0:02 probably the best lesson I ever had on left hand position. You have saved my enthusiasm. I’m 82 years old and loving it, playing guitar I mean not being 82.
Subscribed. I can't believe in all my years of playing ('78 to present. I'm 71 years old), no one showed me how improperly I was holding my left hand, especially given the fact I so often complained of being too slow/struggling with legato/hammer-ons/pull-offs). I was placing my thumb in the OPPOSITE direction you recommend, stretched toward the headstock. My fingers were fighting the weight/muscles in my hand .As soon as I finished your video, I grabbed a guitar and the speed with which I'm able to do the afore-mentioned techniques is night and day. I'm embarrassed that after all these years I couldn't have figured this out on my own, at least by observation, but thank you so much. Practice will begin this evening with a completely new approach.
Sorry that you trained yourself improperly for so many years. This guy is not producing anything useful. I tried it and thought it was a joke. Fingers MUST be arched for a clean and accurate sound, whether electric or acoustic. Watch Jeff Beck. Flat finger position equals sloppy sound. Maybe faster, but sounds like turds.
@@TUBEORATER I only referenced thumb placement. Having it stretched toward the headstock wasn't helpful for me, but pulling it in, was. I was taught to use the tips of my fingers, though, and doing otherwise didn't work for me, either.
@@TUBEORATER interesting, so you're advocating not to do what Max is recommending? My guitar teacher was trained at Berkley and I remember him always referring to players that held that "slanted angle" with the thumb higher than than middle of the neck as "party players" and as students of his we were admonished for doing it. Now this was also not classical guitar lessons, we were learning blues scales with this rule in mind. After watching this video I questioned whether not he was wrong after all these years and the thumb up (barring the top strings for e shaped bar chords a la Hendrix and Vaughan is indeed the better way to play. I'm left a little confused as I find it also does feel and sound a bit sloppier playing this way,.
@steelingmonroe Old school guitar teachers say to never use your left thumb to mute the low e. I've seen countless really famous players muting with the thumb. There is no cardinal rule as long as you can play without sounding like a 3 year old. The neck should be in your thumb pocket and your thumb moves behind the neck for proper leverage depending on the chord position. Your thumb has much less squeeze power as you bring it towards the little finger. Test it on yourself.
I am 65 yrs old. A self taught lefty playing right handed guitars. Playing since 1973 ..... I have started taking lessons on guitar sites in the last 5 years or so. Tring to learn how to play Blues. Your lesson in this video is THE BEST 22 minute lesson I have EVER SEEN. This is GUITAR GOLD ...... THANK YOU
Absolutely a game changer for me. At 79-years-of-age (been playing since 18) that is the best lesson ever. I do not read music, never studied the language, although I do enjoy the guitar (s)
I'm 54, and I've learned on my own. I have 40 something years of doing it... and I just realize that I make all of the mistakes you mentioned here!!! I'm amazed, that finally someone could explain things that seems logic now, but never occurred to me to fix. Thanks a lot! you're a great teacher. Best regards from Bolivia
Moving my thumb so that it is placed in the middle of the chord being fingered made an instant improvement in my capacity to properly sound all of the strings. I have always had a problem sounding the first string on A shape barre chords. Following your tip, the problem is gone. Thanks so much! Also, many teachers advise rotating the index finger slightly for barre chords. None of them described how to do that in a natural way, as you did. I am a lifelong teacher (not guitar). Your teaching is extremely effective. Well done!
Wow! Three minutes into the video and you’ve already healed my note deadening! Never heard anyone ever mention the creases of my fingers would be the reason for dead notes. My thumb was also WAY off! Fixed now! I’ve played since I was 14. I’m almost 61 now. Thank you!! Subscribed!!
Makes a great deal of sense. I'm 77 yrs old and have some pains in my hands after 60+ years of playing. I'm gonna try to concentrate on some of your advice. Thanks!
I'm 74, played my first gig in 1974, and I'm still gigging every Friday night. I can't believe how much I learned from this video . Now, can I have that gorgeous Guild you're playing ?? I don't know what model it is but I gotta have one. Anyway, thanks. Surprisingly helpful!
I have the same exact model. Guild F 65 CE. These were made in USA before the company was sold and moved production overseas. Mine was purchased in 2001 for My 50th birthday. A thin body acoustic with an oval sound hole, and a thin fast neck, that plays great.
I’m a self taught guitarist, although I’ve been professional mandolin lessons for 10 years. What amazing advice I stumbled upon when I caught your video! I’m 68 years old and my hands will cramp. Never knew this. Just thought it was old age. THANK YOU!
You are the only one that has mentioned my biggest roadblocks to playing barre chords . I have big hands with short stubby fingers my index finger is crooked and twists inward making it imposible to make a clean barre chord. Two of the creases in my index finger fit perfectly over the B string and the D string. Ive tried to fill the gaps with band aids tape put the cut off glove finger. Nothing works. I can form the chords perfectly well but I get just muted strings. I am going to try all of your methods . Taking the time to help out myself and fellow guotar plyers is very nice of you. I live with what God has given me, and am eternally grateful for having hands at all .But I would be dissingenuos if I didnt admit to a little envious of those long elegant fingers so many players have. I am a bass player by trade since 1967 and my hands fit perfectly on my '72 pbass. But I love playing six string for my own enjoyment. Hopefully I can enjoy it more using your teachings . Allthe best Cheers
Been playing 40+ years, and added 3 of these to my practice list because "oh yeah, i forgot" LOL. ...but dude IMO way over-explained. i had to double speed through it. coulda been an awesome 5 minute lesson. Peace.
This lesson should be learned before any chord, scale, or technique. Looking forward to applying these hacks to save aches and pains, as well as improve playing ability
Wo !! I startrd playing guitar and 4 string electric bass since 1974. There was no internet, a good teacher or books on guitar were rare, almost absent. Barr' chords and one finger for one fret on up the neck on bass both made me to play the way you you say ac crow claw with wrist at 90 deg inwards. With age the flexibility of muscle and joints diminishes and I ended up with severe "Typist wrist, carpet tunnel and bla bla bla syndromes" Now by your highly analytical and educative post I know what and when it went wrong. Now at the age of 64 years I am not sure whether the amount of destruction I induced upon can be nullified but surely I can stop budding guitarist and bassist from running into frustration and pain. A big thanks to you my dear friend.
