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http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BC-106-PostureFingerPlacement.php

Body Posture and Finger Placement

The Justinguitar.com Beginner's Course

Be comfortable a!oi" bac# problems an" get a great soun" all m$ learning how to sit an"where %e&actl$% to put $our finger'

(t is important to get into the habit of getting $our bo"$ an" finger positions right which

will help $ou pla$ well. (n this lesson we will tal# about goo" posture an" correct

placement of $our fretting fingers which is )*+,, important for beginners.

Video Lesson

*nglishharethat $ou can reall$ that $ou #now that putting it too far bac#

PF ranslations

Extra Info on Posture

Classical s !oc" #osture

(f $ou want to pla$ classical guitar then use the classical posture put the guitar on the

same leg as $our fretting han"2. (f not then pla$ the 3normal% wa$ an" place it on the sameleg as $our strumming han". For right-han"e" pla$ers this means placing $our guitar on

$our right leg.

his will gi!e $ou a better posture for pla$ing an" ( thin# it loo#s #in" of strange when

people pla$ roc# or pop with the classical posture. (t just loo#s weir"' hat sai" there aresome ama4ing guitarists who pla$ this wa$.

!aising the right leg$and crossing your legs%( fin" it easier to #eep an electric guitar cos$ an" tight if ( lift m$ right leg a little. hat

usuall$ means lifting m$ right #nee a bit b$ putting m$ toes on the floor instea" of theheel sometimes with the heel resting on the chair leg. (%m not sa$ing that $ou shoul" or

ha!e to "o this but sometimes ( "o an" there were a few 5uestions about it on the forum.

he other alternati!e that achie!es the same thing is to cross $our right leg o!er $our left.

his #in" of ma#es a little 3% shape at $our hip which helps hol" the guitar securel$7 (li#e sitting li#e this too'

&tra# #lacement and standing u#

et $our strap so that the guitar is roughl$ in the same place when $ou stan" as when $ou

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sit. his will ma#e it a lot easier to pla$ unless $ou want to pla$ with the strap low an"

plan to alwa$s practise stan"ing up which is not recommen"e"'2.

ee#ing the nec" still

8a#e sure that $our fretting han" is not supporting the guitar nec# at all an" that the nec#

is stable when $ou are pla$ing. he last thing $ou want is the nec# wobbling about when$ou are tr$ing to practise getting $our fingers in the right position.

(sing a mirror

(f $ou ha!e a bit of a bell$ or fin" $ourself straining $our nec# to see the fingerboar"

$ou might consi"er using a mirror. ( use" m$ "a"%s sha!ing mirror when ( first practise"

prett$ much all of the time so ( coul" chec# the position of m$ fretting han" but ha!inga big mirror so $ou can see both han"s an" $our posture is i"eal.

!elax your shoulders

8an$ people "e!elop tension in their shoul"ers when the$ pla$ especiall$ when "oing

"ifficult things. ta$ rela&e" an" $ou will ma#e it easier for $ourself. (magine that $ourfretting han" is naile" to the nec# an" then just let the whole shoul"er an" elbow rela&. (t

will help $our fingers stretch as well: $ou will alwa$s get a better reach when $ou are

rela&e".

Fretting Finger Position

8a#ing sure that $ou un"erstan" wh$ it is important to put $our fingers just behin" the

fret is !ital 9 if $ou #now wh$ $ou are more li#el$ to "o it the right wa$. ou nee" to

pla$ as close to the frets as $ou can without actuall$ touching the fret2. his means that$ou "on%t ha!e to press "own too har" an" $our fingers will hurt less although all

beginners get sore fingers 9 this is normal 9 "on%t worr$ about it'2.

Pressing too har" will also ma#e some notes go sharp which will ma#e $our chor"s

soun" horrible so reall$ watch out for that.

r$ pressing as lightl$ as $ou can near the fret while still getting a goo" clear note. henmo!e $our finger awa$ from the fret an" notice how much more pressure $ou nee" to

appl$ to get a goo" soun". +s a beginner $ou want to position $our finger where $ou can

get a goo" soun" with the least pressure which is ne&t to the fret.

ou can see this e&ercise on the !i"eo. o this e&ercise' Please. )*+,,(8P)+;''

Thum) #lacement

r$ an" #eep the thumb positione" behin" the nec# when $ou start. ,ater on $ou will

probabl$ bring it o!er to pla$ particular chor"s bass notes an" all sorts of other tric#sbut as a beginner #eep it behin" the nec# an" it will help "e!elop the muscles that $ou

will nee" to pla$ barre chor"s.

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*+, music stand s *+,,, chiro#ractor )ill...

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1o exactly should the ti# of the finger )e

#ositioned on the string2 1o near or far from

the nail must the string )e2

he problem is that this changes "epen"ing on

what $ou are pla$ing.

+s a beginner $ou probabl$ shoul" be aiming to

press the string at blue arrow7 as $ou progress$ou%ll mo!e a little bit more towar"s the $ellow

arrow or past it2 because $ou%ll use the tip of the

finger to mute other strings. ; tr$ this if$ou are a beginner it%ll screw up $our techni5ue'.

(f $our finger is pressing the string at the re"

arrow it will hurt an" is not recommen"e"'

6y hand touches the nec" 7ust next to the high E string. Is this a really )ad ha)it2

+s a beginner $es $ou shoul" a!oi" this. ou will probabl$ fin" that $our han" will

often mute the thin * string an" also hin"er $our chor" change spee". ,ater on $ou

might fin" that it%s .?. to ha!e the han" gripping there but $ou are better off notlearning that wa$. his is one of those things that will change as $ou "e!elop as $our

guitar pla$ing but $ou can%t start li#e that.

ou ma$ also fin" that $ou han" is supporting the nec# which is ba" as well.