Lesson: Left Hand Position and Technique for Classical Guitar
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- Опубліковано 22 січ 2017
- Full post with pics and diagrams: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com...
A free video lesson on left hand position and technique for classical guitar. Learn how to hold the left hand on classical guitar with this video but also the high res photos.
The tips I mention are:
Left wrist is straight, not over-extended
Left palm and knuckles are parallel with the strings
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
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This is not just for classical guitar, this is the true proper technique that should be applied to any kind of genre. good vid!
I know I'm late by a few years but while it may be a good technique for people to learn for any genre, it's not as important for certating things. Especially with electric guitars where the strings are closer and the action is much lower. A much more relaxed posture/position is just fine.
@@Ian-qh7le Agreed - Some acoustic guitar techniques (esp blues) would make classical masters strip their gears 😄 - it's all fun to learn
@@nmcg2587 hahaha for sure. I need to learn more blues ngl. Been feeling like playing them over the spring
This video is invaluable. Best instruction for fretting hand form on the whole Internet.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks. Very good video. My biggest challenge is the strings buzzing against adjacent fingers. I'll try your techniques.
many other sources leave out the note about different angles for left hand fingers, especially the pinky finger. i'm not exactly a beginner but that is a game changer, thank you!
Hands down this is the best video about guitar technique that you can find online
Thank you. It’s really useful for my left hand position as beginner.
Love the different live camera perspectives... makes a world of difference relating to the constraints in view of one's fingers and the strings as a player. I am trying to turn over a new leaf after 10+ years of not playing my classical guitar in the classical way, and your videos are very helpful! Thank you!
I played guitar- self taught folk guitar- in college, now some 50 odd years ago, and just started lessons in classical guitar. So I had lots of bad habits to unlearn. Your videos are most helpful!
Hi I've just seen your comment from 3 years ago. Good to see a fellow 'oldie' learning classical guitar. I'd love to hear how its going. About myself - I really love playing....even fairly amateurishly. I have swollen arthritic joints in a few of my fingers, and I have to learn to play with these limitations. Mon, UK
@@monashton2624 well, I am still hanging in there. I am kind a great appreciation for guitar music, and can hear the music with much more sophistication and discernment. Sadly, I can also hear my playing with much more sophistication and discernment. So it is a constant struggle, but as my teacher told me “guitar is a very difficult instrument“ thanks for asking. I hope you are doing well also.
Every single detail absolutely essential! I'll be practicing all muted all the time until the thumb knuckle heals. So impressed that someone with such advanced ability can unpack it down to the basics so effectively. Thank you!
Thanks so much, I'll actually be making an updated video soon as well.
You r one of best teachers out there. Thank you
I agree
Currently learning folk fingerpicking and your technique videos are really helping me to improve - great teacher, good pacing and clear explanations! Thanks!
Great to hear!
Just like everyone else, I wanted to thank you for this video. A lot of knowledge here and I'm glad your sharing it with everyone for free online.
You're very kind! Thanks again.
Your video really helped me out, keeping your knuckles parallel to the strings is very useful to me. Out of the 1000's of videos I watched no one person mentioned that at all. Keep up the great videos.
Glad it helped!
Sir you are the best teacher for classical guitar in youtube
Thanks so much!
I resumed playing, as a 62 year old beginner after laying off for 5 years. New to the classical approach I have found your teaching method, videos and explanations to be exceptional. I appreciate the effort and generosity you have put into sharing. Some of the tips and comments about practice really resonate (no pun intended) for me at this juncture. Thank you!
Glad you've found it helpful.
Thank you for this entire series of videos. It's excellent.
This video's got a lot of insightful information. I play the electric guitar and I'm constantly reviewing basic concepts. Thank you!
I’ve just started your Method volume 1. My left wrist was hurting on the pinky side, but this video & the position one helped me correct myself. Thanks for the showing from various views. You’re a very good teacher.
This is well demonstrated and very helpful instruction. It will improve my playing in time when I learn to adjust in this way. Thank you.
Thank you so much this is first time ive picked up a guitar & felt relaxed in my posture. Your teaching style is great informative & clear & not overwhelming.
Superb!!!
.Its so good to come back to this video to make sure 'Ive not slipped into bad habits.
All beginners should watch this. i wish I'd seen it 20 years ago!