I agree with so many others here. This is truly the best segment and advice I've ever had about how to hold and use your left hand when playing. I'm a solid intermediate player, mostly self-taught with the help of other players and friends... going on 40 years now. I've never had anyone give me these VERY LOGICAL and HELPFUL tips. Over the years I've still found myself trying to tweak how I was chording and playing, but these points never came to mind. Often, as you've said, we do the opposite of what we need to do! Crazy, right! Anyway, thanks SO MUCH for this and I'll subscribe and keep learning from you to extend my skills and joy in playing. What a gift you've given me and so many others! Blessings.
I am self teaching myself with the help of RUclips. In the process have watched 1000's of videos, and struggled with Barr cords a lot. I can now get it right most of the time. This is the first time I have seen anyone mention position of the thumb, and just tried it. Wow, it works great, every time. Thank you. Just subscribed too.
@tonyn1926 If you can play lead and rithym on Boston "smokin" & Journey "don't stop believing" You have nothing to be concerned about. Steely Dan reeling in the years is a bit tougher, but go for it.
I really appreciate your video. Unfortunately I have arthritis in both hands. Been playing for 20 years now. Putting my thumb in the centre, just hurts too much. But the big take away from this, is the " lite touch". I was pressing the strings down harder than I should. No one has ever mentioned thus before. Now, my left hand is more relaxed and getting good results. Thanks heaps !!!
I've been playing for 60+ years and none of my teachers showed me how thumb position and rolling the barre finger take a lot of pressure off the barre chords. Now I can't practice enough to make a difference. I'll definitely be checking this out.
Dude: This is by far the best instruction on how to hold your left hand. I loved it!!! I hope I can break some old habits and be able to stretch farther than I currently do .
"You;ve lost that locking feeling, Woah, that locking feeling..." As a self-taught guitarist, I worked out some of these just because it was so uncomfortable using the hand positions in my "Teach Yourself Guitar" book. Watching your explanations of why this is so helps me get an integrated picture. It also shows me why some of the things I have envied in watching the great guitarists are so difficult for me -- like the fluidity with which they play with their thumb higher over the finger board. So simple, yet so hard to work out if you have basically learnt to keep the thumb down. Arthritis threatens to bring my playing days to an end, but perhaps this old dog can still learn a couple of new tricks.
Max thank you so much for you fixes for your lefthand video. I am a 71-year-old who started at 16 and loves to play. I have been stuck for many years. Your suggestions on how to fix my left hand was like a lightning bolt. It simply explained why I haven't been able to move forward. Thank you so much.
A friend of mine (whos playing I have envied for decades) sent me this link half an hour ago. Ive learned more since then about why some things have been so hard than I have in the last ten years. Thank you!
I have been playing for 65 years. Took lots of lessons years ago. I play professionally. But nobody ever said anything about this Thumb thing. This makes my bar chords so much easier. Thank you!
I guess I am weird. My left hand does pretty much what I want it to. My problems almost always come down to right hand technique. Straight rhythm pick control is not a problem. Speed picking IS a problem, it never keeps up to my left hand, (without causing mistakes). And switching from rhythm, to a fast picking phrase, is also a failure of my right hand pick technique and control. The clip you showed of Benson is a great example of how a master does it right. I am no master, and need help. Any right hand picking tips?
This is excellent! I've been working to hold my left hand the wrong way for a loooong time. I thought what I was doing was "right" and that playing in a more comfortable way as you have shown us was me being lazy, yet I was confused due to watching professionals play in the "lazy" way. I assumed they were just so good and practiced that they could "get away with being lazy" when the truth is they have a reason for playing that way. Thanks.
So, happy I only got 4 out of 5 wrong😀 ...and that after 35 years of playing. Fortunately I haven't got flexible wrists...so that doesn't have to be corrected! Hope you reach lots of beginners with your lesson! Thanks a lot!
I am a keyboard player and do struggle getting good clean barre chords. The wrist twist technique of moving your thumb towards the guitar body immediately cleaned up my sound. when I first started playing piano my first instructor did not really focus on technique at all. My second instructor did a little technique work but focused more on reading and playing the right notes. My third instructor totally focused on technique and identified all of the bad habits I had picked up in my training. I wish they had all focused on technique because good technique made me faster, more accurate and enabled me to really make huge improvements. The barre chore technique is so simple yet within seconds gave me clean sounding chords. And I have been playing a guitar song with a Bm in it and have played the chord progression hundreds of times and was still not satified with that chord and using the leverage was all it took. I just subscribed!
Great! many thanks- I'm going to be super conscious of keeping my thumb "in the middle". An answer to many errors. 66yrs old, self taught, love the blues
Thanks for the video. I have been searching the internet for a while, trying to get info on correct placement and use of my left hand when playing guitar. I have even sent video and photos to guitar teachers online asking why i was feeling pain in my wrist and what i was doing wrong. This is the best video on the subject i have found. Thankyou. Question though, when playing or practicing scales, do you still have your fingers at an angle or are they held more like the classical style? Also many guitar teachers suggest that the guitar should be played verticaly with the neck horizontle to the ground, and NOT tilted upwards towards you. Sadly I am a bit of a fatty and my stomache makes it dificult to play it vertically without having to bend over uncomfortably, hurting my back. I find playing while standing is easier than whilst sitting, but not as comfortable. When sitting I try to play with a guitar strap, and with the neck slightly angled like a classical guitarist and tilt the bottom of the guitar upwards. Can you advise if that is practicle or if there is a better way for me to play?
I've played the guitar for 63 years and have never found out what you have just shown me. Maybe now I can get rid of my left-hand cramp. Thank you Thank you Thank you. 😄
I take weekly lessons with Max online through Skype. He's just a great guy and I really look forward to each week. I've been trying to play guitar for about 50 years and have been able to learn many songs from chord sheets and individual online song lessons but I never learned how I could adapt my playing to jam with other people and I never really liked the way my playing sounded. He's deconstructing how I play so I can correct all the bad habits I established during my first fifty years and in three short months I'm now learning how to play songs in different keys all over the fret board to suit my voice. In other words he making me a musician instead of a parrot. It has been humbling to discover that after playing for fifty years I really didn't learn much but at least I'm learning now and I'll be ready for Carnegie Hall by the time I'm 80. Seriously, if you want to learn how to figure out the guitar, be able to go anywhere and fit in musically with good players, and just broaden your entire experience, I just can't recommend Max highly enough.
You are a genius sir.. the funny thing is that i was just starting to discover these correct techniques for myself after 57 years.. im 70 and started playing at the age of 13... thank you so much Max i cant express how appreciative i am that you took the time to put together such an incredible video.... warmest regards David
Subscribed also. Sixty years ago, I took classical guitar lessons. A dropped wrist is what I remember and just today I was emphasizing that in my practice! Yikes it just makes sense to me to train with a straighter wrist. Kudos for this video! Thank you
@@MaxRichMusiccan you do a show on how to counter the affects of finger nails preventing you from fretting. Also, are people who naturally have no fingernails better at playing guitar.
