Some Do’s and Don’ts

Before we immerse ourselves in the technical exercises in this book, let’s cover some basics. There are numerous guitarists who, despite the seemingly awkward appearance of their hands, posture, and technique, produce amazing results. Generally, the philosophy is to leave well-enough alone (or, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”). My original intention for this book was to avoid telling people exactly how to hold their hands, how to sit, etc. But there are some physical problems which one should avoid, and some basic truths that need to be addressed.

(핵심: 일반적으로 연주에 문제가 없으면 억지로 고치려 하지 마십시오. 특정자세를 강요하기 보다는  몇가지 기본적으로 피해야 할 것만 강조하고자 합니다.)

About the Hands

The hands should be in a constant state of dynamic relaxation. This means they should always be free of excess tension. At the same time, they should always be on stand-by; ready to play in an instant. Then they should empty, or relax, just as quickly. In order for all of this to happen, the hands need to be positioned as naturally as is possible while maintaining an advantageous angle to the strings.

For maximum results, the wrists of both the hands should be naturally straight (in relation to the arm), not forced into being straight. The diagrams below illustrate this point.

In the left picture: See here how the wrist is straight on the top-side of the hand, and not on the bottom-side.

In the right picture: Here the wrist is bent too much, and thus not allowing the tendons to work easily.

Try this experiment: keeping your wrist bent, make a fist. Not very comfortable, is it? In order for the fingers to work correctly, comfortable, and for extended periods of time, the tendons must be as free as possible to move around (like the cables that they are) inside the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel is the boney passage in your wrist. Bending the wrist too far aggravates the tendons, and could eventually cause irreparable damage.

In the two diagrams that follow, notice how the same principle applies to the left hand. In the left picture: The straighter the wrist, the more dexterity your fingers will have. In the right picture: Bending your wrist too much makes it a struggle to play.

As for your left-hand thumb, it’s generally wise to keep it positioned just under your second (middle) finger. This creates somewhat of a vise, and allows for an even distribution of pressure throughout the hand.