Giant hands and Thumb

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edgar884

Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005

Giant hands and Thumb

Well I have this long ass straight thumb and was wondering if anyone has the same problem.

I was taught to do Alzapua like turning a key to a lock by books by Chuscales by Calvin Hazen.

I watch Ricardo and I love the idea of using his hand position but when I do my fingers almost hit the bottom of the guitar when I do a Golpe, completley off the tap plate.( I have huge hands) from the tip of my middle finger to the bottom of my palm is 8 inches.

I know this has been discussed a little(sorry)
Anyway, I was taught to hook the index or i m and a on the upstroke of Alzapua. It seemed strange at first but I'm realizing that I'm getting a muscle growing in between my index and my thumb. And I'm feeling way more natural with my Alzapua.

I'm looking for comments on this.

I've noticed that i'ts common to hook atleast the right hand index for a guide, and I know that most people hook the thumb on the 6th string in a bent position.

Chuscales told me that when you play for years eventually your thumb stops curving on the hook to the 6th string and when you do Alzapua you don't have to hook on the upstroke any more. Also when you do a m i i rasgauedo the thumb stops curving as well.

Playing arpeggios with a big long straight thumb is a pain in the ass as well
Looking for comments please

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 4:49:32

edgar884

Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

Many great players have small hands, whats the deal with that.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 5:31:20

bahen

Posts: 383
Joined: Mar. 4 2006

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

Check out Chicuelo's thumb! It's extremely long (I swear, to me, it appears as long as his index). I think you just need to find your own method and position, and go from there. Chicuelo, with the big thumb, makes a U shape - you can juxtapose this with Vicente, who has his own peculiar drumstick sort of shape. There's no one-position-fits-all, that's for sure.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 6:11:25

edgar884

Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

Does he hook his index on the upstroke. Or is his alzapua free

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 6:14:47

Ron.M

Posts: 7051
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Scotland

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

Edgar,
I just play alzapua "free" (ie no "anchoring") .
If anything I just rest the tips of the a and m fingers lightly on the tap plate.
For me it's important to get a good position of the forearm on the top of the guitar.
The movement then just comes from the wrist & thumb.

Ricardo has a complete Alzapua Video Lesson on offer on FT for only $10.

By the way, I'm only a little guy (5' 9") and the distance from the tip of my m finger to bottom of palm is 7.5" and I'd hardly say I've got "giant" hands!

Paco Peña seems to have very large hands, but maybe it just looks that way since he's fairly small (maybe 5' 2" or so?).

cheers

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 9:21:03

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

7 1/4 here...and I'm 5'8"--definitely on the short side. In Chicago, in the Nike store they have an imprint of Michael Jordan's hands. They were huge! It was like an oranguatang's hands. That's one reason he was so good, he could palm the ball easily while doing his acrobatic maneuvers.

In fact a lot of the great players in history have had large hands, in guitar in general. I don't know about flamenco, though. It seems more of an advantage in classical for some reason. The best player I know has huge hands that look like a bunch of bananas!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 14:21:38

edgar884

Posts: 1975
Joined: Nov. 16 2005

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

THanx guys, I think 7 or 8 inches is big for your hand. I have one friend with bigger hands than me and hes 7 feet tall.

So Miguel you don't hook your index on the way up hu. hmmmmmmmmmm

I'm trying to practice it in as many ways as possible. But I love the sound of it when you hook the index. I will make an example today so you guys can hear it.

Sorry no video camera yet.

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May we find God through Flamenco instead of Angels and Demons

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 16:35:35

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

Edgar, you like it because it sounds more tight without the e string ringing? I play it both ways. I don't do much alzapua, though I should, it's a damn cool technique.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 1 2006 21:15:18

cneberg

Posts: 257
Joined: Apr. 20 2006
From: Sončno polje pri Večnosti

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to edgar884)

quote:

Playing arpeggios with a big long straight thumb is a pain in the ass as well

That's the BIGGEST problem. I don't care that much for alzapua, because arpeggios are so much more important, without them you are useless guitarist. I just can't find the right position. If I move my hand slightly away from the strings I get more thumb control but lose control in other three fingers and vice versa..... I don't think I have any longer fingers than Amigo, but he can curve his thumb which is very helpfull I think, my thumb on the other is hand is completely narrow and stiff I can't curve it even for 1mm.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 2 2006 7:35:07

Ricardo

Posts: 14960
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Giant hands and Thumb (in reply to cneberg)

For arps with a long thumb, try flattening the hand by playing straight on, curl the fingers, but slide the thumb over near the sound hole (like a thumbs up sign). That is a standard practice by many. Check out some video of Nino Ricardo if you can, to see the old master of this. Oscar Herrero demonstrates this as well in his instructional vid. Dont' worry about not getting a lot of nail on bass string at first, just get used to the feel.

Ricardo

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 2 2006 8:20:18