Acoustic Guitar Playing Techniques

Acoustic guitar playing gives one tremendous joy and fulfillment. There are certain standards that we need to be aware of and when this is heeded, helps to bring out good playing habits.

Good Posture

Acoustic guitar playing and good posture are an integral part of good technique. In the sitting position, the balancing of the instrument and proper leg positions all add up in good playing. How the instrument is balanced whether on the left/right inner thigh does make a difference in playing. If a strap is used in the holding position, make sure the height of the acoustic guitar is comfortable and the hands are not restricted in any way.

Left and Right Hand Positions

- Left Hand

In acoustic guitar playing, you need to be aware that the left hand nails should be cropped and kept to a comfortable length, for long nails do get in the way when fretting the fingerboard.

Relax the left hand; do not squeeze the neck in a death grip as this restricts the finger movements. Fret the notes with the tips of your left hand fingers, and listen for string buzzes and the tone produced. Ask yourself; "Are there any notes that are not properly fretted?"

- Right Hand

Acoustic guitar playing requires the use of the fingers or a plectrum, which is used to strum across the strings. This induces the strings to vibrate and sounds are produced.

When using a plectrum, there are various gauges to choose from. From thin to heavy gauges to various sizes and shapes, it all depends on the player, his taste and his preference.

Thumb Position

The thumb plays an important part in pivoting from position to position. Avoid squeezing the neck for it restricts thumb movement. Relax and gently glide the thumb across the fret board, have the fleshy pad part of the left hand positioned behind the fingers.

Trouble Shooting Problems

Acoustic guitars do normally have a list of problems associated with it. We will list a couple here to assist you to fix it.

When there's a lot of buzzing of the frets, we need to address this by identifying the source - Is the neck slightly bent? Is the saddle too low? Is the action on the guitar too high? Are you using too much pressure when fretting notes/chords?

The thumb, when squeezed too tightly will cause the fingers to be fatigued and the whole hand will be limped and this will effect the quality of your playing. Make sure the pad part of the thumb is centrally placed behind the fingers. The L/R hand problems can be ironed out by identifying the flaws and what is causing these problems.

It is best to observe yourself playing in front of a mirror and watching out for bad habits and have them corrected. Are your shoulders hunched? Are the hands restricted in any way?

When seated, is the balance of the weight of the instrument comfortable on the thighs? The elbow should be established against the body.

Stretching and Warming Up the Fingers

Many acoustic guitar players have shared with me that they experience pain when playing their instruments. My answer for this is - "If you do not do any stretching and warm up for the fingers, they will not have optimal function".

Warming and stretching the fingers will keep the fingers supple and does avoid injury. Basic finger stretching includes bending the fingers and gently pushing it back to a comfortable stretch. Pulling on the fingers, bending the wrists, stretching out the hands to a stretch all help in warming up the hands.

Proceed to the next lesson: Acoustic Guitar Lessons

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