wasting time when you practice? I can form a routine for you that will ensure you make every minute as productive as possible.
You can also learn how to see music as a language, helping you understand and read it way more effectively.
All you need is a laptop, tablet, or smartphone and a Skype account (free to create).
Contact me and we can set up a free consultation to get you started on your journey to realizing your full potential on the guitar.
"Daniel's thorough knowledge of the guitar is evident and you can tell straight away that he has many years of experience under his sleeve."
--- Alejandro
"Daniel was the first teacher I had that showed me how to become a true musician."
--- Collin
"Daniel's more than a guitar teacher he's a technician, under his guidance my tone, time, technique and more have improved so, so very much."
--- Jeremy