I am ‘new’ to guitars and watching You Tubes has helped me figure out how to play and watching different Instructors, see some of the BAD habits some of the instructors are teaching!! VERY GOOD “Don’t do this” Video👍
I taught myself to play when I was 13 years old and I always wondered why my hands/wrist/fingers hurt. I thought it was normal to feel that way. I have been making every one of those mistakes. I can`t wait to use your methods and see the results. Thank You for posting the best tutorial on you tube. I will subscribe
Outstanding information! I thought my picking was slowing down because of me getting into my 50's and too many years of carpentry and stone work, but your teaching has given me new guitar life this week. THANK YOU.
Thanks you for this! Excellent presentation.I've been playing 50+ years- did it professionally in younger years. In recent years have been having trouble with some chords(especially barre chords) and chalked it up to aging hands but suspected it was also bad habits from earlier years when youth was on my side and more forgiving. I stumbled on your video and very glad I did. It's tough to break old habits but good for my old brain, so thanks again!
Thanks. I’ve had guitars for years and have never had time to sit down and learn proper technique, but I recently inherited a Guild 12 string Jumbo. So I’m going back and learning on my old 6 string until I get accustomed to playing the correct way. I’m glad after years that I stumbled across this. Some people move waay too fast for beginners to follow in real time and then they gloss over or completely skip technique such as you’ve explained here. This is the stuff most of us beginners are looking for. I’d love to see a basic video on setting up your guitar, and left hand exercises.
I started playing way back, for many years. Then a long hiatus and finally got back into it about 4 years ago. These tips are spot on and thankfully have worked all of these out (not completely because there’s always, always room for improvement) with the help of an excellent teacher. Now, at 50 yrs old, am playing better and more confidently than I ever was. Great video. Have a great day!🤘🏼
Same comments here as others have started. Been playing for over 50 years and will make some of the changes. Especially the placement of the thumb. Thanks for teaching an old dog new tricks!
This is simply an AWESOME left-hand technique tutorial. I have been doing every single improper left-hand position you showed. Perhaps it is because I started on classical guitar (with long right hand fingernails & everything), where all rock playing was regarded as "inferior" & beneath us superior nose-in-the air sight-reading clASSical players. I slummed it anyways and picked up a pick & started rockin', not really thinking much about hand & finger positioning. Then a couple of years ago I broke both of my wrists. My left wrist was PULIVERIZED. Many of the individuals bones became a giant, inflexible "super" bone. Playing felt like my wrist was being crushed. The pain from something like carpal tunnel syndrome feels like a warm, soothing bath in comparison. At first one second of playing was unbearable. I have made a lot of progress. I can now play for about 30 minutes before the white-hot blow-torch of pain forces my playing to stop. I press on, but I can no-longer bend my wrist, or position my fingers, into any of the shapes or configurations I used to be able to effortlessly form. Even basic stuff, like barre chords, are miserable torture & feel totally foreign. I have no finesse and zero speed. It's worse than starting from scratch, but I press on, and CURSE my orthopedic surgeon continually. He says I'll never get any better than I am now. Blah, blah, blah. What does he know. He's a golfer, not a guitar player. The stuff you demonstrate would feel strange & foreign even if I hadn't busted my wrists. It feels like I have the wrists of some E.T. implanted between my fingers & forearm when I try the finger/wrist positions you show. I'm going to force your positions into my limbs. What choice do I have? I can't play like I used to anyways. I don't know if I'll make any progress at all, but I probably will. I'm stubborn that way. I am doing EVERYTHING as if I am brand new to playing, but haunted by the memory of what I used to be able to do. I mean EVERYTHING. Neck scale-length, string brands, pick brands, pick techniques, straps, how high I'm holding the guitar, the degree of neck tilt along the X/Y & Z axis, action, body position, even amp types & settings. I'm talking EVERYTHING. Your tips fit right into this attempted rebirth. My only other choice is to abandon playing. Or perhaps switch to ukulele. I don't really consider these viable options. I have a dozen of so electric guitars, and taking up ukulele would just be too humiliating. Hopefully none of my gear will show up on Reverb until after I'm six feet under, busted arthritic wrists & all. So, that's what I struggle with. A non-functioning body with the memories of reasonable fluidity cascading through my brain while I stiffly try to coax the simplest of tunes out of my hands & instruments. Thanks for the video. It is excellent and you have done a truly superlative job putting it together. Great content, excellent production, sincerity, the works. I don't deserve it, but hopefully it'll do me some good anyways. Cheers.
Wow, there's so much to this. Appreciate your calm demeanor and attention to detail. I've found I have the least tension if I place my thumb behind the high B and E strings at the back of the neck. This also seems to allow for the straightest wrist. That said, after what you said about thumb position being mid-hand and even above the neck's low E string, and at the end of the video, about the position of the guitar neck itself, I'll be doing some experimenting. Thanks.
Max! Great advice, as I am turning 68 on November 26th, my ligaments, bones joints...you get it, are very susceptible to all these things. I have been playing now for 6 years and mostly self taught. I had a great young instructor in 2018 when I began, then COVID struck. Yes! I have developed some terrible habits and just kept playing and hoping that they would go away. Nope, that's why they are called habits. Max, you have made me stop and consciously think about and act on this process before it becomes debilitating. Subscribed and Liked! I appreciate your efforts sir! Peace ☮
Recently retired guy here. Just found your channel. Talk about perfect timing because I will need many hours to watch every video you have and practice what you are showing us. Can’t remember the last time I was this excited about picking up the guitar and learning and improving. Thanks
Thank you sir! I'm 65 and just bought my first accoustic. Really struggling getting both hands to do the right thing at the same time. When the left is correct the right is amiss, and vice-versa. Plus the left wrist has been very uncomfortable (I broke it 40 years ago). Can't wait to experiment with the advice in this vid.
Thank You. I have never heard this anywhere else. This video has helped me immensely. I was making every mistake you mentioned. I'm going to re- watch the video several times.😊
Very nicely done! I'm self-taught, and an alternate point of view that affects thumb placement is to think of your middle and ring fingers as the center of your hand, with index and pinky as extras to supplement what the middle two fingers are doing. The index is so dominant in other facets of life that beginning with it seems natural, but it's a hard mindset to escape. But anyway, thanks for the great instructions!
Thanx Max, I've tried to play guitar for several times, even had lessons, but nobody pointed out what you Just did! I actually think I might try-out your instructions and maybe persevere towards joy and getting further a bit.
