The TuneUp Program

By the time we get to analysing the position of the hands all of the hard work has been done. The shoulder and arm has to position the hands in space and where they sit is in turn determined by the spine so if we've got all that right we're left with little more than some fine tuning.

The so-called correct techniques are biomechanically sound and widely known. Any biomechanical analysis of the hands at this point would simply bring us back to these already well documented approaches. While I present some of them in the following pages the over-riding focus is on making you more comfortable with your technique, whether or not you decide that you need to change aspects of it.

Right hand approaches can vary wildly. Fingerpickers and flatpickers are, in many respects, playing different instruments but there are also variations according to style, the shape of the guitar and personal preference.

Common to all players however is the need to have your basic posture right, your shoulders and arm relaxed and positioned to minimise the stress on your hands and to maximise their mechanical advantage