Ask Alex about... Guitar Technique

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Key ideas:

  • You can only do 2 things with your muscles:
    -Contract them
    -Relax them


  • Complete relaxation does not exist -unless you're dead!


  • Good technique happens when you tense and relax each muscle at the exact right time and only then.


  • Most guitarists tend toward too much tension, rather than too little. This can lead to injury, and it certainly leads to diminished control over the guitar.


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    Guitar Technique


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    Comments for
    Ask Alex about... Guitar Technique

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    Jun 21, 2010
    		 Play it SLOW!!!
    by: Alex

    Hi Alice,

    Thanks for stopping by. One of the biggest mistakes most guitarists make is trying to play everything fast, without ever having played it slow.

    It may be a silly analogy, but when you ride a bike, you go slow at first. Then you can speed up when you have to or need to.

    Music is no different. Going slow, like going slow on a bike on a beautiful afternoon can be very enjoyable!!! So play whatever it is you're trying to work out as slowly as possible at first.

    USE A METRONOME:
    Use a metronome to make sure that you don't lose the beat. And even more importantly, make sure to get the groove just right. No use in playing like a clock, is there?

    Then you can start gradually adjust the metronome till you get it up to speed.

    Good luck with your playing, and ask as many questions as you like!

    Alex

    ps. A slightly more complex point to consider -whether playing slow or fast- is fingering. You need to really think about your fingering: bad fingering does not allow you to stay in control when things speed up!!! (or really slow down, for that matter)
    Jun 21, 2010
    		 How can I play faster without losing control?
    by: Alice

    How can I play faster without thinking where on the guitar fretboard to put my fingers ?

    Alice Werfhorst, the Netherlands

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