Really helpful tips! The part about reducing finger pressure on the string was great. That and the wrist rotation for barre chords was a game changer! Thanks.
By golly... I grabbed the old guitar and tried these things, and the increase in technique was miraculous! What brilliant analysis! Thank you, AL hey.. beautiful old guild!
Very interesting stuff! I’ve been playing guitar for about 60 years and have learned most of the things that you’ve covered here the hard way. I hope that loads of young players get to watch this video, it’ll really help them to progress much faster and get more enjoyment from their playing.
I have all these problems and i play for 20 years now lol. Im glad i listen to this vid right now cause my wrist is killing me these days. I guess the last problem is my worst problem of em all. Thankyou so much. Ill work my way out of that crap now!
Great explaino. Learning comes from the underlying why, physiology, not just do this or do that. , thank you for explaining, making a world of difference in my guitar studies. I'm an accomplished pianist transitioning to guitar and I'm loving it. Hand movements are completely opposite. However. Thank goodness I have the theory. Thank you so much. Always good job
OMG...you solved my biggest issue in the 5-6 years I've been playing in first segment...my finger always seem to be too high on my E string barre chords and I had just resolved that that's was what it was going to be and learned to navigate around it...definitely can't wait until I get home to try this and see if it makes a difference...thank you so much, Max 👊🏾🎸🔥
Great summary of all these issues. I'll be sharing this with my students. FWIW, I found the guitar support pads, like ones made by Oasis, are convenient for practice with either electric, acoustic or classical guitars, getting a good neck angle, and remaining relaxed with both feet flat on the floor (better for the back than a foot stool). The pad goes on my left leg (for playing right handed), bout between the legs, like a classical position. Cheers
I needthe above so bad! I played a little folk music 40 years ago and having difficulty just trying to do that. Had a trial guitar lesson on single note twinkle twinkle because I was unable to demonstrate what I did in the past. SO I just worked on my own making the mistakes you addressed. I think I could benefit from a " how to hold the Classic acoustic guitar"lesson.
🤔I've never thought of it like this. I always thought whatever feels best works but I'm going to use this and see if it improves the clarity in my playing, thanks
Nice tip #1! My thumb is usually positioned behind my middle finger or a bit further in -- I'm already a bassist and past the intermediate plateau -- unLESS I'm so busing fretting the rest of the chord that it kind of creeps behind my index finger. A "why" is really good for those situations when you know what good form is, but you drift out of it because you're trying something unfamiliar -- in my case, it's using my finger tips and not padding the frets, and the chord is a barred Gmaj#9 (it's not in my big book of chords: it's a non standard voicing the Beatles use in Ticket to Ride) and I keep muting the D-string with my ring finger which is planted on the A-string. Everything is just scaled weird. Getting a 25.5 scale guitar to replace my 24" Mustang helped a BIT, but mostly on the tiny frets. But I can do campfire strumming!! Who wants to hear _Movin' on Up_ again? _You've Got to Hid Your Love Away_ ? Anyone?
WOW! I've been a guitarist for almost 50 years and I never new tips 1 & 2. I Watched this during a break in a session yesterday. Just those two tips made an immediate difference in my playing! I have developed nerve issues in both hands due to some injuries I sustained in an accident when I was still touring in the '80's. I've been working on exercises to help reduce the restriction in my hands and fingers and I learned the final tip some time ago. I agree with you, that is a massive cause of trouble when it comes to guitar playing. Thanks so much for this video!
There's a problem with that bar rotation approach that classical players know all too well: When your thumb is shifted up the neck to get more rotational leverage on the first finger, the remaining fingers have less freedom to move. That's not a problem for most rock and rhythm guitarists whose goal is to merely play the bar chord with static fingers, but it is a problem for classical players and jazz musicians who need to move those other fingers while simultaneously holding the bar. Try playing a scale with the remaining fingers while holding the bar.
Good content. I just started extending my wrist and was feeling discomfort. My ignorance said ‘no pain no gain”. I really appreciate your expertise. Thanks.
My struggle is strumming patterns. I get so lost in the middle and forget where I am. Especially when I’m trying to focus on chord shapes and the notes with my left hand. Great video, really helpful stuff!
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
0:02 probably the best lesson I ever had on left hand position. You have saved my enthusiasm. I’m 82 years old and loving it, playing guitar I mean not being 82.
I have taught for 25 years and teach all these concepts. But you have explained them so clearly and eloquently. Thank you!
Wow, thank you!
Subscribed. I can't believe in all my years of playing ('78 to present. I'm 71 years old), no one showed me how improperly I was holding my left hand, especially given the fact I so often complained of being too slow/struggling with legato/hammer-ons/pull-offs). I was placing my thumb in the OPPOSITE direction you recommend, stretched toward the headstock. My fingers were fighting the weight/muscles in my hand .As soon as I finished your video, I grabbed a guitar and the speed with which I'm able to do the afore-mentioned techniques is night and day. I'm embarrassed that after all these years I couldn't have figured this out on my own, at least by observation, but thank you so much. Practice will begin this evening with a completely new approach.
Sorry that you trained yourself improperly for so many years.
This guy is not producing anything useful.
I tried it and thought it was a joke.
Fingers MUST be arched for a clean and accurate sound, whether electric or acoustic.
Watch Jeff Beck.
Flat finger position equals sloppy sound. Maybe faster, but sounds like turds.
@@TUBEORATER I only referenced thumb placement. Having it stretched toward the headstock wasn't helpful for me, but pulling it in, was. I was taught to use the tips of my fingers, though, and doing otherwise didn't work for me, either.
@@TUBEORATER interesting, so you're advocating not to do what Max is recommending? My guitar teacher was trained at Berkley and I remember him always referring to players that held that "slanted angle" with the thumb higher than than middle of the neck as "party players" and as students of his we were admonished for doing it. Now this was also not classical guitar lessons, we were learning blues scales with this rule in mind. After watching this video I questioned whether not he was wrong after all these years and the thumb up (barring the top strings for e shaped bar chords a la Hendrix and Vaughan is indeed the better way to play. I'm left a little confused as I find it also does feel and sound a bit sloppier playing this way,.
@steelingmonroe
Old school guitar teachers say to never use your left thumb to mute the low e.
I've seen countless really famous players muting with the thumb.
There is no cardinal rule as long as you can play without sounding like a 3 year old.
The neck should be in your thumb pocket and your thumb moves behind the neck for proper leverage depending on the chord position.
Your thumb has much less squeeze power as you bring it towards the little finger. Test it on yourself.
