Guitar Technique: Left Hand Position

Left Hand Position for Guitar

Comments

This section is dedicated solely to the position of the left hand. Playing with your left hand should be effortless, or at least approaching effortless. There’s no need to strain exceedingly when you play. Now of course you’ll have to hit positions that require you to stretch beyond the normal position. But if your left hand is in its proper position you will require much less strain than if it is not. I’m going to go over four different positions that tend to occur with the left hand. I’ll also go over some possible problems you may be having and their respective causes. Hopefully we can eliminate some issues if you’re having any. And lastly we’ll talk about the mechanics of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist to understand how to play more efficiently.

The four positions

The Thumb Over

This position is commonly used in most styles aside from classical and flamenco. It is useful when bending strings especially, but can be helpful as well in some chord formations.

•Try to use as little of your thumb as possible when you reach over to press the string down. This reduces the torquing of the wrist.
• Try to reach with your thumb as opposed to pushing your wrist up to reach the string.
• Take note of the position of the wrist. Try to keep it as aligned as possible.

left hand guitar technique

The Vice Grip

Ease up there buddy. This is one you want to avoid. I’ve mentioned this in previous lessons but this photo shows you what the thumb looks like when you’re squeezing too hard.
• Note the fleshy part of the thumb. Try to make this part of your thumb as soft as possible, the more the tension the harder this muscle is.
• Notice the shape of the thumb. When your pressing it arches backwards, concave-like.

The Hitch-hiker

I find myself slipping into this position more than any of the others. For me it doesn’t cause any detriment to my technique because I keep my fingers and wrist in proper alignment. At least I try to be aware enough to keep them that way. The drawback is that it takes longer to move to move your thumb if need be to the thumb over or for barre chords. So it is better to try to stay in the next position as much as possible.

• Hand is still relaxed, and reach is still maximum if needing to
stretch the pinky and/or index.
• Wrist is not hyper-extended. It should stay slightly bent as shown.
See the space between the palm and the

The soft touch or the bottle

This is the position to shoot for as the reference point while you play.

• Hand is still relaxed, and reach is still maximum if needing to
stretch the pinky and/or index.
• Wrist is not hyper-extended. It should stay slightly bent as shown.
• Thumb, with the inside pad of it, is lightly touching the center of the
back of the neck.
• Thumb is relaxed and not concave as previously shown in the vice
grip. No unnecessary tension.
• Without the guitar, your hand should look as if it were holding a
bottle.

Possible problems and their causes

1. strings sound muted or buzzing
2. can’t articulate the notes
3. hitting too many unwanted notes
4. left wrist is uncomfortable or twisted
5. can’t reach the notes that I should be able to
6. left hand keeps cramping
7. joint are sore in my left hand

Wrist Finger issues:

Fingers are not perpendicular to the fretboard, they are either slanted towards the headstock or they are too straight. See the photos next page for correct finger position. Palm is raised to the back of the neck too much causing your joint at your fingers and hand to be too close to the fretboard.

Free Guitar eBook