Foot Falling Asleep

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Foot Falling Asleep

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ryan769

Posts: 1
Joined: May 21 2006
From: Ontario, Canada

Foot Falling Asleep

Here's my problem:
First of all, I'm left-handed, so just switch 'left' and 'right' around when reading this. Anyways, I play with my left leg crossed over my right thigh with the guitar rested on my left thigh. So after 5 or 10 minutes, my left foot becomes numb and I have to either switch positions or wait a bit. So is there anyway I can subtley adjust my position so it's not totally different. Also, when I saw Paco De Lucia playing, I noticed that he swivels his right (or highest from the ground) foot. So yeah, any comments would be appreciated, thanks

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 18:11:54

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

notice how paco puts his foot down after everysong.
also in a Miguel poved,Duquende consert with Chicuelo on guitar he fly up for the chair streatching his leg after every song. To pros suffer as well

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This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 18:21:48

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

You can wear hard long boots. When you lay the boot on your other leg, nothing falls into sleep.
You can play as me, without crossing the legs.
Try a bigger angle, sometimes this helps.
Swith between different positions.
or ignore it. Its just a problem when your leg is in deep sleep and you have to stand up on stage walk to the front ... I often hupled over the stage coz of that.. hmm..
Im left handed, too. I play the guitar as all people. You use both hands, so why do you play it in false direction? There are no cons playing as 99% of the people do it. I have no problems with that. Its like usings pencils for left handed persons.. no?

My leg also allways falls into sleep when I use this position. But..its no problem for me. I dont recognize it.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 18:22:27

TGerman

Posts: 138
Joined: Nov. 27 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

Try wearing a compression sock. It's a really tight sock, with the toes cut out, that goes up to just below the kneecap. It's used for people with swelling problems, edema, etc... I've used them for a few reasons and they're great, they may just work this.

Todd

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 19:27:57

Ron.M

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

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to duende)

quote:

notice how paco puts his foot down after everysong.

In the Paco concert I saw, he used the "Paco position" for about half the show and finished in the "Doitsujin" position for the rest.
I couldn't really see if his foot was raised or not, since I was so close to the stage.
I also noticed Niño Josele did more or less the same.

Ron

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 20:05:09

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to Doitsujin)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Doitsujin

Its like usings pencils for left handed persons.. no?

Lefthanded pencils? LOL!

I am also lefthanded, but I think its very dangerous to follow your words, Doit.
I mean, its ok if it works for you, unfortunately I am not able to play a righthanded guitar, and yes, I do think that its not very smart to play "against his body". If playing "wrongly" does make you feel uncomfortable, then just-dont-do-it. I dont want to know how much lefties gave up guitar because everybody told them that it doesnt matter which hand they use, and then they became frustrated of making no progress and didnt know that the wrong guitar was the reason. Yeah, some of them (maybe you are one of them) were so motivated that they didnt give up, but in the end, one should try to make guitar playing and learning as easy as possible (!) because even with the right guitar, its still d**n hard work!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 21:37:13

duende

Posts: 3053
Joined: Dec. 15 2003
From: Sweden

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

im also a lefty. Hi

_____________________________

This is hard stuff!
Don't give up...
And don't make it a race.
Enjoy the ray of sunshine that comes with every new step in knowledge.

RON

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date May 21 2006 21:51:04

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

Thanks for the link Deniz! I missed the answeres after my last post in this threat here.

Im lefty and play the guitar like most of the people do it. But I dont think that the "better" hand have to grab the chords and the second just fiddle the strings. I think on the guitar both hands are igual important. So its not unnatural to play it like me.
And I dont think that its unusual to play it like me, for a lefty. hmm.. many players have problems with grabbing chords, doing complicated ligados or control wide strechings with the grabbinghand. I never thought about problems with these technics and never had problems with that. Also the barree werent a problem for me.. It could be that I never had problems with that coz Im lefty, no? So it could be a good idea to play the guitar righthanded if you are a lefty. And if you are a righty play it in the other direction..

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 4 2006 13:25:46

Miguel de Maria

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

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

I don't think learning the guitar is comfortable for anyone.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 4 2006 15:04:46

XXX

Posts: 4400
Joined: Apr. 14 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

Hmhm... it wasnt my aim to proof lefthanded is THE way to go. The fact that I cannot play righthanded as good as left does not mean, that nobody should play righthanded; the opposite is equally false, namely the fact that you can play righthanded...etc
Also the fact that you use both hands doesnt proof anything. Its not that simple "both hands = its not important which hand". The motions are simply not-the-same, and even if they were, I think most people would have still a favorite hand.

For some people it is easier to play left. For the majority its easier to play right, although I doubt that many of them ever even tried to play left. Lastly, the fact that the majority does it this way, does not mean that the minority is wrong and vice versa.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 4 2006 17:06:33

Doitsujin

Posts: 5078
Joined: Apr. 10 2005

RE: Foot Falling Asleep (in reply to ryan769)

Yes I understood Deniz.

I also didnt have a choice when I started learning to play the guitar. My teacher said, if you play from the beginning in the more popular direction, its easyer to teach you and you can play on every guitar of your friends and in shops to test them without any problem.
I had a flamenco guitar from cuenca some years ago. freatboard wasnt complete flat. Under the bass-strings it was a bit higher than under the melody-strings. It was a way of constructing the Guitar. If I would have only be able to play in the leftyposition..this guitar wouldnd be good for me.
okok.. I just had it 2 or 3 month. Than I sold it. But only for the deal..the guitar was great, but not great enough for me.
I think the position thing is a very individual thing.
You are right.. No position is THE right one for all.. Its like holding the hands during various technics.

A friend of mine started studying classical guitar with right handed position. The big test in the middle of his study, he played in the lefty-position. After this test, he changed back to righty "normal" position till today. He told me, his picado was faster in the other position.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 4 2006 18:32:12