@steelingmonroe
ruclips.net/video/vmyh_BTMHUA/видео.htmlsi=hjmgH8FYIAtUtGjO
Observe THE master.
I am 65 yrs old. A self taught lefty playing right handed guitars. Playing since 1973 ..... I have started taking lessons on guitar sites in the last 5 years or so. Tring to learn how to play Blues. Your lesson in this video is THE BEST 22 minute lesson I have EVER SEEN. This is GUITAR GOLD ...... THANK YOU
Hard to take you seriously with your Pamela Anderson Barbed wire tattoo ..:
@@BrianJohnson-cj8xf what done it for you ?
Was it the part he actually played guitar ?
I missed it
@@BrianJohnson-cj8xf WTH he never even played the guitar ???
Absolutely a game changer for me. At 79-years-of-age (been playing since 18) that is the best lesson ever. I do not read music, never studied the language, although I do enjoy the guitar (s)
I'm 54, and I've learned on my own. I have 40 something years of doing it... and I just realize that I make all of the mistakes you mentioned here!!! I'm amazed, that finally someone could explain things that seems logic now, but never occurred to me to fix. Thanks a lot! you're a great teacher. Best regards from Bolivia
Tu inglese es fenomenal , hola de Europe ... siga con la guitarra ...
Moving my thumb so that it is placed in the middle of the chord being fingered made an instant improvement in my capacity to properly sound all of the strings. I have always had a problem sounding the first string on A shape barre chords. Following your tip, the problem is gone. Thanks so much!
Also, many teachers advise rotating the index finger slightly for barre chords. None of them described how to do that in a natural way, as you did.
I am a lifelong teacher (not guitar). Your teaching is extremely effective. Well done!
I am 70 and just now finding this out?? Thank you, I learned a little. Thanks for the post. I'll subscribe with a smile.!!
I have been making every single one of those mistakes for over thirty years. Thanks for setting me straight
I've been playing (and largely avoiding bahr chords) since 1990. I can't believe I never learned this simple technique. I'm really grateful!
Wow! Three minutes into the video and you’ve already healed my note deadening! Never heard anyone ever mention the creases of my fingers would be the reason for dead notes. My thumb was also WAY off! Fixed now! I’ve played since I was 14. I’m almost 61 now. Thank you!! Subscribed!!
Playing guitar is just like magic, because no one is willing to tell you the secrets.😂😅
Makes a great deal of sense. I'm 77 yrs old and have some pains in my hands after 60+ years of playing. I'm gonna try to concentrate on some of your advice. Thanks!
I'm 75 and had drifted into all of these mistakes over the years. Thank you so very much.
I'm 74, played my first gig in 1974, and I'm still gigging every Friday night. I can't believe how much I learned from this video .
Now, can I have that gorgeous Guild you're playing ?? I don't know what model it is but I gotta have one. Anyway, thanks. Surprisingly helpful!
I have the same exact model. Guild F 65 CE. These were made in USA before the company was sold and moved production overseas. Mine was purchased in 2001 for My 50th birthday. A thin body acoustic with an oval sound hole, and a thin fast neck, that plays great.
It's the 'holding an apple' principe
I am a self taught 162 years old guitarist playing since 1802. THANK YOU
Impressive 😄
@LeonArt-x8c
Very impressive, but can you SLAP the bass?
@@TUBEORATER I can't. SLAP. The bass. EPIC. *Holy slap*
It's all about the pads.....
be respectful. You wear your inexperience in life in your anonymous response.
I’m a self taught guitarist, although I’ve been professional mandolin lessons for 10 years. What amazing advice I stumbled upon when I caught your video! I’m 68 years old and my hands will cramp. Never knew this. Just thought it was old age. THANK YOU!
You are the only one that has mentioned my biggest roadblocks to playing barre chords . I have big hands with short stubby fingers my index finger is crooked and twists inward making it imposible to make a clean barre chord. Two of the creases in my index finger fit perfectly over the B string and the D string. Ive tried to fill the gaps with band aids tape put the cut off glove finger. Nothing works. I can form the chords perfectly well but I get just muted strings. I am going to try all of your methods . Taking the time to help out myself and fellow guotar plyers is very nice of you. I live with what God has given me, and am eternally grateful for having hands at all .But I would be dissingenuos if I didnt admit to a little envious of those long elegant fingers so many players have. I am a bass player by trade since 1967 and my hands fit perfectly on my '72 pbass. But I love playing six string for my own enjoyment. Hopefully I can enjoy it more using your teachings . Allthe best Cheers
Been playing 40+ years, and added 3 of these to my practice list because "oh yeah, i forgot" LOL. ...but dude IMO way over-explained. i had to double speed through it. coulda been an awesome 5 minute lesson. Peace.
Best lesson for left-hand mistakes in guitar playing.
I'm a beginner, so good to learn the right way from the start. I will work at all your suggestions. Thank you.
This lesson should be learned before any chord, scale, or technique.
Looking forward to applying these hacks to save aches and pains, as well as improve playing ability
Wo !! I startrd playing guitar and 4 string electric bass since 1974. There was no internet, a good teacher or books on guitar were rare, almost absent. Barr' chords and one finger for one fret on up the neck on bass both made me to play the way you you say ac crow claw with wrist at 90 deg inwards. With age the flexibility of muscle and joints diminishes and I ended up with severe "Typist wrist, carpet tunnel and bla bla bla syndromes" Now by your highly analytical and educative post I know what and when it went wrong. Now at the age of 64 years I am not sure whether the amount of destruction I induced upon can be nullified but surely I can stop budding guitarist and bassist from running into frustration and pain. A big thanks to you my dear friend.
I agree with so many others here. This is truly the best segment and advice I've ever had about how to hold and use your left hand when playing. I'm a solid intermediate player, mostly self-taught with the help of other players and friends... going on 40 years now. I've never had anyone give me these VERY LOGICAL and HELPFUL tips. Over the years I've still found myself trying to tweak how I was chording and playing, but these points never came to mind. Often, as you've said, we do the opposite of what we need to do! Crazy, right! Anyway, thanks SO MUCH for this and I'll subscribe and keep learning from you to extend my skills and joy in playing. What a gift you've given me and so many others! Blessings.
I am self teaching myself with the help of RUclips. In the process have watched 1000's of videos, and struggled with Barr cords a lot. I can now get it right most of the time. This is the first time I have seen anyone mention position of the thumb, and just tried it. Wow, it works great, every time. Thank you. Just subscribed too.
@tonyn1926
If you can play lead and rithym on
Boston "smokin" &
Journey "don't stop believing"
You have nothing to be concerned about.
