Don't try so hard

[daveinspain]

Just thought I would pass on some good advise my bass player told me. This is not any kind of revelation for you seasoned players but if you have only been at it a few years it might be worth thinking about. You know the old saying "Less is more" well that can apply in many ways. The bass player in my band has been helping me a lot, giving me lessons and pointing out my weaknesses, of which I have many. One of which is the way I grip the neck and strum the strings....:- I hold the neck and press down on the strings way to hard. pressing down so hard on the strings can actually make the chord or notes you are playing go out of tune. You just need to press down enough for the string to touch the frets. The lighter you touch the strings the more fluid you will play. You will also find it easier to move around the fretboard. Same thing on your strumming hand. Using dynamics in your strumming can make a huge difference in your ability to accompany a singer or just fit into the mix better. Of course depends on what you're playing too. A ripping solo or Metal needs a heavier touch. I think it's just a matter of getting looser... Just sayin'....

[ShredAstaire]

Good advice...i have a very heavy hand when I play...which is probably why i lean towards heavier rock/metal playing....since I got my Tele i've been really working on this...its getting better!!

[LarryUK]

Relax. Be positive. Put feeling into it. Don't just play. It's harder than you think.

[Dub-T-123]

I'm not a shredder or anything but I usually play very lightly with my left hand. By that I mean I use a pretty small amount of downward pressure. Of course I bend and do vibrato and everything with full force I just don't push down very hard.

 

I think it's due to the fact that I basically learned how to play guitar on my SG. I didn't spend a super long time trying to learn on a total pos where you have to apply a lot of force just to get a couple notes out.

 

I just need to work on my playing.

[Big Bill]

That is good advise. I used to have the problem of using a death grip. I would get cramps in my hand and fatigue would set in. I had to learn to take it easy. Funny, playing bass tough me that. I press so hard on the bass strings that I developed tendinitis in my fingers.

[Guest rogerb]

I let a guy play a couple of songs with our band, he used my guitar. After he was through he commented that my guitar was out of tune, which it wasn't. I replied to him that you can't grab the neck like a hoe handle and expect it to be in tune. Same scenario... light touch is good.

[RichCI]

Mashing down with my fretting hand has been a problem for me for a very long time and I've tried to break the habit with little success. Fortunately, the guitars I play most have shorter or smaller frets like my LP Custom and reissue Fenders; I love my SG Junior but have to be much more conscious of my playing or I bend the strings over the larger frets.

[Riffster]

I have been working on this lately, gripping harder gives those awesom power cord sounds but then moving around the fretboard gets slower. A good mix is a must.

 

When I saw the thread title I thought you were going to talk about Jack White

[Thundergod]

What a great piece of advise Dave, I've noticed most new players suffer from what you just described.

[WahKeen]

yeah, joe satriani says that too. lighter is for fluidity and faster playing and relieves hand fatigue. i find myself going back and forth, and it

does make for interesting textures.

[Tman5293]

I actually had this problem until about a month ago. My guitar teacher pointed this out to me and I think that just the fact that what I was doing was wrong made stop doing it almost immediately. But I guess that it's a hard habit to break for some people.

[FirstMeasure]

Great advice Dave. You just have to "Feel" the string on the neck, touch them enough to sound without digging a ditch in your fretboard.

 

Try playing a scalloped neck, that will get your touch in order.