Left Hand Fingering Techniques.

The left hand is more difficult for most of us, largely because we don’t use our left hand that much and when we do, all the fingers grab together. It will take some time and patience to develop control of the left hand. The basic idea is that each finger will cover one fret on the fingerboard. In other words, the first finger plays notes on the first fret; second finger plays second fret notes, and so on. When we talk about position in guitar playing, it refers to where the first finger is. First position means the first finger is behind the first fret. Fifth position would mean the first finger is behind the fifth fret.

Proper finger position. Use the tips of your fingers, not the flat parts. You will get a little sore at first but when you get your first calluses, you’ll feel like a real guitar player. Keep your first knuckle bent and your fingers more or less perpendicular to the strings. It is not your finger that actually stops the string, but the fret itself. To get a clean sound, make sure you place your finger directly behind the fret.

Exercise #1

Using your first,second,third and fourth fingers play frets 1,2,3,4 in order. Do this two times on each string, starting with the first and working down to the sixth. Don’t try to play this exercise fast – try to play all the notes evenly, without speeding up or slowing down.

Exercise #2

This exercise is the same as the first one, but in the opposite direction. Instead of 1,2,3,4, we’re going to play 4,3,2,1. Don’t forget to play this pattern twice on each string.

Questions? Email me: Fcanto@fredzilla.com