Steely Dan reeling in the years is a bit tougher, but go for it.
I really appreciate your video.
Unfortunately I have arthritis in both hands.
Been playing for 20 years now.
Putting my thumb in the centre, just hurts too much.
But the big take away from this, is the " lite touch".
I was pressing the strings down harder than I should.
No one has ever mentioned thus before.
Now, my left hand is more relaxed and getting good results.
Thanks heaps !!!
Thanks for this. Wrist curve from tilting the guitar to see fret board is my curse. Mobility from a flat wrist feels much better now.
me too at times
I've been playing for 60+ years and none of my teachers showed me how thumb position and rolling the barre finger take a lot of pressure off the barre chords. Now I can't practice enough to make a difference. I'll definitely be checking this out.
Dude: This is by far the best instruction on how to hold your left hand. I loved it!!! I hope I can break some old habits and be able to stretch farther than I currently do .
"You;ve lost that locking feeling,
Woah, that locking feeling..."
As a self-taught guitarist, I worked out some of these just because it was so uncomfortable using the hand positions in my "Teach Yourself Guitar" book.
Watching your explanations of why this is so helps me get an integrated picture. It also shows me why some of the things I have envied in watching the great guitarists are so difficult for me -- like the fluidity with which they play with their thumb higher over the finger board. So simple, yet so hard to work out if you have basically learnt to keep the thumb down.
Arthritis threatens to bring my playing days to an end, but perhaps this old dog can still learn a couple of new tricks.
Max thank you so much for you fixes for your lefthand video. I am a 71-year-old who started at 16 and loves to play. I have been stuck for many years. Your suggestions on how to fix my left hand was like a lightning bolt. It simply explained why I haven't been able to move forward. Thank you so much.
A friend of mine (whos playing I have envied for decades) sent me this link half an hour ago. Ive learned more since then about why some things have been so hard than I have in the last ten years. Thank you!
I have been playing for 65 years. Took lots of lessons years ago. I play professionally. But nobody ever said anything about this Thumb thing. This makes my bar chords so much easier. Thank you!
I guess I am weird. My left hand does pretty much what I want it to. My problems almost always come down to right hand technique. Straight rhythm pick control is not a problem. Speed picking IS a problem, it never keeps up to my left hand, (without causing mistakes). And switching from rhythm, to a fast picking phrase, is also a failure of my right hand pick technique and control. The clip you showed of Benson is a great example of how a master does it right. I am no master, and need help. Any right hand picking tips?
Wish someone had shown me all this 20 years ago. But better late then never. Great stuff. Thanks.
Don't worry, I promise you will forget. I have, every time I learned this trick. Write it in graffiti on your guitar.😂
This is excellent! I've been working to hold my left hand the wrong way for a loooong time. I thought what I was doing was "right" and that playing in a more comfortable way as you have shown us was me being lazy, yet I was confused due to watching professionals play in the "lazy" way. I assumed they were just so good and practiced that they could "get away with being lazy" when the truth is they have a reason for playing that way. Thanks.
Thanks, you pack a whole lot of guitar wisdom into 22 minutes.. This was genuinely helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Max - the best online lesson I have ever seen - I've been playing since I was 10, I'm now 61 - simply brilliant, thank you. Subscribed.
So, happy I only got 4 out of 5 wrong😀 ...and that after 35 years of playing. Fortunately I haven't got flexible wrists...so that doesn't have to be corrected! Hope you reach lots of beginners with your lesson! Thanks a lot!
Such a great tips. No one ever pointed at those mistakes, thank you sir
I am a keyboard player and do struggle getting good clean barre chords. The wrist twist technique of moving your thumb towards the guitar body immediately cleaned up my sound. when I first started playing piano my first instructor did not really focus on technique at all. My second instructor did a little technique work but focused more on reading and playing the right notes. My third instructor totally focused on technique and identified all of the bad habits I had picked up in my training. I wish they had all focused on technique because good technique made me faster, more accurate and enabled me to really make huge improvements. The barre chore technique is so simple yet within seconds gave me clean sounding chords. And I have been playing a guitar song with a Bm in it and have played the chord progression hundreds of times and was still not satified with that chord and using the leverage was all it took. I just subscribed!
Great! many thanks- I'm going to be super conscious of keeping my thumb "in the middle". An answer to many errors. 66yrs old, self taught, love the blues
Thank you so much, best lesson evwr. I am 54, luckily frustration and pain did force me to stay more in the way you showed
Thanks for the video. I have been searching the internet for a while, trying to get info on correct placement and use of my left hand when playing guitar. I have even sent video and photos to guitar teachers online asking why i was feeling pain in my wrist and what i was doing wrong. This is the best video on the subject i have found. Thankyou. Question though, when playing or practicing scales, do you still have your fingers at an angle or are they held more like the classical style? Also many guitar teachers suggest that the guitar should be played verticaly with the neck horizontle to the ground, and NOT tilted upwards towards you. Sadly I am a bit of a fatty and my stomache makes it dificult to play it vertically without having to bend over uncomfortably, hurting my back. I find playing while standing is easier than whilst sitting, but not as comfortable. When sitting I try to play with a guitar strap, and with the neck slightly angled like a classical guitarist and tilt the bottom of the guitar upwards. Can you advise if that is practicle or if there is a better way for me to play?
I've played the guitar for 63 years and have never found out what you have just shown me. Maybe now I can get rid of my left-hand cramp. Thank you Thank you Thank you. 😄
I take weekly lessons with Max online through Skype. He's just a great guy and I really look forward to each week. I've been trying to play guitar for about 50 years and have been able to learn many songs from chord sheets and individual online song lessons but I never learned how I could adapt my playing to jam with other people and I never really liked the way my playing sounded. He's deconstructing how I play so I can correct all the bad habits I established during my first fifty years and in three short months I'm now learning how to play songs in different keys all over the fret board to suit my voice. In other words he making me a musician instead of a parrot. It has been humbling to discover that after playing for fifty years I really didn't learn much but at least I'm learning now and I'll be ready for Carnegie Hall by the time I'm 80. Seriously, if you want to learn how to figure out the guitar, be able to go anywhere and fit in musically with good players, and just broaden your entire experience, I just can't recommend Max highly enough.
You are a genius sir.. the funny thing is that i was just starting to discover these correct techniques for myself after 57 years.. im 70 and started playing at the age of 13... thank you so much Max i cant express how appreciative i am that you took the time to put together such an incredible video.... warmest regards David
Subscribed also. Sixty years ago, I took classical guitar lessons. A dropped wrist is what I remember and just today I was emphasizing that in my practice! Yikes it just makes sense to me to train with a straighter wrist. Kudos for this video! Thank you
Thanks for the sub!
