The relaxed hands
    MY GUITAR TECHNIC HISTORY

    Although I may be considered by some to be a "fingerstyle" guitarist (whatever that means) and in some cases even a "folk guitarist", I have been studying the classical guitar for over 45 years, and I consider myself a classical guitarist even though I have rarely performed any of the standard repetoire.  It was hearing the classical guitar duo of Presti and Lagoya playing Debussy's "Clair d'Lune" that was my incentive to begin learning classical guitar.  Although I played other types of music to live on, classical guitar was my main interest and also the direction I took when I began my composing.  The fingerstyle and folk labels given to me were the result of some popular and folkloristic pieces I had arranged and recorded for the German radio before making my first album of original compositions.  The fact that my German record label was more folk and blues oriented did not help in putting my music in the right perspective.  The discipline and technic of my playing though clearly imitates that of the normal classical guitarist, and my compositions also follow basically the same standard customs and harmonies associated with classical music.  The difference is just my addition of a few more modern rhythmic influences.  

    WHAT IS CLASSICAL GUITAR TECHNIC?
       
    Classical guitar technic is a way of "playing" the nylon string guitar and does not need to be strictly connected to the music deemed appropriate by Segovia or Bream and associates.  It has mainly to do with how you hold the guitar, how your hands are positioned, and how your fingers strike the strings to produce different tones and colors.  Each of these three main elements is directly related to the other.  There is no way that you will strike the string well if your hand and fingers are not in the right position, etc.  And if your overall posture is poor your muscles and tendons will not be free to move optimally and therefore will inhibit tone, color, speed, and perfection of playing.  

    In the early days of classical guitar the hand positions in particular were particularly stressful and contorted.  You just need to look at some of the early photos of Tarrega, Segovia or Bream to see what I am talking about.  Variations of these contorted hand positions, although somewhat less extreme, are still being taught today as the way to play classical guitar.  Is this a good thing?  I don’t think so.

    WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS OF MANY OF THESE TRADITIONAL TECHNICS?

    For years I have watched and listened to classical guitarists and teachers expounding on the traditional right and left hand technics and the twisting and turning of the hands and holding them in what I term abnormal positions.  The results or repercussions of many of these technics on the student and player are stories of pain, of carpal tunnel syndrome, and sometimes the need for operations to ease the pain.  For me, it all stems from being taught a totally unnatural and in many ways unhealthy technic.  Unhealthy in regards to how our hands, arms, and fingers are constructed.

    IS THERE A HEALTHIER TECHNIC?      

    Yes.  It is what I call the “natural method”.  It is the result of my studies over the last 40 years.  Had I accepted the standard classical technics maybe I would have had the same problems, but I had chosen to go my own way following what I saw as a natural approach to the instrument.  I experimented with different positions, etc. and then I listened to my body to see if it complained.  I thought about the way it seemed to function best and what it liked and did not like.  And it was clear to me that it was much better if I kept my wrist joints straight, rather than bent in the traditional way.  I was able to practice 8, 10, 12 hours a day without having aches and pains.  And I could get the same tone, color and speed in my playing that most classical teachers said was only possible in the “traditional way”.  
    My goal is very simple.  I want you, the player, to have the best possible chance of success with your instrument and in the most natural manner, and without loss of tone,quality, or speed.  And all of this achieved in the way your body was designed to work and to be used.    


    WHAT IS MY "NATURAL METHOD"?  

    The main concept is as follows.  Just because we have lots of joints does not mean we are supposed to use them continuously.  If you bend a wrist joint and hold it over long periods of time in any position, other than straight, it will become stressed out, especially if you are moving your fingers constantly as in playing guitar.  The tendons for the fingers go through a narrow tunnel crossing over the wrist joint.  When the wrist is bent this passage becomes even narrower and through constant movement of the fingers it will become painful and begin to complain.  The longer this goes on the worse it will become.  It will NOT disappear by practicing longer.  That is why it is necessary to keep the wrist as straight as possible.  In my "natural method" the wrist joints remain straight and are ONLY bent on special occasions and only for very short times.  By maintaining this natural position it is possible to practice for 10-12 hours with no pain and very little muscle tiredness.  But you might ask, now who in his right mind wants to practice that much?  Well, a person obsessed with the guitar and music will often put in those kinds of hours and therefore it is very important that the technic he learns allows him the painless freedom to do it.  With my "natural method" it is not a problem.  So let's get to it.  It is never too late to change!

    YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY OF THE PHOTOS FOR A CLOSER LOOK.  

    Now take a look at your hands to see if they resemble any of the photos below when you are playing.  If so, then it is high time to change!  You see that all of them have a wrist which is cocked or bent.  Sure, there are a couple of special technics where it may be necessary to bend a bit, but this is usually only for very short periods of time, seconds only, and therefore will not cause stress to the tendons.  This is what you should try to correct.  
              These are my hands and the way in which I normally sit to play or practice.  BTW, even with such a crooked middle finger it is possible to play guitar, but it does make tremelo more difficult!
              To get into the basic position let your arms hang loosely at your side.  Bend at the elbows and bring your hands up to a 45° angle, or parallel to the floor.  Turn your hands over with the palms up and in a relaxed position similar to the photos.  Do NOT stretch the fingers out straight on either hand.  Normally the thumbs will point away from the fingers.  Stay relaxed but with NO bending at the wrist. Now just take your guitar and place your hands and arm on the instrument as you see me do.  It is not necessary to use this type of guitar support, but I find it better than using a foot stool.  

                      This is how your right hand should approach the strings and how it should be in a neutral position to begin playing.  My fingers are relaxed and slightly curved in their naturally relaxed position.  No "rolled or curled" fingers.  The arm and hand do not rest on the top of the guitar.  The hand is an "extension" of the arm in a straight line with NO bending at the wrist.  This is one of the most important positions of the "natural method".    
                              The photos above show that the hand is well above the strings and the wrist is straight.  There is no bend and no resting of the hand on the strings or top of the guitar.  It should be possible to easily see the floor between the inside of your hand/arm and the strings.  You should be able to lay a ruler along the back of your hand which extends across the wrist and up the arm, like the red line I have used in the photos.  Obviously there is nothing which is 100% straight, but it should be very close to it and it should be relaxed.  Remember, NO TENSION.
                                        The above photos show how the left hand and wrist should look about 98% of the time while playing.  The left wrist is kept basically straight.  The arms hang loosely at your sides and are not pulled or held away from the body unless the hand moves down toward the first position.  As you proceed up the neck, and by that I mean towards the body of the guitar, your arm returns naturally to your side.  There is no need for flapping arms or having your elbows extended out from your body.  It takes tension to hold your arms away from your body and that brings tiredness and stress.  Your arms should always hang naturally.  

                                        Notice too that the left thumb behind the neck is in its natural position, away from the fingers.  In this way you can exert pressure if necessary using the ball of the hand, the soft inside muscle at the base of the thumb which you can see in the above photos.  This gives you more strength in the left hand than if the thumb is parallel to the 1st finger as taught in the "old school."  With the "natural method" the thumb stays in its natural position and is not pulled in towards the fingers.