Francesco Sor, an Etude in Bm

[charles Tauber]

I think Andre's comments are good.

I'd add there is a balance between having the neck tilted upwards and having to reach for first position while it is tilted.

If the neck is tilted too high, it requires lifting the arm from the shoulder to be able to reach the first fret. That can lead to fatigue and/or neck and shoulder issues. If you watch the Bream video, his elbow hangs, pointing to the floor and is not lifted or extended away from his torso.

Each player needs to find the combination of body-part ergonomics that work best for him or her. That requires some experimentation over time.

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by AndreF

Hi Peter,

I like that hand position relative to the strings. Another good thing is that you're keeping the top of your hand pretty still. Also very helpful.

One thing that I see, and that you might want to consider, is to raise the wrist a bit to give your hand more of a slight arch over the strings. It's hard to tell from the front but it looks like your wrist is below the flat part of the hand.

Raising the hand a bit will help you pluck the strings more easily from your knuckle joints, rather than the middle ones. It will add a lot of controlled power and roundness to your stroke and tone production. It will also minimize the tendency to bounce when playing something faster.

Playing steel strings doesn't require us to do that at all, or nearly as much, but it's something to keep in mind when playing nylon, even if it feels awkward at first.

Practicing with a mirror helps, as well as using simple arpeggios, so that you can just focus on the right hand.

Lastly, it's not just you. It's something that I have to pay attention to constantly. You're not alone!

Thanks Andre, it’s an issue I’m very aware of - my wrist always wants to collapse, in particular when I’m playing a rest stroke. I found this evening that if I move my elbow slightly closer to the guitar edge then my wrist lifts a little into a better position. This does however feel awkward as you say given it pitches my fingers forward somewhat.

Practice is required!

[Wrighty]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

I think Andre's comments are good.



I'd add there is a balance between having the neck tilted upwards and having to reach for first position while it is tilted.



If the neck is tilted too high, it requires lifting the arm from the shoulder to be able to reach the first fret. That can lead to fatigue and/or neck and shoulder issues. If you watch the Bream video, his elbow hangs, pointing to the floor and is not lifted or extended away from his torso.



Each player needs to find the combination of body-part ergonomics that work best for him or her. That requires some experimentation over time.

Thanks Charles, fair comment.