minorkey
C.O.G.
On book 3 of the Guitarist's Way, thanks Keith
Posts: 3,626
My main instrument is: Tanglewood TU13M concert ukulele named Kalea
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Post by minorkey on Sept 24, 2024 21:56:18 GMT
Well I'm no longer laying my thumb along the length of the neck, thumb tip heading towards the tuners, but now I tend to do this. This is on the big ass Fender dread.
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 25,859
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Sept 24, 2024 22:08:30 GMT
If it works for you, that's grand, Larry. Looks all kinds of awkward to me - but I'm not you
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cesspit
Busker
Posts: 92
My main instrument is: Martin D10
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Post by cesspit on Sept 25, 2024 4:05:46 GMT
As above. My thumb is all over the place...
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Post by delb0y on Sept 25, 2024 6:12:47 GMT
Mine, too. Sometimes over the necking grabbing a string, sometimes right in to he middle enabling the fingers to stretch wider, sometimes not even on the neck at all if I'm playing slide way up high. I guess classical guitar is a lot stricter.
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minorkey
C.O.G.
On book 3 of the Guitarist's Way, thanks Keith
Posts: 3,626
My main instrument is: Tanglewood TU13M concert ukulele named Kalea
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd99"}
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Post by minorkey on Sept 25, 2024 6:14:52 GMT
Mine, too. Sometimes over the necking grabbing a string, sometimes right in to he middle enabling the fingers to stretch wider, sometimes not even on the neck at all if I'm playing slide way up high. I guess classical guitar is a lot stricter. Yes that is a much stricter world, one I'm no part of. I do the pima part but that's about it.
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Post by delb0y on Sept 25, 2024 7:05:03 GMT
My apologies, I thought that was the road you were on.
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Sept 25, 2024 7:25:47 GMT
With my short digits (careful now you lot!!!) I barely have the reach to wrap my thumb round to catch the botton E string (and as I'm also very restricted on barre chords this does limit me somewhat).
What I have been doing recently, with the guidance from a yoga chap who is in my guitar group, is half a dozen hand/wrist excercises to try to help the flexibility of my fingers and thumbs and perhaps help stave off the inevtable arthritis which I can feel developing. It needs to be done carefully to avoid over stretching and making things worse, but doing it 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes, particularly before a playing session, seems to be helping a bit. We've even got other members of the guitar group doing it before our fortnightly session (again with clear warnings to assess their own needs and conditions before joining in). It's not exactly press-ups in the car park but may extend our playing careers a little in some cases. (With the alternative being to learn the ukelele it's a big incentive!) I'm also encouraging playing in open D which, for basic chords, is much less demanding on stretches and hand/wrist/thumb strain.
(Hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread too much).
FFJ
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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 25, 2024 8:58:21 GMT
jonnymosco 's your man for this, but when I had a handful of classical guitar lessons nearly 60 years ago I was taught that you use the fleshy part of your thumb not the tip in the middle of the neck, with the thumb at right angles to the neck. The way you have it, Larry, I suspect your hand may be susceptible to cramp. Like this.
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Post by otis1960 on Sept 25, 2024 10:24:48 GMT
With my short digits (careful now you lot!!!) I barely have the reach to wrap my thumb round to catch the botton E string (and as I'm also very restricted on barre chords this does limit me somewhat). What I have been doing recently, with the guidance from a yoga chap who is in my guitar group, is half a dozen hand/wrist excercises to try to help the flexibility of my fingers and thumbs and perhaps help stave off the inevtable arthritis which I can feel developing. It needs to be done carefully to avoid over stretching and making things worse, but doing it 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes, particularly before a playing session, seems to be helping a bit. We've even got other members of the guitar group doing it before our fortnightly session (again with clear warnings to assess their own needs and conditions before joining in). It's not exactly press-ups in the car park but may extend our playing careers a little in some cases. (With the alternative being to learn the ukelele it's a big incentive!) I'm also encouraging playing in open D which, for basic chords, is much less demanding on stretches and hand/wrist/thumb strain. (Hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread too much). FFJ I think this a very pertinent to any discussion of thumb/general hand placement, John; I’m sure that we not alone here in struggling with reach and hand stiffness problems. If you could spare a few minutes on Saturday I would be really keen to understand the exercises of which you speak- I suspect I might not be the only one interested.
