Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
Posts: 103
Joined: Mar. 15 2005
From: Toronto, Canada
Question for Miguel
quote:
Miguel de Maria: I had come to the thought that the left hand was a vise--well, good ol Jon corrected me and said that the proper use of the LH was more arm weight, that the thumb was not to be used as a vise at all.
Miguel, Unfortunately, I'm still using my LH as a vise and not with good results I must admit! I remember Seanm explaining the arm weight concept earlier, but I did not quite follow that. I was wondering if you, or anyone else, would be kind enough to explain it in a more detailed fashion. Thanks! BTW, my instructor advocates the "vise grip" approach!
Ramin
_____________________________
What we are today comes from out thoughts of yesterday and our present thoughts build our life tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. -Buddha
Essentially, realize that when you lift your hand into playing position, you are using muscular power to elevate it. Gravity is constantly pulling you down. Now you just have to channel the power of gravity to hold down the strings, by allowing your arm to relax. You will be "hanging" onto the fingerboard and thereby arresting the fall of your arm, using the fingers to gracefully and evenly hold you up.
The weight is only one factor in a complex system. If you lean a metal pole against a wall, it is exerting pressure against a horizontal surface, although it is gravity which is the operating force, right?