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Bent wrist whilst playing chords

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(@darkmewchiyo)
New Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter  

I have been learning guitar for a few months and have come across a point where I found that you're supposed to play with a straight wrist. Looking at my left hand, I have noticed that I am playing with a bent wrist and it is hard to change to a straight wrist.

Is there any way to change to a straight wrist to play general chords like G major? I can barely stretch to reach to play this chord, and when I play it, my wrist is bent very far. (will I have to stretch my fingers more first or something?)


   
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(@greybeard)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5840
 

The usual problem amngs beginners is that they hold the guitar to help them see what they're doing. That is the most frequent problem and the easiest to solve.
If you stand to play, don't have the guitar hanging round your knees. It may "look cool" in some circles, but it will not help your playing one iota. Get the guitar to a level where you can comforably fret the chords. Try setting the strap so that the guitar hangs at the same height as if you were sitting and holding the guitar on your lap.
Hold the guitar upright. Beginners like to see how well they are fingering chords, etc. and turn the face of the guitar upwards. This, of course twists the fretboard away from your fingers - causing a bent wrist. Try sitting in front of a mirror to see what you're doing and hold the guitar upright.
Another easy problem to sove is holding the neck too far from the line of your body. If you stand with your back to a wall, the guitar should run more or less parallel to the wall. If the neck is further from the wall than the body (the usual case), you're forcing the wrist to bend, simply to reach the fretboard with you fingers.

Have all those problems and you can understand why your wrist has to be so bent........................

I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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(@blueline)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1704
 

First- All good suggestions by greybeard. You should try everything he mentioned. I would simply ask chords are you playing that feel you need to straighten your wrist? If you just learning to play an open G chord you will find that changing chords is, at first, a difficult thing to do. Assuming you practice on a regular basis, you will find that those changes will become easier over time. I wouldn't focus too much on how bent or straight your wrist is while playing. Assuming that you are using proper technique, your wrist will need to be bent and it will hurt for a while.

Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.


   
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