Thank you, thank you thank you. I have been playing for 30 years; classical for almost that long and I never heard of some of these tips. I had immediate improvement in comfort level and ease. Thank you.
Indeed you are a great classical guitar tutor. KUDOS to you sir,, BRAVO!!
This is very helpful, thank you.
Werner, this is an excellent video! Left hand position and proper finger placement is so fundamental yet I have never seen it so clearly explained before. 'Classical Guitar Technique' nicely explains it, but not adequately. Your video, especially the different views showing both 'good' and 'not good' are great. Thanks!
Clear, precise, complete. Thank you SO much for this superb lesson in crucial fundamentals.
Glad it was helpful!
I am fairly new to the Classical guitar and I return to this video once every week or two to better fine tune my left hand. Each time, I play worse for the first hour or so afterwards, and then, boom, my playing quality takes a big jump forward. Thank you for this very helpful video!
Thank you for the great lesson on left hand position. Very helpful!!
1. make sure head is at eye-level -> wrist is straight, not over-extended 3:00 8:05 9:50
2. palm and knuckles are parallel with the strings 3:29 8:15 10:05
3. thumb is vertical - not sideways - relaxed, and behind 2nd finger 4:03
4. fingers are curved - no collapsing knuckles; bring palm closer to the guitar - and on fingertips, not on the pads 4:57 8:36 11:14 13:26
5. play close to the fret, especially on the 1st finger 5:56 8:56 12:12
What a video, exactly what I wanted. Thanks!
This is also very relevant to playing electric guitar while standing. Thanks for detailed explanation.
Basic yet so important that can be watched repeatedly ❤
great tips! helps a lot thanks
I love the detail you explain. Thank you so much for the useful technique.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot! The video helped me correct at least two of my wrong techniques.
Great videos. They help a lot and are very illustrative. Thanks for your work and efforts.
Thanks!
Thanks a lot, especially for the different camara perspectives. Very helpful!
Glad it was helpful!
very helpful- thank you
Good instructions 👍👍
Thanks for these lessons. I made an inane comment somewhere asking for fun stuff - well I've discovered that there's lots of fun stuff to take the sting out of all of those exercises. I bought your e-book. How great it is to have both videos and the e-book. Thanks again.
Thomas
very helpful, I was frustrated for every buzz I played, but after this video, I seemed to have rectified this issue
Wow, that's great news.
Very Helpful video.
Wow. I'm blown away. I've been playing rock/blues guitar for 30 years and now am trying to start playing classical...this was an eye opener. I can hardly believe how little pressure it takes and that tip about being just behind the fret? Genius.
" _that tip about being just behind the fret? Genius._ " it's not genius it's standard classical guitar technique. I'm not belittling the teacher by saying that, just pointing out it's a well known thing not an invention of this particular teacher.
Thanks for sharing this! I play on an acoustic guitar with steel strings and before it didn't bother me but now i play a lot more than i used to and i notice that i started to feel tension in my hand, and i'm paranoid about getting carpal tunnel because i was close to getting it once before because of work. But this really was an eye opener. I know i definitely bend my wrist a lot when i play and i also have my thumb off to the side and don't play close to the frets. So i hope this will make a difference. Thanks again!
Hoping it worked out well for you. I saw this too late and will be trying muted scales for quite a while!
Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks for watching, hope it helps!
Thanks for an excellent lesson!
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for the lessons!
You are very welcome!
Thank you. I have been pushing harder instead of being closer to the fret for years.
Thank you!!!
Outstanding video....well done!
Thanks!
thank you so much ive been playing electric guitar for 5 years and classical for 2 and all i did was move my thumb behind to my second finger and i can play so much quicker i have very big hands so it never came naturally to me because it felt strange but wow what an improvement
You're an amazing teacher.
Thank you! 😃
Many thanks, that was very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you very much, I really love your Videos and your method. I already downloaded the PDF file, it's unbelievably useful for me "Even without Teacher" I am making afford.
Thank you again.
Best wishes from Hamburg, Germany
Glad you like them!
Youre awesome man
This is really great. Grazie infinite!
Glad you like it!
Thank you soooo much!!!
Glad it helped!
Wow you have the best videos. Thanks.
Glad you like them!
Great tips. Learned so much in those 15 minutes, and now I know why I was buzzing.
Glad it helped!
