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Miguel de Maria -> Left hand stuff (Dec. 29 2003 21:44:49)
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Since I've accomplished a good deal with my right hand, I've noticed my left hand lagging behind, slowing me down, buzzing a lot, basically behaving badly. So I've been focusing on it lately.
I have realized that my left hand is very undisciplined. A lot of times it does not play cleanly, the fingertip is on the fret, or I'm not even using the fingertip but some other part, that the hand is tensed and effort not being distributed evenly, that a joint is collapsed, that there is a burning sensation, that I am muffing notes. You would think I would have noticed all these symptoms before, but when you are preoccupied with picado, everything else falls by the wayside! Anyway, all these symptoms clearly point to the diagnosis of: Having a Bad Left Hand.
But, since I received this heartbreaking news, I have channeled my energies toward changing this glaring deficiency.
1. Slow motion--the good ol' slow it down, Real Slow, which has its detractors, oh yes. It works real good for left hand. If you have a shift, a run, a tricky chord, anything--just slow it down. If it's slow--real slow--you can play without tension. Your fingers learn what they're supposed to do, and at that tempo you can easily control what they have to do. Guitar playing is not difficult. You slow things down and do things so they are easy. You do it enough and then you can do it fast and loud, and that's when it Looks difficult.
2. Get familiar with the note--someone said this in The Inner Game of Music. Slow it down and smell the flowers, get familiar with each note. Know what it sounds like, what it feels like, what it looks like. When you know the note well, you will have no problem getting there.
3. Use leverage--this is a biggie. You have to angle your fingers so they are pressing solidly into the fingerboard, using the force from your hand to pin down the strings. There is a way to do this that makes a real solid, secure feeling. The other feeling is loose and tenuous, and makes your fingers exert a lot of effort to hold down the string. I'm not sure what physical principle this is, lever or what, but if you can find a place that feels good and solid and not tense, then you're on the right track.
4. Eliminate tension during position shifts--For some reason, my hand would grip up whenever I changed position. These shifts are not difficult as long as you devote some time to them. Do it slow. You have to intimately know the feeling of the chord you are leaping to--you have to be able to visualize it. Like if you shooting a target, you need to be able to see the target. If you look at the fretboard and have only a fuzzy idea of what your fingers need to do--need to look like--expect your results to be fuzzy. Yes, I think you should practice this sort of thing staring at your fingers. But once you are secure, you will not need to do it as much.
5. Rigor no mortis--don't strangle the fingerboard with your cold, clammy fingers. Move the fingers around, roll them, push them, straighten them, until you play the notes without strain. There is good strain and bad strain and you have to learn which is which.
This is basically a journal of my recent "discoveries," and I feel it can help those who are struggling with the same issues. Good luck and pass on some tips to me!
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