Left Hand
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US $11.80
When you start to play classical guitar one of the biggest stumbling blocks is poor left hand technique. The main issue is that both hands are moving in different rhythms and all the eight fingers used need to move totally independently of each other. You may not think that is so hard so try this exercise place both hands on the table top in front of you and raise the palms leaving the finger tips touching the table now raise and move each finger backwards and forwards in turn while leaving all the others on the table and not moving any of them. OK so did you find it easy? Was one finger more difficult to move than the others?
I will confess here that I personally have great difficulty moving my ring fingers, but each person is different. To play classical guitar you will need to not only be able to do that, but to also move each hand in different sequences and rhythms! Not to worry there are exercises to help both on and off the guitar, but before we come to that I will outline the correct positioning for the left hand. In order to get into the correct position you will need to be sat on a square backed chair with the left foot raised on a classical guitar footstool and with your guitar across your body pointing its neck to your left (Left handed players playing left handed will need to reverse everything I say). Place your left arm under the neck of the guitar and put the thumb in the center of the back of the neck, now arch your fingers as when you tap them on the table and place them just above the strings. If you are sat correctly your left arm is free to move and it does not take any of the weight of the guitar.
When you start to play the thumb is usually directly opposed to your index finger, but it may be allowed to drop more behind the treble strings to give reach when you stretch for the bass strings. It should never come over the top of the neck. When you are playing correctly your left hand fingers come down at almost 90 degrees from the fret board and just the tip of the finger makes contact with the string. Ideally you should only use sufficient pressure to ensure the notes are all clear, surprisingly children are usually much better at gaugeing this than adults.
When a barre is required the barre finger should be placed across all of the strings required and rolled just slightly into the fret, this helps to eliminate any buzz where strings fall under the joints. It sounds hard and it is the part of the technique that requires the most practice. Heikila Sakari has developed a training system for off the guitar work his site is http://www.masteringthefivedisciplines.com and I also recommend the book Pumping Nylon by Scott Tennant which includes his left hand exercises (this one is really for intermediate players and above).
There is also a series of books by Abel Carlevaro (Serie Didactica Para Guittara) which is in 4 parts, I only have parts 2,3, and 4 Right Hand, Left Hand and the culmination!). This work is in Spanish and English translation it is published by Barry in Buenos Aries copyright 1967 and Montevideo Uruguay copyright 1975 and it is a comprehensive work on the exercises for both left and right hands and both in harmony. The essential idea is to work slowly and correctly and only add speed after each exercise is mastered.
I really hope that you find this helps and I wish you every success in your playing.
The Author Stephen Parkin is a member of the Wealthy Affiliate University and the co owner, with his wife Shauna La Pierre, of Pine Grove Stable in Nova Scotia Canada. As well as the stable which is run along Classical Dressage Training lines he is interested in Internet Marketing, Photography, Classical Guitar and his two dogs (a border collie and a labrador retriever). Anyone interested in finding out more about playing Classical Guitar is welcome to go to http://www.classicalguitartdh.com
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