Let us consider the most common problems that students have with their right-hand position. All of these issues result from excessive tension and/or extreme positions of the wrist or fingers. These positions are uncomfortable and cause flawed technique.
Some of the more usual problems we see include:
-bending the wrist too far to the right while stretching the thumb too far to the left
-having too much arch in the wrist, or holding the wrist too high above the fingerboard
-overly curling the fingers
-keeping the fingers too stiff
-pressing the forearm too forcefully against the guitar
These extreme positions will cause you to experience muscle cramps and achy tendons; ultimately they will cause you to lose control of your right-hand strokes, causing poor tone quality. Avoid such extremes. Check your position in the mirror to detect any of these distortions or excess tensions. Alternatively, you may check by placing the guitar, with its face up, on your lap; then put your hand in the correct position, observing it meticulously.
If you avoid positional extremes and apply these ideas, you should be able to find a dynamic, yet relaxed position for the right hand. Such a position should be relatively simple to locate, because it is based on the natural way we use our hand when we grip an object. The exact details of hand position will vary slightly with each person. Thus, an intelligent player will not try to imitate the exact position we demonstrated, but rather will adapt it to the unique configuration of his or her own hand. Your position should feel comfortable as you play, relaxed and graceful as you create the soothing sounds of music.
Feel free to visit LA Guitar Academy's website for professional guitar lessons in the Los Angeles area, or go to LAGA Online's home page to take online guitar lessons from the LAGA Faculty.
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