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HOLDING THE INSTRUMENT
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Take your Guitar to read these concepts in order
to check with it you understand well what one says to
you. Do not hesitate to return back to this chapter
throughout your training to control your position on the instrument.
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The Guitar rests on the right leg, as close as possible to your body, the instrument's body being
in vertical position, the Guitar's neck stays horizontal.
The stability of the instrument is ensured by the
right arm which rests (aproximately at the biceps level) on the instrument.
If you wish to see your left hand fingers position over the "touch" (the part of the axe on which one plays) it is
necessary to make the effort to lean you ahead but you should not
especially change the position of the instrument!!!
If you play upright (with an Electric guitar for example) you
must avoid carrying it too low. The axe must be
slightly tilted to the top (see figure I in this
page).
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WARNING : Often rectify your position, especially in the beginning. Defects are acquired very quickly, but are
corrected painfully... |
LEFT HAND
The nails of this hand must be
very short. Too long nails prevent from correctly pressing
the strings against the touch.
At the time of your first studies you may feel the pulp of the
fingers being a little painful,
you don't have to worry, it's normal. By dint of practicing your fingertips will take a little antler and will lose this undesirable
sensitivity.
On the partitions the left hand fingerings are
indicated as follows:
- the forefinger (or index finger) = 1,
- middle finger = 2,
- ring finger (or third finger) = 3,
- little finger = 4 (see figures I and
II below).
Notes : one 0 indicates that the left hand does not play; the
thumb is not used.


The thumb must always be placed as on figure
III below. The other fingers are bent over the strings : they are perpendiculars to the Guitar's neck (see figure IV below).


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WARNING : To obtain a clear and precise sound
, it's necessary to put your finger(s) more close
possible to the frets (see the figure V below). Note : a touch is the space between two frets. |


© Amar GUERFI 1994-98