hey all, i have a question about this subject.
i have been having trouble with my thumb to, i seem to place it straight on the top of the neck, not in he middle, so my hand is like hangin lightly from there, but it usually slides down to the middle, which is really frustrating because i end up losing my grip. :(
when i wrap my thumb around the neck, it makes movement around the neck a little harder, which makes put change my thumbs placement and it makes me lose my grip"AGAIN :? ", and my finger span decreases greatly. :cry:
it seems like i cant find a good method for myself :( :( , please help me anyway you can :lol:
chuck taylor roks
I would work on placing your thumb in the center of the back of the neck. You don't need to grip anything. Place the thumb in back of the neck roughly opposite the 2nd finger. Avoid gripping the neck like a baseball bat with the palm touching the back of the neck. Touch playing means you don't have to use much effort to play. Let your hand pivot off your thumb. It takes time and practice. Good technique is important in the long run.
Joe
ok, couple of questions about what you just sais:
why dont i need to worry about gripping anything?
can i grab the neck with my thumb on top of it? playing chords are more comfortable for me that way.
thx
chuck taylor roks
Right you don't really grip anything. I guess because I've been playing for so long my thumb just kind of goes where it needs to. Sometimes it's behind the neck, other times round it, and there's times when I don't use it at all. It really depends on what I'm playing. Playing acoustic you'll have to use more pressure on the strings. My electric's for example the action is set so that I only need to touch. It's important to practice good techinque. Once your fingers know what to do everything becomes second nature.
Hope I explained it so you could understnd what I'm saying.
Joe
The purpose of the thumb is to stop the neck of your guitar going backwards when you fret notes, not to grip anything.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
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okay, but when im grabbing the neck of an electric, its kinda shaky, so i need to hold the neck firmly, what should i do?????
thx all
chuck taylor roks
i basically hold the guitar steady with my right arm, but i'm not sure if that's the right thing to do. It does seem like something is required at first for steadying, and the thumb seems natural at first, but you definitely don't want to be holding the guitar up with you fretting hand (though you should be quick enough if the strap comes off). The guitar should be steady so that you're hands can be quick and without too much tension, the thumb will be in the centre where it gives the best pressure for chords and bends. Though a lot of rock guitarists have the thumb near the top of hte neck and fret some chords E string with the thumb.
