From: leblanc@knuth.mtsu.edu (Stuart LeBlanc)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Correct l.h. positioning (was Re: Barrueco's teaching)
Date: 22 Jan 1993 17:21:54 -0600
Organization: Dept of Comp Science, Middle Tenn State Univ, Murfreesboro, TN
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: knuth.mtsu.edu

>What do Shearer/Barrueco have to say about _muscular alignment_ and
>positioning with respect to the _left_ hand position?  Do their
>recommendations have any bearing on the amount of force applied
>between the thumb and first finger in partial and full bar positions?
>How might they describe the use of "gravity" or "hanging on the
>fingerboard" to reduce the need for squeezing the neck between these
>two l.h. fingers?

As you probably suspected, *muscular alignment* is very useful and 
important in positioning the l.h. as well.  Another principle of 
muscular function which is critical, and which many ignore to their 
disadvantage, is *midrange positioning of joints*.  This principle 
observes that muscles work most efficiently when the joints they control
are operated near the middle of their range of movement.  It is not 
unusual to see players with their l.h. knuckle joints extended to the 
limit of their range of motion, so that their fingers can barely move 
with the amount of tension required to maintain that position.
 
Before considering l.h. positioning, it should be observed that in the 
concert repertoire the technical demands placed on the l.h. are *much* 
more complex than those placed on the r.h.; while the essential
movements of the r.h. fingers basically occur in a planar (two dimensional) 
context, the movements of the l.h. fingers occur in a spatial (three 
dimensional) context, which as they become more complex must be assisted
by constant adjustments in l.h. position.  Thus, any ideal position of 
the l.h. must be considered as a *basis* from which it may depart more 
or less, depending upon the demands of any particular l.h. fingering.  
As with the right hand though, the considerations for determining that 
basis are comfort and efficiency.  The position described below is the 
most effective for the performance of scales, the most fundamental 
materials of music.  When properly developed, this position will feel 
most natural, and will serve as the point of departure *when necessary*
for the complex l.h. demands of polyphonic and homophonic styles of music.
 
As in r.h. positioning, the following terms apply:
 
tilt:  degree of rotation of the forearm
deviation:  degree of sideways positioning of the wrist
arch:      degree of forward/backward positioning of the wrist
 
  First, the guitar must rest *flat* on the left leg (leaning neither 
forward nor backward), neck pointing *up* enough to place head at eye 
level, and neck pointing *back* enough to form a slight angle with the 
line of your shoulders.  Begin with your forearm in front of the neck 
positioned nearly perpendicular to the floor, and with the knuckle and 
middle joints of your fingers in *midrange* position.  Without yet 
placing anything on the neck or strings, make the following adjustments:

     tilt:  adjust tilt so that the palm of your hand is facing 
*directly backwards*.  As in r.h. position, proper adjustment of tilt 
results in equal access of all fingers to the strings (especially 4).
 
     deviation:  there should be no deviation.  Again, this results in 
effective muscular alignment as in r.h. positioning.
 
     arch:  there should be no arch.  A common problem seen in basic 
l.h. postioning is an excess of arch in conjunction with the 
over-extension of the knuckle joints described above, usually found 
when zealous students attempt to *always* press with the tips of the 
fingers.
 
At this point, the fingertips should form a line parallel to the 
strings, with the 1st finger less curled and the 2nd 3rd and 4th fingers
more curled.  There should be *no* exaggerated effort to keep the 
fingers widely separated as in the "four-fret position" of prior 
teaching methods.  Position the thumb opposite the 2nd or 3rd finger 
tip.  Before moving the hand to the neck, try holding a pencil lightly 
between the thumb and fingers.  If your wrist is very straight, your 
fingertips are all resting on the pencil, the pencil is parallel to the
strings, and your fingers are in midrange position (with the pencil well
away from your palm), then you are ready to open your thumb up enough to
place the fingers on the strings, *with the thumb still opposite the 
fingertips*.  Try placing all four on the A string; the 2nd 3rd and 4th
fingers should remain curled and *easily* place on their tips, with the
1st finger *slightly* straighter and placing *slightly* more on the 
pad.  Then successively lift the fingers and place them on the next 
higher string, proceeding until the high E string is reached.  *With 
each movement to a new string, the thumb should move accordingly, and 
the distance between the palm and the side of the neck should change 
accordingly.*
 
When this position is successfully achieved, try some *slow* scale 
practice, making sure the fingers are relaxed and controlled, and that 
hand (wrist) movement is minimized.  If you start pressing with the pads
of the 3rd or 4th fingers, or if your thumb is sticking out the top of 
the neck, or if the palm of your hand is generally resting against the 
side of the neck, you've probably lost the position and need to recheck.

Regarding the "gravity" question in bar positions, this concept does not
seem valid when examined at face value.  Specifically, the vector which
"gravity" would move the strings is straight downward, which is ninety 
degrees from the vector in which the player needs to move them.  Thus, 
the only way "gravity" could provide any assistance is is the guitar is
laying flat on its back, with the fingerboard facing the ceiling.  
 
However, this is a concept which has been found effective in remedying 
the student who is using excessive muscular effort in their bar to the 
detriment of any other finger mobility.  It seems that in hearing "let 
gravity do the work," the student who feels the need to desperately
press on the strings finds a conceptual reason to press less hard.  Whether 
the concept is accurate or not, a net improvement in l.h. technique 
results.  This is a pedagogical example of the "placebo" effect. 

Stuart LeBlanc
Guitar Instructor
MTSU Dept. of Music
leblanc@knuth.mtsu.edu