Beginning Guitar Exercises for the Left and Right Hand

By Joseph Melchiorre

Left hand principles

The principles for using the left hand are: how the fingers are positioned on the strings, how the fingers are used to hold the strings. Also in holding and changing guitar chords.

Left hand finger position- clench your fingers as if making a fist as you open your fingers you will observe your index finger leans to the left, your middle finger leans slightly left, your ring finger is a ninety degrees and you small finger leans to the right. Place your fingers on the 1st or thinnest string on the guitar starting at the 7th fret with the way your finger was when your hand was clenched. So you should have the 1st finger leaning to the left as it holds down the string the middle to the left, the ring finger at 90 degrees and the small finger leaning to the right. In guitar notation our index finger is 1, the middle 2, the ring 3 and the small finger 4.

Your left hand fingers press or hold down the strings just in front of the fret. The finger presses the string down with the joint closes to the finger tip.

Right hand principles

The right hand plucks the individual notes with the thumb and strums the chords with thumb. The other way to pluck the strings is to use a pick, to use the pick curl your index finger and place the pick with the tip pointing away on the 1st joint (from the tip) and have the thumb hold-cover the pick with the pad (tip ) of the thumb. With the pick you pluck the individual notes from the wrist and strum the chords from the forearm.

Playing chords right/left hand technique

How to read chord diagrams, these diagrams are the primary way to read chords. The diagram consists of six vertical lines from the left the thickest to the right thinnest, the strings are numbered 6 to 1.The horizontal line are the frets from the 1st fret (from the top of the guitar) then the 2nd fret and the dot is where you place the fingers and push down the string.

For the C chord your 1st finger holds down the 2nd string on the 1st fret. With the right hand strum the 3rd to the 1st strings.

Relaxation principle

With all the students I have I continually ask them if this is comfortable or tense for them. If you are playing and your hand is feels consistently tense, then something is wrong with how you are using your hand or wrist. Always strive to play relaxed.

Conclusion

This article will give you background on how to use your left/right hand to play the guitar. Consider having personalized instruction to help give you solid guidance and direction.

Joe Melchiorre has taught guitar for over 15 years and teaches in the northwest Chicago suburbs, For more great information see his blog at onbeginning guitar visit my blog at guide to learning guitar