Venting

[Little Laguna05]

So recently ive been looking at how my arm is for my fretting hand and its very hard to explain but I don’t think in the right posture or position of my arm I know it takes a lot of time to get it used to but like when I stand up to play I can’t get my fingers to hit the right strings without hitting another string It’s bugging me because I’m learning a song and I struggle to get my fingers spread enough from the first fret to the third and then the fifth fret and then I look at my thumb and I end up pressing against the back of the fret board. ‍
There is more but like it irrelevant. Help meeeeeeee how do you guys play and stuff, I mean I don’t want to end up being in a bad habit way

 

[hunte25]

Can you show a picture (video of you playing) of how your current playing posture looks? A visual representation will help make the correction process easier (I promise no negativity only type of judging will help you not hurt you)

 

[hunte25]

Though your hand wants to make a C shape and all 4 of your fingers should be curved to prevent interference with other strings unless your muting or playing chords

 

[Little Laguna05]

 

[Little Laguna05]

That’s me playing the 1 3 5 for jaws of life

 

[Little Laguna05]

I don’t have a channel or any way to post a video

 

[hunte25]

Ok, first off I wouldn’t go into the 3 nps exercise that low on the neck get used to them higher up second work on a spider routine here’s a good video that will help you. But really hone in on your fingers ask yourself
1. Are my fingers behind the frets not on or infront or far behind the metal
2. Are my fingers curved your pinky looks like it’s straight and your pointer as well spider routine will help don’t be lazy put in the work now so it’s not a problem later
Your arm and wrist posture for your fretting hand look fine just don’t get into the habit of curving your wrist your doing good posture is an uncomfortable thing at first but if you set a strong foundation it’ll be easier in the long run

 

[hunte25]

That’ll improve your accuracy but do the work (i know this shit is boring as fuck but it pays off) and really pay attention to your hand don’t worry about a metronome or anything I would do it infront of a mirror just because it’s easier to see myself and a recording yourself would work so you can hear yourself

 

[Little Laguna05]

OKAY THANK YOU!!! I don’t know what I would do if I hadn’t found this place, I probably would’ve given up

 

[hunte25]

Never give up God makes things hard for you to test you to see if your worthy of that thing if it was easy everyone would do it and it wouldn’t be special. God will make it hard for you not impossible

 

[Ed Seith]

That’s me playing the 1 3 5 for jaws of life

Ahh, the old 1-3-5. The bane of small hands everywhere.

Your HAND is fine. Unless it hurts, your positioning is good. Where you're off - at least for TYPICAL fretting - is that most players find it easier to do that 1-3 with first and second fingers. Something about it being easier to reach BACK with the index finger than FORWARD with the pinky. So for an F Major 3 note per string scale (F-G-A, Bb-C-D, E-F-G), you'd be using 1-2-4 fingering for the first 4 strings, then 1-3-4 for the B and E strings.

(I moved my ring finger out of the way for a better view - I would never play it that way)

 

[Little Laguna05]

Mkay, got it. It just feels weird and whenever I play that, but I have to do that then hit 1-8-6 on the second string, also how do I perform …

 

[Little Laguna05]

The middle one

 

[Apocalyptic Katana]

maybe try out shorter scale length guitars?

depending on hand size and fretboard dimensions, you might just have to move your whole hand to reach the upper frets while playing those wide stretch fingerings, comfortably !

(which is what everybody should strive for, at least as much as possible for health/enjoyment reasons)

No one can really tell you what is the exact right way (angle of arm or exact hand position in space) since no one has the exact same hands / body structure as you so experiment and feel out what is right.

They can tell you what worked for them but might not necessarily work for you, of course there's no harm in taking their advice and giving it a shot for yourself.

There is a balance that is made between efficiency (for speed) and comfortability for you, so again experiment.

Last time I checked there's no one way to play a guitar

 

[Xzavier471]

So recently ive been looking at how my arm is for my fretting hand and its very hard to explain but I don’t think in the right posture or position of my arm I know it takes a lot of time to get it used to but like when I stand up to play I can’t get my fingers to hit the right strings without hitting another string It’s bugging me because I’m learning a song and I struggle to get my fingers spread enough from the first fret to the third and then the fifth fret and then I look at my thumb and I end up pressing against the back of the fret board. ‍
There is more but like it irrelevant. Help meeeeeeee how do you guys play and stuff, I mean I don’t want to end up being in a bad habit way

Not sure if anyone said this already but I would definitely practice in classical position. Makes stretches like that alot easier and is better for your wrist!

 

[Little Laguna05]

maybe try out shorter scale length guitars?

depending on hand size and fretboard dimensions, you might just have to move your whole hand to reach the upper frets while playing those wide stretch fingerings, comfortably !

(which is what everybody should strive for, at least as much as possible for health/enjoyment reasons)

No one can really tell you what is the exact right way (angle of arm or exact hand position in space) since no one has the exact same hands / body structure as you so experiment and feel out what is right.

They can tell you what worked for them but might not necessarily work for you, of course there's no harm in taking their advice and giving it a shot for yourself.

There is a balance that is made between efficiency (for speed) and comfortability for you, so again experiment.

Last time I checked there's no one way to play a guitar

Tis why I asked for other’s opinion , you guys have been very helpful. And this is a short scale length guitar

 

[Ed Seith]

View attachment 3576
The middle one

I'll make a short video later. It's easier than you think.

 

[Little Laguna05]

Ohhh, while I’m asking more questions I have been listening to the album Jaws of Life by PTV and in death of an executioner, at 3:35 how do they make that noise it sounds so wicked

 

[Ed Seith]

Ohhh, while I’m asking more questions I have been listening to the album Jaws of Life by PTV and in death of an executioner, at 3:35 how do they make that noise it sounds so wicked

If I had to guess (and I do), I'd say the string is pressed up against a metal pickup cover on the bridge pickup, so the "fretted note" sounds like the 55th fret or something.

 

[Ed Seith]

View attachment 3576
The middle one