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Guitar Hand Positioning Guide

The document provides instructions on proper left hand positioning when playing guitar. The left elbow should hang freely to the outside of the left leg and not rest on the leg. The hand should be positioned so the fingers stay in front of the guitar neck. The thumb placement can vary slightly due to hand size but should generally be around halfway up the neck, and the wrist should be below the neck.

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100 views2 pages

Guitar Hand Positioning Guide

The document provides instructions on proper left hand positioning when playing guitar. The left elbow should hang freely to the outside of the left leg and not rest on the leg. The hand should be positioned so the fingers stay in front of the guitar neck. The thumb placement can vary slightly due to hand size but should generally be around halfway up the neck, and the wrist should be below the neck.

Uploaded by

ale
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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LEFT HAND POSITION

When positioning your left hand


on the guitar, pay careful attention to
VHYHUDOWKLQJV7KHOHIWHOERZVKRXOG
hang freely to the outside of the left
leg. Don't let your elbow creep into
a position resting on the left leg or
PRUH LQWR WKH ERG\7KLV ZLOO DYRLG
undue stress on the elbow and wrist.
The hand itself should be positioned
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guitar neck.

THUMB POSITION
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position will be around half way up the back of the
guitar neck. This is our core position, meaning use
this position most of the time. There will be times
ZKHQZHXVHDQHOHYDWHGWKXPESRVLWLRQEXWWKLV
may compromise technique. We will discuss when
WRGRWKLVDWDODWHUWLPH6PDOOHUKDQGVVKRXOGKDYH
DQHYHQORZHUWKXPESODFHPHQW7KLVDOORZVIRU
EHWWHUVWUHWFKLQJDQG¿QJHUGH[WHULW\

WRIST POSITION
The wrist should be below the guitar neck,
which is our wrist core position.

TIP
A guitar should have a set-up every 6 months or
so. Check with you local music store for this service. 7
WHAT FRETS MEAN TO YOU
Frets are the little metal bars on the neck of the guitar. When pressing down on a
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RUWRWKHOHIWLQWKHSKRWREHORZ 7KLVLVYHU\YHU\LPSRUWDQW:KDWWKLVPHDQVLV
when we are pressing down any string in any fret, we are not trying to hold the
string against the wood of the guitar neck 5HDGDERYHSKUDVHDJDLQDVUHLQIRUFH-
PHQW :HDUHKROGLQJWKHVWULQJGRZQVRLWWRXFKHVWKHIUHWLQIURQWRILW

Finger at front of fret and good position Finger in back of fret and poor position

CHORD DIAGRAMS
,QWKLVERRN\RXZLOO¿QGFKRUGGLDJUDPVWKDWZLOOKHOS\RXYLVXDOL]HZKHUH
¿QJHUVVKRXOGEHSODFHGRQWKHJXLWDU6WXG\WKHGLDJUDPEHORZVRWKDW\RXZLOO
understand these diagrams when you see them.

Don't play these strings Chord Name


(P
[ [ '
[ [ &R R
  
Frets  
Fingers


Strings
TIP
Once the frets on a guitar have large divots,
they need to be replaced. This is called a fret job.
8

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