A Guitar Lesson in Posture: It’s All in the Fingers (and Forearm!)
Think about it: when you carry groceries in a plastic bag, are you relying on your thumb or your fingers? Even with a closed fist, it’s those fingers doing the heavy lifting. Since fingers lack their own muscles, this work actually comes from the forearm muscles that curl your fingers. These are the same muscles you should be engaging when playing guitar.
Your thumb muscles are smaller and weaker; you wouldn’t carry a heavy bag with just your thumb. Similarly, the force needed to fret a guitar string is far less than carrying groceries, and your thumb doesn’t need to add pressure in either situation. The thumb primarily serves as a tactile guide for your hand and fingers. While its muscles might engage to support a barre chord or a note, it should mostly remain relaxed. Focus on harnessing your arm muscles fully, rather than letting your thumb take up the slack.
Check out how a pro uses her hand when fretting high up the neck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP6xpIqtmG4&t=443s
So, What’s the Correct Approach?
This is a common struggle for many guitarists because it demands a keen awareness of your arm muscles. You’re on the right track with the idea of a slight “pulling back” on the neck with your fretting hand, ensuring the guitar body remains stable. However, relying solely on that mental image can lead to issues.
First, always play with your fingers curled, fretting on the tips, not the pads. This promotes their natural motion, which is akin to making a fist. Try making a fist by pressing your finger pads into your palm – it’s much weaker than using your fingertips. Also, keep your wrist straight or slightly arched. A bent wrist forces tendons to work inefficiently, potentially causing problems and even injury.
A Trick to Understand The Right Amount of Pressure
To grasp the right amount of pressure, try “buzzing” your scales (or other familiar finger patterns). Apply just enough pressure for each note to buzz, not fully mute or ring clean. Do this slowly and deliberately a few times (even trying it with your thumb off the neck). Then, play the scale normally. The pressure needed is only slightly more than what caused the buzz.
Alternatively, press a note as you normally would, play it repeatedly, and then gradually release pressure until it buzzes. The pressure just before the buzz is what you need. Practicing this, or the buzzed scales, with close attention to your forearm muscles, will gradually integrate this efficiency into your playing.
You can also try placing the guitar on your lap and tapping the strings as if playing a piano (think Jeff Healey style). Sometimes, our brains get stuck in old habits. Shaking things up can help your brain realize that less pressure is indeed possible, making the change easier. The challenge is teaching large muscles very fine control, so patience and focus are key. Finally, a well-set-up guitar is crucial; high action will make you work unnecessarily hard.
I offer one-to-one guitar lessons online or at my Kilburn studio in London.