This video demonstrates how to teach proper left hand technique to your guitar class. Notice that the sequence starts out by having all students get into the proper Playing Position. The teacher continues the sequence by verbally giving instructions as well as physically demonstrating.
Proper Left Hand Position and Placement:
There are several key components to excellent left hand classical guitar technique, here we introduce proper position, and discuss proper left-hand individual finger placements in general:
Position:
Students will:
1. Sit up tall.
2. Place left foot on the footstool.
3. Place the guitar at a "45-degree angle to the floor" resting on the left leg.
4. Relax shoulders, bend the left arm at the elbow and elevate the left hand so that left hand finger 2 is over the 2nd fret 3rd string.
5. Place the thumb so that it rests "up and down" (not sideways) with the pad near the center of the back of the neck even with 2nd finger.
6. Make sure that left wrist is straight.
7. Identify that there is no contact between the palm and the neck of the guitar.
8. Curve and relax left hand fingers 1-4.
9. Identify that the left hand knuckles are parallel with the line of the strings ensuring that the "index-finger side" of the hand is the same distance from the neck as the "pinky side" of the hand.
10. Make sure that the elbow is equidistant between the shoulder and the left hand (not held tightly in, or raised unnaturally high).
Left Hand Individual Finger Placement:
Students will:
1. Curve the fingers pointing with their tips toward the strings at all times.
2. Place each finger with the tip of the finger on the string.
3. Place fingers just behind the metal fret. Placement too far behind the fret results in a "buzz", and placement on top of the fret results in a "thump".
4. Keep wrist flat and straight (not in or out) during all beginning finger placements.
5. Keep fingers curved to the tip not reaching or flattening to the pad.
Dr. Duke's video on Goal-Directed Learning is the next and most important part of learning the guitar!
How to teach proper left hand technique to your guitar class.