Question about finger pressure....

[Jimi_Thing]

When I watch many guitarists play, it seems as though they are barely touching the strings to get the chords to play. But when I practice at home it seems like i have to use a death grip in order for all of the notes to come through. I was wondering if I may be doing something wrong, or is it just a matter of finger strength and the muscles getting used to those movements.

Does anyone have any suggestions??
Thanks for your help........

[Coffee]

Good question Jimi. Finger position is very important to playing notes, whether chords or lines correctly. First, without reading further, play a D chord and don't move it from the position it's in. Is your thumb at the back of the guitar neck in roughly the center? or is it hanging on the to the top edge of the neck for support. If it's hanging over, part of the problem is that instead of using that marvelous opposible thumb your wasting it. If your hanging over the neck, your thumb isn't actually pushing against your fingers, instead your fingers which you need to have free to be acurate are being forced to deliver all the pressure themselves without the thumbs assistance. Playing without the thumb in the middle of the neck seems to be a problem most of us have at one time or another. If you find it really awkward to use this position and you normally play standing with a strap, you could have the guitar slung too low. Look at the really fast players, usually their guitar is slung relatively high. If you play sitting and you're right handed, you may find that moving the guitar from your right to your left leg, and tilting the neck a bit higher will allow you easier access and a more comfortable access. I play when sitting with it on my left leg for one major reason, it is in the same relative position that it's in when I wear a strap and stand. This means your hands learn one angle of attack instead of two.

The other thing to consider is of course how close to the frets each of the fingers are. They should be just below and almost touching the fret that will give you that tone. If you find your problem is with new chord positions, slow down. Let your fingers learn comfortably where they are to go. Don't force it.

[disturbed_pyro]

it could also be high action...
maybe...

[Jimi_Thing]

Hey thanks for the input. And Coffee, you were right, I was one of those guys with the thumb hanging over the neck. Now I have one more piece of the puzzle to get me on my way.....

Thanks again

[Coffee]

Excellent. Just remember, sometimes the thumb is used on the base note and sometimes to make sure the bass stays muted. Flexibility my friend. Don't get stuck like the guys who say every note must be played with an alternating pick stroke.

[MetAccoustica]

You just helped me out to with your advice. Playing on the left leg is easier, but will I be able to eventually play like the rest of guitarist-on my right leg? Or does that really matter? Thanks for askin that Jimi_thing. Good Question you had...lata fellas

[Coffee]

Glad to help guys. Nice to hear from you meta.

Personally, the left leg came to my attention when I took some lessons from a classical guitarist. He was a Quaker who had a masters degree in Philosophy who taught guitar on the side to his regular job which was commercial plumber. (He said that once you got to the toilet philosophy and plumbing were about the same.):D Anyway, like I said earlier, the advantage of the left leg also better reflects the position of the guitar when standing, which is a help to me since I write sitting, but perform standing and therefore increases accuracy in general since the hand is in the same relative position.

Will you be able to play like other guitarists using the right leg position, sure. My question is do you need to. As my mom used to say "If you saw someone else jump off a bridge..." Use what works and makes it easier for you. That's my motto.

[danish]

doesn't aaron lewis from staind play on his left leg when sitting down? i think i saw him playing like that in the 'its been awhile' video.

[Dann]

I have been reading the replies, and thought I would add a question. I have been playing for about 2 1/2 months, and I started playing on my left leg. It felt pretty good right from the beginning. When I try on my right leg, and I try to change chords, the guitar seems to 'roll' (the neck goes away from my body, apparently from the weight of my right arm draped across the guitar). I find it extremely difficult to play while this is happening!
Am I possibly holding the guitar incorrectly? I have never played while standing.

I also started playing with my thumb on the back of the neck as opposed to rolling over the top. The only problem is that the muscle just below my thumb cramps severly. Usually within the first 5 minutes of play. I force my way through and given another 20 minutes I can navigate the fretboard, but I am still impaired. I have asked a couple of other people but they have never had this happen to them. Does anyone have any advice for this? It seems to really bad when I play an F chord, I feel that I really have to squeeze the mother out of my neck to get the bottom strings to ring true.

Thanks for any help you can give me!
Dann

[Coffee]

By any chance Dann are you playing an accoustic? Keep it on your left leg, that position is most like standing. My guess is you're playing an accoustic and the roll or push forward at the neck is either from the weight of your arm over the guitar body or you are unconciously pulling the guitar in with your right arm. This rarely happens with electrics because the body is thinner. The other thing you may notice when the guitar is on the right leg is that your left wrist gets out of a 'straight' position and becomes more bent. This will stress the thumb. If your thumb is really in pain, stop when it begins to hurt. It might pay to get a lesson from a guitar teacher (I would say a classical guitarist since they seem to be most conscious of the 'correct' way to hold the guitar). Just get the jist of how to do it and become concious of the position. This will be your greatest advantage. If the problem persists, it may be worth seeing a doctor about the pain. Don't continue to play when you're in pain, it will ruin your technique and make you too tense to progress.

[Dann]

I was kind of hoping that this was a common problem, but of course......
Thanks for your help though, I will have to have it checked out. I do play an acoustic by the way, and I do plan on getting lessons.

Thanks again!

[adam3291]

Excellent advice coffee!!!!!!!! I've switched from right to left also after reading your reply, my thumb position and finger pressure are totally different now. Thanks again, us beginners need all the help we can get.