Left hand pressure

[Boyscout]

Hey, I need some help.

I use an inordinant amount of pressure with my fretting hand. I'm not sure why, I just use a lot of it; it's like i have a death grip on the neck. I think it's slowing me down a lot and making my hands fatigue way to early.

What can I do?!

I try to use gravity to help me with bar stuff, but other than that I got nothing. What to do? Any exercises you can reccomend?

Thanks in advance!

-Chris

[Mikey]

Chances are, if your left hand exerts too much pressure the rest of your body is tight as well. Relax your whole body starting with your jaw and neck and moving towards your hands–concentrate on staying loose while playing.

A good exercise for keeping the touch of your left hand light, is to play scales and passages with your thumb not touching the back of the neck.

mikey

[Todd]

Playing scales with out the thumb will help you
use your arm to assist in applying pressure.

Try playing scales, as you normally would, but instead
of pushing the string all the way to the fingerboard,
just touch the string so it mutes. Kinda like you're
doing a harmonic, but in the middle of the fret.

Get the feel of what its like to play this way, with
barely any pressure at all. Its a different feeling.

As you do this slowly begin to apply more and more
pressure until the notes start to come out.

This teaches your hand exactly how much pressure is needed.
TK

[Sandra]

My question would be this - how is the action on the guitar? Are you compensating for any limitations of the guitar?

Is the nut so high you have to press extra hard on the first fret or so, and is that carrying over into your playing?

Just want to suggest ruling out any mechanical issues. :)

[Jordanao11]

Actually, my professor was recently discussing this issue with me. It's difficult to explain in typing. But what she was explaining goes along with the "gravity" thing you mentioned. A lot of players tend to grip very tightly, but if you totally relax your left arm while playing, you tend to play with more legato.

Basically, she just started playing and told me to gently push on her left arm with my hand. Her arm instantly fell off the fretboard. It's kind of a challenge to get used to, but you have to kind of let your left hand fall down while fretting -- more or less, pull down, as opposed to gripping inwards.

I don't know any specific excercises, however.

Of course, this is all kind of abstract, so whatever.

[Boyscout]

My question would be this - how is the action on the guitar? Are you compensating for any limitations of the guitar?

Is the nut so high you have to press extra hard on the first fret or so, and is that carrying over into your playing?

Just want to suggest ruling out any mechanical issues. :)

The action is reasonably high, but that will soon change (with any luck).

I just bought a new guitar about a month ago--a kenny hill new world madrid model. It was literally right out of the factory, so the wood is still settling in. I'm going to take it back in a week or so and see if the action can be lowered a little more.

The nut isn't too high, it's at the bridge.

[cdikland]

Playing scales with out the thumb will help you
use your arm to assist in applying pressure.

Try playing scales, as you normally would, but instead
of pushing the string all the way to the fingerboard,
just touch the string so it mutes. Kinda like you're
doing a harmonic, but in the middle of the fret.

Get the feel of what its like to play this way, with
barely any pressure at all. Its a different feeling.

As you do this slowly begin to apply more and more
pressure until the notes start to come out.

This teaches your hand exactly how much pressure is needed.
TK
My former instructor got me started on this exercise. The only difference was that instead of muting the string he had me apply just enough pressure so that the string would buzz when I plucked it. At first I was astonished how difficult this was. Even with the slightest pressure, I could not get the string to buzz. The note was still clear. :shock: Which is exactly the point my instructor was trying to make.

Try it. It works.

[rdubb]

either way can work, the idea is to bring acute awareness to how much you press, and to program into your playing mechanism 'backing off', and to know experientally how little one needs to press to actually make a note sound (so little that eventually it should feel like you're literally gliding all the time).

I like what someone said above about the fact that one who presses hard is tense overall in the body most likely - wise observation. And that stems from being fearful about playing in general and generally not having a clear mental picture of the sound and the notes.

The body doesnt lie, it will manifest all insecurity as tension.

[WillBee]

One thing that I don't see mentioned: it is critical to accurataly place your fingertips as close to the fret as possible, especially in positions near the nut. The difference in force required to cleanly sound a note is dramatic depending on whether your finger is practically on top of the fret or somewhere in the middle.

[GSI Fan]

Since the subject of overlooked technique has been started, here’s something to consider. Weak hands prohibit ease of fretting and fluidity. I take a great deal of pride in the fact that both my RH and LH process bone crushing strength. I can comfortably fret anywhere on the fret board without the need to exert any real discernable effort.

[WillBee]

I can comfortably fret anywhere on the fret board without the need to exert any real discernable effort.