@@MaxRichMusiccan you do a show on how to counter the affects of finger nails preventing you from fretting. Also, are people who naturally have no fingernails better at playing guitar.
I am ‘new’ to guitars and watching You Tubes has helped me figure out how to play and watching different Instructors, see some of the BAD habits some of the instructors are teaching!! VERY GOOD “Don’t do this” Video👍
I taught myself to play when I was 13 years old and I always wondered why my hands/wrist/fingers hurt. I thought it was normal to feel that way. I have been making every one of those mistakes. I can`t wait to use your methods and see the results. Thank You for posting the best tutorial on you tube. I will subscribe
Outstanding information! I thought my picking was slowing down because of me getting into my 50's and too many years of carpentry and stone work, but your teaching has given me new guitar life this week. THANK YOU.
Say bye bye to barre chord dead notes ! Great lesson. Never too old to work on the fundamentals.
0:02 probably the best lesson I ever had on left hand position. You have saved my enthusiasm.
Thanks you for this! Excellent presentation.I've been playing 50+ years- did it professionally in younger years. In recent years have been having trouble with some chords(especially barre chords) and chalked it up to aging hands but suspected it was also bad habits from earlier years when youth was on my side and more forgiving. I stumbled on your video and very glad I did. It's tough to break old habits but good for my old brain, so thanks again!
You're very welcome!
Thanks. I’ve had guitars for years and have never had time to sit down and learn proper technique, but I recently inherited a Guild 12 string Jumbo. So I’m going back and learning on my old 6 string until I get accustomed to playing the correct way. I’m glad after years that I stumbled across this. Some people move waay too fast for beginners to follow in real time and then they gloss over or completely skip technique such as you’ve explained here. This is the stuff most of us beginners are looking for. I’d love to see a basic video on setting up your guitar, and left hand exercises.
Alot of these Yt lessons folks only pretend they want to teach, they want Patreon subscribers.
I started playing way back, for many years. Then a long hiatus and finally got back into it about 4 years ago. These tips are spot on and thankfully have worked all of these out (not completely because there’s always, always room for improvement) with the help of an excellent teacher. Now, at 50 yrs old, am playing better and more confidently than I ever was. Great video. Have a great day!🤘🏼
Really helpful, as I am just learning and never heard how simple these rules are -- thank you!
Same comments here as others have started. Been playing for over 50 years and will make some of the changes. Especially the placement of the thumb. Thanks for teaching an old dog new tricks!
Thanks for sharing!
This is simply an AWESOME left-hand technique tutorial. I have been doing every single improper left-hand position you showed. Perhaps it is because I started on classical guitar (with long right hand fingernails & everything), where all rock playing was regarded as "inferior" & beneath us superior nose-in-the air sight-reading clASSical players. I slummed it anyways and picked up a pick & started rockin', not really thinking much about hand & finger positioning. Then a couple of years ago I broke both of my wrists. My left wrist was PULIVERIZED. Many of the individuals bones became a giant, inflexible "super" bone. Playing felt like my wrist was being crushed. The pain from something like carpal tunnel syndrome feels like a warm, soothing bath in comparison. At first one second of playing was unbearable. I have made a lot of progress. I can now play for about 30 minutes before the white-hot blow-torch of pain forces my playing to stop. I press on, but I can no-longer bend my wrist, or position my fingers, into any of the shapes or configurations I used to be able to effortlessly form. Even basic stuff, like barre chords, are miserable torture & feel totally foreign. I have no finesse and zero speed. It's worse than starting from scratch, but I press on, and CURSE my orthopedic surgeon continually. He says I'll never get any better than I am now. Blah, blah, blah. What does he know. He's a golfer, not a guitar player. The stuff you demonstrate would feel strange & foreign even if I hadn't busted my wrists. It feels like I have the wrists of some E.T. implanted between my fingers & forearm when I try the finger/wrist positions you show. I'm going to force your positions into my limbs. What choice do I have? I can't play like I used to anyways. I don't know if I'll make any progress at all, but I probably will. I'm stubborn that way. I am doing EVERYTHING as if I am brand new to playing, but haunted by the memory of what I used to be able to do. I mean EVERYTHING. Neck scale-length, string brands, pick brands, pick techniques, straps, how high I'm holding the guitar, the degree of neck tilt along the X/Y & Z axis, action, body position, even amp types & settings. I'm talking EVERYTHING. Your tips fit right into this attempted rebirth. My only other choice is to abandon playing. Or perhaps switch to ukulele. I don't really consider these viable options. I have a dozen of so electric guitars, and taking up ukulele would just be too humiliating. Hopefully none of my gear will show up on Reverb until after I'm six feet under, busted arthritic wrists & all. So, that's what I struggle with. A non-functioning body with the memories of reasonable fluidity cascading through my brain while I stiffly try to coax the simplest of tunes out of my hands & instruments. Thanks for the video. It is excellent and you have done a truly superlative job putting it together. Great content, excellent production, sincerity, the works. I don't deserve it, but hopefully it'll do me some good anyways. Cheers.
Wow, there's so much to this. Appreciate your calm demeanor and attention to detail. I've found I have the least tension if I place my thumb behind the high B and E strings at the back of the neck. This also seems to allow for the straightest wrist. That said, after what you said about thumb position being mid-hand and even above the neck's low E string, and at the end of the video, about the position of the guitar neck itself, I'll be doing some experimenting. Thanks.
Max! Great advice, as I am turning 68 on November 26th, my ligaments, bones joints...you get it, are very susceptible to all these things. I have been playing now for 6 years and mostly self taught. I had a great young instructor in 2018 when I began, then COVID struck. Yes! I have developed some terrible habits and just kept playing and hoping that they would go away. Nope, that's why they are called habits. Max, you have made me stop and consciously think about and act on this process before it becomes debilitating. Subscribed and Liked! I appreciate your efforts sir! Peace ☮
Recently retired guy here. Just found your channel. Talk about perfect timing because I will need many hours to watch every video you have and practice what you are showing us. Can’t remember the last time I was this excited about picking up the guitar and learning and improving. Thanks
These are great advices. I did have a decent understanding of most things, but the thumb position was an eye opener. Really helped me! Thanks!
Thank you sir! I'm 65 and just bought my first accoustic. Really struggling getting both hands to do the right thing at the same time. When the left is correct the right is amiss, and vice-versa. Plus the left wrist has been very uncomfortable (I broke it 40 years ago). Can't wait to experiment with the advice in this vid.
