Which way is better? I read an open hand gives you support against the guitar body, and gives you more control/accuracy (when picking). Plus they say its easier to mute the strings.
I read somewhere else the other day, If you could use a "floating" hand, that would be better.
Your views?
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I personally think it depends on your personal feel. I used to alway play with my hand open and my pinky resting on the guitar. It was very comfortable and I felt like it helped with my accuracy. My guitar teacher used to try to get me th change, but he didn't force the issue too much. I had a serious accident a couple of years ago where I almost lost my strumming hand. I no longer have the flexibility to play in that position anymore. I'm actually getting pretty used to playing with it closed and my accuracy is getting pretty good again. I do sometimes scrape my knuckles on the strings a bit now. I have seen great players who do it both ways. Good luck.
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I prefer open hand. Makes my hand relax more. Also, I find it faster to reach for the whammy bar with my other fingers while my hand is open.
I also play with picking hand open and the pinky resting on the guitar.
I have never thought about it as it felt natural to do.
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I do it open too.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Open (my opinion & preference)
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"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
Used to do it open, but a teacher forced me to play closed years ago and it stuck. Feels more comfortable closed now.
Well I haven't been playing long, but I like to play it closed most of the time. When I first started out, playing open would cause me to play all the wrong strings or even start picking empty air :/ Although lately I've been playing open sometimes just to get used to it, I find that its much easier to switch and skip strings playing open now that I've been trying it more. I can pick faster closed, but since my left hand is slow there's not much of a point being able to pick fast atm :/
I never was aware of my picking hand until I closely looked at how one of my favorite guitarists played and tried to play like him. He played with his hand closed whereas I play with my hand open. I tried playing with a closed hand and my accuracy was just awful! I realized I rested the tip of my 3rd and 4th finger against the guitar for stability, without ever being aware of it before. I thought for a while that I wasn't supposed to do that... Reading this topic I realize it's ok! :D
i play with it open. but i dont think it matters
I play open, but I used to play closed.
With closed, there was more tension. Open, it's far smoother for me for chords and whilst picking there's less of said tension, even though my fingers curve a little more whilst picking at times.
I try not to rest my fingers whilst picking, but sometimes it just happens.
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Open. I like to rest my fingers on the pickguard, keeps my hand in a stable position. I've tried to close it, but as soon as I forget it is open again.
I also like that I can more easily reach my Volume and Tone controls, especially on my Strat. Often I will adjust volume on my Strat by simply placing my pinky on it and rolling it up or down. Really quick.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I've noticed that my teacher will play slower more strum and blues type songs with an open hand, but when he starts playing faster more metal stuff he'll close it for the tremelo picking.