Undoubtably, but the ability to minimize the force needed to fret a note will increase your endurance for longer pieces, or pieces with an ungodly number of barre chords

[keith]

assuming the action and neck shape are within normal limits, one of the great fallacies as i learned many years ago is the alleged superhands. i learned to play from dimitri gorvachev who has small hand/fingers. i have long hand/fingers and have above average strength in them. dimitri could outreach me and hold a barre chord longer than i could. this he could do because of technique. no exercises, no rack to widen the fingers, but technique. here is the technique he teaches.

when making a barre chord try this: first put all fingers down except the index finger. then lay down the index finger using no pressure, etc--gentlely lay it down. you will find that your fingers are in the proper position with little or no stress. since you gentlely laying your index finger down you will find you do not have a death grip on the neck. you will also find the barre chord is made without buzzing, etc. and you will find your reach is longer.

since most folks find the most discomfort from barre chords, you may want to try this method.

the index finger is the finger that makes or breaks the left hand--it not only controls itself, but proper placement also controls the pinkie which can have a mind of its own. a strong robust index finger can break you--not make you. i would bet the most women who take up the guitar do not have the problems men have with the left hand--largely due to not having a mentality of muscling something or having a hand developed through heavy activity.

as a cavaet, some strength is required but not as much as most people think.

[cdikland]

Check out Doug's (Niedt) dirty little secrets. In particular

Little Jenifer VS Big Dennis (http://www.douglasniedt.citymax.com/BarChordTechnique.html)

[GSI Fan]

Well...it appears a few of you disagree with the strength theory? The mere hint that I might be slightly incorrect displeases me. :x Anyone care to shake hands??? :wink:

Cor, thanks for the article.

[WillBee]

. :x Anyone care to shake hands??? :wink:

.

Being from Chicago, I imagine you are well experienced in broken thumbs and other argument styles, so I will keep my hands in my pockets.

[Boyscout]

Thanks for all the tips, friends. I tried the playing scales without the thumb and just barely touching the string stuff, it seemed to help. Now it's just a matter of doing it all the time and getting it into my fingers.

Keith: I'll deffinately try that, it sounds like an interesting exercise. Bar chords do happen to be breaking me right now as I get into some more intense literature than last year. I'm working on John Duarte's English Suite; the second movement has a lot of full bar chords and crazy streches. It's all a matter of relaxation I think, and not getting all tense.

One other question and a request:
Is it possible that hand fatigue can attribute to overall tenseness? It seems that that's what is going on with me right now. My hours of playing a day are catching up with me it seems and I get more tense faster. It could just be a matter of concentrating on relaxation more or something. I dunno.

Can some one take a picture of correct left hand position? I've been taught the idea that the index and pinky play on the outside of the finger tips and the two middle fingers play straight on. Is that right? I know it's about comfort, but what is the "norm"?

[Boyscout]

Check out Doug's (Niedt) dirty little secrets. In particular

Little Jenifer VS Big Dennis (http://www.douglasniedt.citymax.com/BarChordTechnique.html)
Thanks so much! That guy totally hit on what I was having trouble with on barre chords: the middle joint. I was deffinatley pulling my "back" knuckle joing way back instead of keeping it up. Thus my middle joint get's no sound. Something to fix!

[keith]

boyscout: tension is a killer. period! dimitri g. (see the thread about grisha..."you gotta see this guy" i believe is the title) who taught me to play harped and harped at me about tension. his fingers were probably 2/3 the length of mine yet he could do these 7 fret extensions with little or no tension. it was interesting to read the article--and the rule of laying the index finger down last. the other trick is to let the neck rest against the palm--why fight gravity.

willbee: most folks from chicago have knarly fingers but it is not because of the mafia, bookies, or fights, rather, from playing 16 inch softball. everywhere in the world except chicago people play 12 inch softball which requires a glove. in chicago, the ball is 16 inch and if one were to show up with a glove they would be laughed out of town into the cornfields (where i grew up using a glove). some of the old timers will show you their hands which have joints twisted, bent, etc. pretty ugly but i guess none of them play classical or flamenco.

[hesson11]

One other thing to consider is whether you're holding the guitar in a stable position without using your left hand to do so. From experience with my own wretched technique, I know it's possible to exert too much left-hand pressure in an effort stabilize the guitar.
-Bob

[ChrisAM86]

The main reason that you are feeling the pressure is probably because of the high action of the guitar. Get it changed to as low as it can go, while still being able to produce a beautiful tone. There's no professional guitarist on earth that plays with super high action, and if they say they do, they're lying their asses off.

Another suggestion, switch from high tension to low tension strings. There's no reason to be playing with high tension if it's hurting you. Remember, your tone is going to sound better if you can play better.

[MikeS]

Thanks to Cdikland for his tip. Not only for the problem at hand but also for alerting me to the web site and all his other tips and games. The games are a big help to me.