This explains why I have trouble. Thank you for this video.
Glad to help
The best, i understand just a little of inglish, but i can heart the perfecction
Excellent 👍🏼
Thank you 👍
*Thank you very much, one other thing in regards to the important playing close to the frets is to also use the gravity of your arm to focus just enough of the gravity on to your fingertips, the idea being that you are focusing all the energy towards the frets which will help lessen tension & achieve even more ease of play.*
Great tip!
your guitar neck is not facing up, so gravity is not an option to focus on your fingertips. btw, your arm has very little gravity, as its mass is pretty small. you are talking about the weight of your arm, but that is going in the wrong direction.
@@rohadtanyad8908the advice given there about the weight of the arm is often given. It reduces the need for thumb pressure on the neck which causes tension. Having said that I am in fact struggling to put this into practice myself. This is because I learned a bad habit years ago and developed a vice-like grip for barre chords. I'm trying to learn the weight of the arm technique. But everyone's hand is different and I'm not telling you what you should do, only trying to explain what was meant.
@@Purple_flower09 you are doing it wrong then. it's just physics. the weight of the arm is exerting force in the wrong direction. you certainly can't focus gravity onto your fingertips. i have a degree in classical guitar performance.
Thank you. Will like to check how does the finger curve over to the 1st & 6th string as most of the position are shown on the 3rd string
💯💢💥💫👌👍👏excellent lesson, tips, clear Camara, 👌 👏 👍 and diagrams help with angles, posture.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Thanks a lot for yout superb website, Bradford. Really high quality videos and material!
I used to play guitar some years ago but never took classical guitar lessons. Now I'm approaching this wonderful instrument thanks to your teachings. I feel it quite hard to keep the correct LH posture and keep the hand and forearm relaxed as I play. It feels rigid and lacks fluency in the hand dynamics. Unconsciously I tend to recover my usual incorrect posture to get fluent. I assume it's a matter of practice and patience in order to re-educate my LH posture. Am I right? Any specific tip?
Thanks in advance!
Im Struggling too its pretty good
Hello. When is your method book volume 3 coming?
Fun fact, this is also good for the electric guitar
Hi, I must say, you are the best teacher I've found on youtube, and not just for classical guitar. After years of playing electric guitar (badly), I sort of stopped playing guitar and for the last 4 years I have been mainly focusing on the bagpipes. However, fairly recently I bought an acoustic guitar, and that rekindled my love for that instrument. Your lessons have also been an inspiration. My question is: how much of what you teach for classical (esp. in terms of technique) is actually transferable for the acoustic guitar? Is there anything I definitely cannot transfer and should be careful about? I try to play mainly Celtic/Nordic trad or medieval/renaissance inspired stuff (so no blues/jazz/country etc.). Thanks!
I think the general 'ideas' are very translatable. However, the neck size is different and smaller on steel-string which allows for a slightly different holding of the neck in the left hand. I think my videos can be helpful for solving specific problems but just make sure you watch lots of professional steel string players and realize the slight differences.
Question: Should the thumb be floating in the air as you move up and down the strings, or should the thumb be anchored or resting on one of the base strings when not in use?
But what about a peace like “Preludio en Do Menor” by Agustin Barrios. This peace is beautiful, however my barre chords tend to buzz like crazy and when I apply more pressure my thumb starts to hurt immensely. Please help me find a solution!
Thanks a lot for this video! I picked up the guitar a few years ago without really knowing what I was doing and after watching this video, I realise that I have tons of bad habits. The most noticeable is probably that I "grip" the neck with my palm instead of just placing my left thumb at the back. Do you have any tips for correcting this?
It's a long process, do a little easy technique at the start of each practice to encourage the fingers and hand position for the rest of the session. Also, this is for classical guitar specifically, steel-string is different of course.
Hi! I was not happy with my left hand technique, so decided to re-visit your video. During the video, i started to wonder if I had the guitar at the proper angle, when viewed from the player. Can you please confim how many strings i should see at the left hand end and the right hand end of the fret board e.g. should i just see the sixth string. Great resource. Making my way through your Method Book 1, together with another well known Method Book. They compliment each other very well.
