Here is another Friday 10-second tip for you to enjoy…
It’s all about a phrase I coined called “Fingergrind”.
It sounds nasty because it is!
Fingergrind is all about the slow and painful motions the fingers make when you try to play chords, notes, or scales.
If your fingers don’t feel free-flowing, relaxed and smooth when you move them, you might well be suffering from fingergrind.
So what’s the best way to avoid it?
Here are a few tips…
Breathe deeply as you play
Don’t let your shoulders, arms, and fingers get tense
Relax the fretting hand’s thumb
Use “Minimum Pressure Required” to fret notes
Pause frequently to “shake off” any tension
Practise one scale very slowly, staying relaxed throughout
Perfect songs by working on each finger movement in isolation, one note at a time.
…And for a visual image, try to imagine your fingers are like a butterfly on the strings. As they move, your fingers gracefully lift off and gently fly across to the next note, just as a butterfly elegantly moves from garden to garden.
That peaceful image can help, especially for anyone feeling tense.
I could go on and on with tips such as these, but the above will get you started for now.
For more, check out my eBook Essential Guitar Technique…
It’s eBook #1 in my bundle and it’s the most important in terms of helping you create the building blocks of great fundamental technique.
Fix the 7 stumbling blocks of guitar playing that cause most beginners to struggle
Have a great Friday!
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.
Add Comment