Hey guys it's been awhile just wanted to share this link......

[drewrey2004]

Hey guys it's been awhile since I posted anything on here but been reading and wanted to say thanks for sharing all your experience with us beginner and intermediate players.

I've been having issues with technique since I started and I can definitely tell you the major obstacle to my playing is too much tension. When I play on Sundays at my church the first couple of songs are ok but inaccurate and then the next two or three my fretting hand is completely tired and starts to get painful. So I have been tirelessly searching on how to excercise both hands for ease of tension and I came across this site here: http://www.whyisuckatguitar.com/less...te-mess-part-1

I have compared what is taught here to what I see in guitarists like Paul Gilbert and it seems pretty identical. In my opinion Paul is almost always spot on with what he plays and feel he is insanely fast with his left hand.

Feel free to throw in thoughts and suggestions and let me know what you guys think. Again thanks for all your help Truefire family.

[robzebr]

Best explanation I've seen for this issue....

[Ravi TheRaviator]

Hey guys it's been awhile since I posted anything on here but been reading and wanted to say thanks for sharing all your experience with us beginner and intermediate players.

I've been having issues with technique since I started and I can definitely tell you the major obstacle to my playing is too much tension. When I play on Sundays at my church the first couple of songs are ok but inaccurate and then the next two or three my fretting hand is completely tired and starts to get painful. So I have been tirelessly searching on how to excercise both hands for ease of tension and I came across this site here: http://www.whyisuckatguitar.com/less...te-mess-part-1

I have compared what is taught here to what I see in guitarists like Paul Gilbert and it seems pretty identical. In my opinion Paul is almost always spot on with what he plays and feel he is insanely fast with his left hand.

Feel free to throw in thoughts and suggestions and let me know what you guys think. Again thanks for all your help Truefire family.

Hi!

Just watched the video that you linked to. He makes some very valid points about being aware of the tension, and the impact it has on your playing. Indeed, it isn't just what goes through your arms and hand, but tension throughout your body has an impact.

The key to all of this is, however, learning with good technique--something that isn't easy to learn on your own or without the guidance of a teacher offering you feedback. Guitar playing is not really a natural motion or position for your body anyway, so it's not just about playing in ways that you feel most relaxed, but rather, learning good playing techniques through which you will be able to relax while getting maximum output with minimum input. Does that make sense? What concerns me about videos like this is that what he says makes plenty of sense, but what he demonstrates in not ideal technique (in my opinion). For example, his thumb on his fretting hand would be better off not being parallel to the floor, but rather, pointing at the ceiling. Why? Try it, because you'll see that your pinky will stretch much farther without increasing the tension in your hand. I agree with him that it shouldn't curl in towards the center of your hand (claw-like), but the best place to put your thumb is vertical, pointing at the ceiling, about half way up the width of the neck, and approximately behind your middle (or index depending on your hand) finger...you get the most stretch with the least tension.

Also, imagine cradling an egg in your hand. In his demonstration, his wrist is high (even though he talks about not placing it high) and the base of his fingers are almost touching the bottom of the neck with his palm almost touching the back of the neck. This again reduces the ability to stretch and play with the tips of the fingers (you get the best tone and most clarity with the fingertips).

Then there is also his posture, angle of the guitar to his body, and his picking hand...all of which I teach differently in order to maximize the efficiency (the most strength and flexibility with the least amount of tension). Granted, different teachers approach things in different ways, and each player has to adapt his or her own body. But there are some basic techniques that are often ignored early on and lead to barriers down the road. I hate to see enthusiastic students fall into such traps, because it can take a long time to work your way out of them, and frustration could get the better of you.

Best, Ravi

[drewrey2004]

Hi!

Just watched the video that you linked to. He makes some very valid points about being aware of the tension, and the impact it has on your playing. Indeed, it isn't just what goes through your arms and hand, but tension throughout your body has an impact.

The key to all of this is, however, learning with good technique--something that isn't easy to learn on your own or without the guidance of a teacher offering you feedback. Guitar playing is not really a natural motion or position for your body anyway, so it's not just about playing in ways that you feel most relaxed, but rather, learning good playing techniques through which you will be able to relax while getting maximum output with minimum input. Does that make sense? What concerns me about videos like this is that what he says makes plenty of sense, but what he demonstrates in not ideal technique (in my opinion). For example, his thumb on his fretting hand would be better off not being parallel to the floor, but rather, pointing at the ceiling. Why? Try it, because you'll see that your pinky will stretch much farther without increasing the tension in your hand. I agree with him that it shouldn't curl in towards the center of your hand (claw-like), but the best place to put your thumb is vertical, pointing at the ceiling, about half way up the width of the neck, and approximately behind your middle (or index depending on your hand) finger...you get the most stretch with the least tension.

Also, imagine cradling an egg in your hand. In his demonstration, his wrist is high (even though he talks about not placing it high) and the base of his fingers are almost touching the bottom of the neck with his palm almost touching the back of the neck. This again reduces the ability to stretch and play with the tips of the fingers (you get the best tone and most clarity with the fingertips).

Then there is also his posture, angle of the guitar to his body, and his picking hand...all of which I teach differently in order to maximize the efficiency (the most strength and flexibility with the least amount of tension). Granted, different teachers approach things in different ways, and each player has to adapt his or her own body. But there are some basic techniques that are often ignored early on and lead to barriers down the road. I hate to see enthusiastic students fall into such traps, because it can take a long time to work your way out of them, and frustration could get the better of you.

Best, Ravi

Good input ravi thank. I like the fretting hand thumb topic. I was having difficulty stretching the pinky out the way he shows it and also would have problems barring chords with the thumb that way also.

[drewrey2004]

Also wanted to ask what's proper technique when covering a five fret scale on one string?
Example I'm starting to use the caged system scale in the A form and strings 6, 5, 4, and 1 cover five frets. I'm playing that with my 1st, 3rd, and 4th fingers and can't seem to keep my thumb consistently up towards the ceiling without creating so much tension. It feels so unnatural and tires me out pretty fast.