K/W Guitar Society Tip #2 All Levels

Last week the guitar tip was about relaxing and having a positive mindset right before you start to practice and keeping that energy throughout your playing.

This week is about the very next step….

How do you place your finger(s) on the guitar fretboard?

I have always wondered how many guitarists have given this concept time and consideration?

1. Is your finger on it’s fingertip?

2. Are you playing single notes flat fingered?

3. Or are you applying a great amount of unnecessary pressure on the string?

Let’s talk about point #3.

I have had a great many players in my studio wanting to further their skills and become shocked when I say they are applying way too much pressure on the string.  That wasted energy is stopping them from playing faster and more articulate passages.  All that excessive energy takes away from finger dexterity, focus and musical endurance in concentration!

I still remember one of the very first exercises the great classical guitarist Norbert Kraft gave me – He asked me to play one note on the bottom string and slowly, very slowly. lift my finger off the fretboard, until it stopped ringing.  The point of the drill was to find out the least amount of pressure that I actually needed to play.

Watch this video by Slash playing Paradise City, alone with his guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM5mDVTIlag&feature=related

It is a clear example of ease of playing and making everything look so easy.  No energy is wasted and he is letting the guitar, his fingers, his picking and his amp create his sound.   We need to play forcefully sometimes or even in live situations.  But not all the time, as it creates tension that will block you from getting better.

Try the above exercise of lifting your finger slowly above the string for your daily warm up this week.  Find out where the least amount of pressure is and do it with each finger.  Awareness is key in this exercise and after a few days you will be surprised that you have freed up some energy to have more nimbleness and dexterity in your fingertips, as well as a better sense of rhythm and focus!

Stay tuned!

Stephen Zurakowsky

Artistic Director of K/W Guitar Society