Everyone is a bit different in this regard. From a teacher or textbook point of view I'd recommend being on the side of only seeing the 6th string from the left hand view, so having the guitar pretty upright. But everyone is a bit different in terms of body type and guitar angle so I don't want to give too strict of an answer. A big problem for beginners is that they want to see all the strings so they can visually see where to put the fingers. With good technique this is not needed later on. Use my advice as a general guide but don't overthink it, you'll be correcting it as you go and making lots of small adjustments as the music becomes more demanding.
@@Thisisclassicalguitar Bradley, many thanks for your feedback, especially the part about overthinking.
great video. my pinky seems to wanna be far from the string. any tips? thanks!
I'm not a teacher but I do know that the flying pinky problem is common and the only solution is to train it over time to stay close to the string.
Hi. I'm having trouble with my left thumb. My body position is correct, according to your diagrams. My right hand is relaxed and in the correct position as well. My left wrist is straight, although not rigid. I'm playing on the tips of my fingers. My thumb, though, hurts, not matter which way I tweak the position. You say it should be behind the second finger. It is. Yet it's not rigid. My teacher, a good teacher and fine player, does not know what to tell me. So what do I do? Something is off, but I can't identify it--and meanwhile the muscle under my thumb HURTS.
Your guitar is beautiful and very clean. What do you use to clean it?
I generally don't clean it, maybe the occasional wipe down with a microfibre cloth. However, I always keep it in the case when not playing so it doesn't really get dusty ever.
A note completely unrelated what what is being illustrating here, but something I have wished to see: your strings seem really high off the fretboard, maybe over 5 mm at the 12th fret. This is especially noticable at about the 11:05 point in the video. I sort of complain if a guitar I play has even 4 mm. Maybe I'm more cut out for a flamenco guitar 🙂
Part of that has to do with the level of the player. People who want to play in concert halls or in ensembles have to dig in quite hard so the action has to be high enough so it doesn't buzz when playing forte. So, lots of pro players will have high action compared to a student model.
I used to play acoustic guitar and I try and try but I can't keep my wrist straight any recommendation???
The default position is not up on the finger tips. That's a fairly tense position that over extends the first finger from the big knuckle joint. There are times when you need to be in that position, but most of the time you don't. ua-cam.com/video/MwNJ2It-Pc8/v-deo.html
02:30 09:30
Thanks for your excellent advice. I have specific question:
I am designing a system for 'jazz' on the banjola - (Irish mandola body with a 5 string banjo neck), including positions etc. The span between frets are similar to the guitar, though the neck is not as wide (distance between strings is smaller). I'm applying classical guitar technique to the left land. And here's my question: Is it ok for the left pinky and ring fingers to skip a fret occasionally, i.e. spanning 3 frets? My arpeggios tend to occasionally do this, though I don't see many people doing this. I noticed it's somewhat difficult to keep the thumb relaxed in this situation.
Lots of electric and jazz methods use that stretch but classical tends to keep to the 4 frets probably because we tend to be playing other notes at the same time and the stretch becomes impractical in actual repertoire. We usually combine another position and use squeeze shifts to smoothly get in and out of the position. Also just depends on the player, some people just can't handle the stretch, especially if their positions and technique aren't completely in order. But it's totally an acceptable solution on it's own.
Many thanks for that - very helpful to know. I've always admired the classical guitar with its uniquely soothing sound. Of course, mine is a different instrument, but thought it useful to base technique somewhat on one that has matured over time. I now will look at some studies to strengthen the LH fingers without stressing the thumb . Having the thumb in the right position already helps to alleviate a lot of the stress.
[EDIT] The 'left hand thumb' article at douglasniedt.com/lefthandthumb.html was very useful.
I'm curious as to why non classical guitarists such as Chet Atkins or Mark Knopfler when playing acoustic guitar don't have the guitar neck at a 45 degree angle. It doesn't seem to be detrimental to their playing so I wonder is it really necessary to hold the guitar neck at this angle when playing classical guitar? Thanks for posting your videos. I took up guitar nearly 3 years ago and your videos have been very helpful.
There's a lot of reasons but it's up to each player, the requirements of the music they play, and the instrument they play. Classical guitar is a bit different than steel-string in the fretboard size and string spacing. Also, the focus on fingerstyle for string spacing. This combo with the precision and difficulties of classical music make classical players aim for an optimal ergonomic position.