Thank You. I have never heard this anywhere else. This video has helped me immensely. I was making every mistake you mentioned. I'm going to re- watch the video several times.😊
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderful advice that I will implement right away. I appreciate you.
Very nicely done! I'm self-taught, and an alternate point of view that affects thumb placement is to think of your middle and ring fingers as the center of your hand, with index and pinky as extras to supplement what the middle two fingers are doing. The index is so dominant in other facets of life that beginning with it seems natural, but it's a hard mindset to escape. But anyway, thanks for the great instructions!
Thanx Max, I've tried to play guitar for several times, even had lessons, but nobody pointed out what you Just did! I actually think I might try-out your instructions and maybe persevere towards joy and getting further a bit.
Really helpful tips! The part about reducing finger pressure on the string was great. That and the wrist rotation for barre chords was a game changer! Thanks.
By golly... I grabbed the old guitar and tried these things, and the increase in technique was miraculous! What brilliant analysis! Thank you, AL hey.. beautiful old guild!
Very interesting stuff! I’ve been playing guitar for about 60 years and have learned most of the things that you’ve covered here the hard way. I hope that loads of young players get to watch this video, it’ll really help them to progress much faster and get more enjoyment from their playing.
No, just no.
The pocket of your thumb should address the neck properly you or you have the wrong guitar or action.
Wow. Watching this was so helpful, like an epiphany that I am 20 years late on! Thank you!!
Best synopsis of my playing errors. I have a lot to work on. Thanks
I’ve been playing guitar and watching RUclips guitar lessons for many years and this is maybe the most helpful video I’ve ever seen. Well done!
Great to hear!
I have all these problems and i play for 20 years now lol. Im glad i listen to this vid right now cause my wrist is killing me these days. I guess the last problem is my worst problem of em all. Thankyou so much. Ill work my way out of that crap now!
Great explaino. Learning comes from the underlying why, physiology, not just do this or do that. , thank you for explaining, making a world of difference in my guitar studies. I'm an accomplished pianist transitioning to guitar and I'm loving it. Hand movements are completely opposite. However. Thank goodness I have the theory. Thank you so much. Always good job
Bro, thank you for making very clear, specific videos on technique. It is so hard to find GOODinstruction on technique
OMG...you solved my biggest issue in the 5-6 years I've been playing in first segment...my finger always seem to be too high on my E string barre chords and I had just resolved that that's was what it was going to be and learned to navigate around it...definitely can't wait until I get home to try this and see if it makes a difference...thank you so much, Max 👊🏾🎸🔥
Im 106 years and been playing playing 70 years. This has retaught 70 years of bad techniques. Thank you
Great summary of all these issues. I'll be sharing this with my students.
FWIW, I found the guitar support pads, like ones made by Oasis, are convenient for practice with either electric, acoustic or classical guitars, getting a good neck angle, and remaining relaxed with both feet flat on the floor (better for the back than a foot stool). The pad goes on my left leg (for playing right handed), bout between the legs, like a classical position. Cheers
Dude so well explained and appropriate for me. Thank you. I will start working on these 5 things now. Also you are a really good presenter. Well done.
You have helped me move than you know I had everyone of the bad habits . thank you for your help
Very cool. Thank you! Just coming back to guitar after some years. Looks like I have a few things to work on.
Rock on!
The best I have ever been taught. Thank you.
Thanks!
I needthe above so bad! I played a little folk music 40 years ago and having difficulty just trying to do that. Had a trial guitar lesson on single note twinkle twinkle because I was unable to demonstrate what I did in the past. SO I just worked on my own making the mistakes you addressed. I think I could benefit from a " how to hold the Classic acoustic guitar"lesson.
This video is a lifesaver. I’ve been struggling trying to figure out the exact techniques that you demonstrated so skillfully. Thank you.
Glad it helped!
🤔I've never thought of it like this. I always thought whatever feels best works but I'm going to use this and see if it improves the clarity in my playing, thanks
Excellent lesson. This will help alot of people do it the right way. Very nice of you to take your time to share this very important information
This is SO helpful!!! Thanks!!!! I am going to try this and reteach myself after 62 years of playing wrong.
I learned something, thank you Sir, I'm from Philippines
Very informative on technique, you addressed almost every one of them . Thank you very much!
Nice tip #1! My thumb is usually positioned behind my middle finger or a bit further in -- I'm already a bassist and past the intermediate plateau -- unLESS I'm so busing fretting the rest of the chord that it kind of creeps behind my index finger. A "why" is really good for those situations when you know what good form is, but you drift out of it because you're trying something unfamiliar -- in my case, it's using my finger tips and not padding the frets, and the chord is a barred Gmaj#9 (it's not in my big book of chords: it's a non standard voicing the Beatles use in Ticket to Ride) and I keep muting the D-string with my ring finger which is planted on the A-string.
Everything is just scaled weird. Getting a 25.5 scale guitar to replace my 24" Mustang helped a BIT, but mostly on the tiny frets. But I can do campfire strumming!! Who wants to hear _Movin' on Up_ again? _You've Got to Hid Your Love Away_ ? Anyone?
WOW! I've been a guitarist for almost 50 years and I never new tips 1 & 2. I Watched this during a break in a session yesterday. Just those two tips made an immediate difference in my playing!
I have developed nerve issues in both hands due to some injuries I sustained in an accident when I was still touring in the '80's. I've been working on exercises to help reduce the restriction in my hands and fingers and I learned the final tip some time ago. I agree with you, that is a massive cause of trouble when it comes to guitar playing.
Thanks so much for this video!
There's a problem with that bar rotation approach that classical players know all too well: When your thumb is shifted up the neck to get more rotational leverage on the first finger, the remaining fingers have less freedom to move. That's not a problem for most rock and rhythm guitarists whose goal is to merely play the bar chord with static fingers, but it is a problem for classical players and jazz musicians who need to move those other fingers while simultaneously holding the bar. Try playing a scale with the remaining fingers while holding the bar.
A good lesson and it only confirms that everything needs to be done like guitarists who play classical music.
Good content. I just started extending my wrist and was feeling discomfort. My ignorance said ‘no pain no gain”. I really appreciate your expertise. Thanks.
This guy is awesome . I hope he can demonstrate on his classical guitar with a larger fret board.
OMG! What an eye opener! I have small hands and was moving my thumb further back!
Fantastic video !!! - I’ve played for 35 years and this single video has opened up my playing. Well done !!
Wow, thanks!
My struggle is strumming patterns. I get so lost in the middle and forget where I am. Especially when I’m trying to focus on chord shapes and the notes with my left hand. Great video, really helpful stuff!