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Post by jonnymosco on Sept 25, 2024 11:30:40 GMT
Well I'm no longer laying my thumb along the length of the neck, thumb tip heading towards the tuners, but now I tend to do this. You are getting the idea, the thumb is almost in a good position to support the fingers, behind the second finger would be better. However, touching the neck with your thumb tip gives very little support (very wobbly), you should keep the joint of the thumb flat and touch the fleshy pad on the neck. (Avoid the grip where the hand holds the neck, only the thumb and fingertips should have contact - this allows you to change positions swiftly and comfortably.) This approach and position is about giving support and allowing your fingers to move freely with good reach, it is not restricted to classical guitar players, it is a good position for all players. I hope that helps. Jonny
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cesspit
Busker
Posts: 92
My main instrument is: Martin D10
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Post by cesspit on Sept 25, 2024 11:41:48 GMT
I could never play like that (had a go after looking at the photo) and it felt weird and restrictive but then I'm coming from 50 years of playing electric guitars. A much more lax style of playing with my thumb often hanging over the top fretting somewhere on the low E. Each to their own of course but not for me.
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Sept 25, 2024 12:38:34 GMT
With my short digits (careful now you lot!!!) I barely have the reach to wrap my thumb round to catch the botton E string (and as I'm also very restricted on barre chords this does limit me somewhat). What I have been doing recently, with the guidance from a yoga chap who is in my guitar group, is half a dozen hand/wrist excercises to try to help the flexibility of my fingers and thumbs and perhaps help stave off the inevtable arthritis which I can feel developing. It needs to be done carefully to avoid over stretching and making things worse, but doing it 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes, particularly before a playing session, seems to be helping a bit. We've even got other members of the guitar group doing it before our fortnightly session (again with clear warnings to assess their own needs and conditions before joining in). It's not exactly press-ups in the car park but may extend our playing careers a little in some cases. (With the alternative being to learn the ukelele it's a big incentive!) I'm also encouraging playing in open D which, for basic chords, is much less demanding on stretches and hand/wrist/thumb strain. (Hope this isn't hi-jacking the thread too much). FFJ I think this a very pertinent to any discussion of thumb/general hand placement, John; I’m sure that we not alone here in struggling with reach and hand stiffness problems. If you could spare a few minutes on Saturday I would be really keen to understand the exercises of which you speak- I suspect I might not be the only one interested.Hi, Happy to run through it, won't take long; on the clear understanding that I have no medical knowledge and individuals will have their own issues, some of which may be more serious and any suggestions I make will be for them to decide whether they are suitable for them. Its very basic stuff anyway. On the subject of Open D tuning as an aid to mobility, (as well as sounding lovely), I showed my guitar group a simple 3-chord progression song with 3 verses and 3 choruses; I counted up the actual number of individual finger placements if played in the key of C in standard tuning; and did the same for Open D. The result was, for total verses and choruses, around 230 finger placement/movements in standard tuning (C,F,G) and around 65 in Open D. No need to go past the 2nd fret either. Even though the standard tuning chords were simple, they involve a fair amount of finger and hand/wrist repositioning/stretching wheras in Open D there was almost none and no strain on the thumb either. I'd be happy to do a quick demo of this as well if anyone wants it, bearing in mind I don't have the expertise on alternate tunings of many of our other attendees. But I'm at the point of making things as simple as I can for myself. (I'll also be bringing my Adrian Lucas 12 fret 6-er with me which is yet another part of the development to lengthen my playing lifetime). I am travelling up Saturday morning and leaving early Sunday so it would have to be sometime on Saturday afternoon before dinner time. John
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Post by delb0y on Sept 25, 2024 12:48:59 GMT
I could never play like that (had a go after looking at the photo) and it felt weird and restrictive but then I'm coming from 50 years of playing electric guitars. A much more lax style of playing with my thumb often hanging over the top fretting somewhere on the low E. Each to their own of course but not for me. I'm the same. Can't imagine playing an open D7 without my thumb over the top holding the F#.
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leoroberts
C.O.G.
Posts: 25,859
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Sept 25, 2024 13:05:03 GMT
Happy to run through it, won't take long; on the clear understanding that I have no medical knowledge and individuals will have their own issues, some of which may be more serious and any suggestions I make will be for them to decide whether they are suitable for them. Its very basic stuff anyway. John WE HAVE OUR FIRST HB16 WORKSHOP!
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minorkey
C.O.G.
On book 3 of the Guitarist's Way, thanks Keith
Posts: 3,626
My main instrument is: Tanglewood TU13M concert ukulele named Kalea
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"72dd99"}
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Post by minorkey on Sept 25, 2024 13:16:50 GMT
Thanks Johnny. I've tried holding like that but my thumb sticks out the side of the neck like a hotdog trying to escape the bun.
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