Do you press the strings against the force of your thumb which also keeps the guitar neck in place, or do you use little to no force on the thumb and simply fret with your fingers while keeping the guitar in place with the right forearm?
The guitar generally stays in place without either hand although the right forearm certainly helps. But I do not keep the guitar in place with the hands or contact on the strings at all. We need to be very relaxed when playing so the guitar must be stable without the involvement of the hands. This is done more through the guitar position. See all my lessons: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lessons/
This is Classical Guitar Thank you
what does "close to the fret" mean? I noticed the tip of your finger overlaps/touches the fret. should it not be just behind it and not touching it? must touch the fret?
It might look as though I'm over the fret but that is because some of the flesh covers up the view, if you actually get in there it won't be over but just as close as possible. As close as possible without going over is my advice.
Hi there, just a question about LH technique on the lower frets. This video mostly showed LH position in the middle of the fretboard, which I've never had trouble with. Where I run into issues is on the lower frets. I tend to find that the natural tendency of my hand is to pronate in the lower positions. This means that when I try to keep the knuckles parallel, it puts tension in my hand and wrist. I can resolve this by swinging the elbow outwards, but that grows quite tiring after a while too. What would you say about adjusting hand position all the way down the fretboard?
I would start with some technique exercises in upper positions and then gradually move to lower positions while maintaining good position. Also, make sure to also examine your posture and guitar position. By making small adjustments to your sitting position, guitar position, and hand position, you'll find a happy compromise.
Thanks for the reply
I am an adult with small hands. Since my fingers are shorter, I notice that I tend to bend my wrist more in order to avoid touching other strings on the fret board as I practice. I'm assuming that with practice my hand will become stronger/ more flexible at playing in the correct hand position so I don't feel the need to bend my wrist as much.
It has less to do with strength or flexibility and more to do with micro adjustments to your hands, fingers, guitar positions, footstool height and more. Maybe check out more of the lessons here: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lessons/
Having curved fingers contacting the string on tips (NOT pads) will help with this. For this to happen on the L.H., the thumb at the back needs to come up slightly over the main anchor finger on the fretboard. Anchor finger: the last held finger that is highest (horizontally) in the position you are playing. When you find yourself extending your wrist, bring awareness to your thumb at the back. Usually, but not always this is the case with beginner and sometimes intermediate beginner students. So in short, to curve your fingers raise your thumb accordingly for L.H. Hope this helps. And thank your for a great video @This is Classical Guitar
trying to change my bass Technique... can i use this in order to avoid injuries?
Electric bass?
Is it okay to sometimes collapse the knuckle? Sometimes you'll bar the three middle strings but want the others open.
As a generalized rule you want curvature at each knuckle/joint. There are oddities and special techniques at times but for general scale work you want a cup shape.
@@Thisisclassicalguitar Okay great thanks! I found your channel after some googling about wrist pain from classical guitar. I figured it was my technique so your video was very helpful. As soon as this pain lessens I'm gonna start practicing with these techniques. Thanks again!
My pinky is very small, if I have it curved, it won't reach the upper strings. What should I do? Thanks in advance!
My hands are small as well but even little kids can play guitar so it's all about positioning. Make sure your pinky knuckle/palm is very close to the neck of the guitar and have your palm/knuckles parallel with the strings .
I have already tried this (you showing it clearly in the video). I think my pinky is smaller than yours, but this alone is not an excuse I guess. Maybe it is a matter of flexibility.
I'll keep practicing. Thanks for the reply!
This whole buzz thing feels like such an epiphany to me. OmG I always hated the buzz sooooo much it's the one thing I can't stand and I always just pushed harder…
Why does my thumb feel so terrible when I do this? I never had trouble when putting guitar on my right leg. Now that I've switched to left leg or stand up my left arm is a mess, awkward and immobile. And my thumb constantly feels strained. Any help would be hugely appreciated.
Did you used to play steel-string, the neck profiles and style is quite different. You are likely using too much tension. Check out this lesson: www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/lesson-left-hand-tension-relaxation-exercises-guitar/
@@Thisisclassicalguitar Thank you very much mate. I really appreciate your getting back to me. I'll be sure to look at your vid. Thanks again
Unless this video is reversed, isn't he "strumming" with the right hand? Don't left handed guitar players use the left hand for that? Sorry, just a bit confused here.
hmmmm I need to cut my nails a bit shorter.