Our journey begins with a simple yet profound concept: the setup. It’s not just about holding your guitar; it’s about creating an environment where your entire body empowers your hands to move freely and naturally. Many guitarists struggle with fingerstyle because they focus on isolated movements, neglecting the bigger picture. This results in tension, fatigue, and a disconnect from the instrument’s natural flow.
A good setup involves your posture, leg positioning, and the way you hold your guitar. By refining these elements, you can play more fluidly and with less strain. Think of it as setting a strong foundation that lets your fingers move freely and naturally.
By mastering the “setup,” we unlock the key to lightness, precision, and effortless expression. We’ll start by exploring the “large setup” – your body, legs, and the instrument’s position. Get ready to uncover a world of possibilities where your hands can move with complete freedom!
Think of your right hand as the heart of your guitar playing. If it’s not working smoothly, everything feels off—like trying to drive with a faulty engine. It holds you back, no matter how hard you push forward. It’s the same with your guitar technique. Starting with the wrong right-hand setup is like building a house on shaky ground—you’re setting yourself up for frustration.
The reality is, most guitarists unknowingly develop bad habits with their right hand right from the beginning. These habits become invisible barriers, capping your potential and leaving you wondering why you’re not progressing the way you want.
Many guitarists set up their right hand in a way that unintentionally restricts their fingers to move in the natural way which leads to:
But don’t worry, there’s good news! Getting your right-hand setup right is like supercharging your playing with a high-performance engine. It’s one of the most crucial skills you can master on your guitar journey.
Now, let’s dive deeper into the right-hand setup.
Now, let’s move from theory to practice with our first exercise. It might look simple, but it lays the groundwork for your entire fingerpicking journey. This exercise conditions your fingers to move in a perfect way and therefore builds a foundation for most fingerstyle techniques. Even though it might seem very simple, don’t underestimate it and incorporate it into your regular practicing sessions.
The last thing we have to discuss are three important rules for the setup of the left hand. These rules are a starting point, not an unbreakable law. As you gain experience, you may discover slight adjustments that feel more comfortable and natural for your unique hands and playing style. Always prioritize comfort paired with efficiency.
Welcome to a new chapter. We are going to use everything we learned in the previous one and apply it to picking on a single string. By the end of this chapter, you’ll not only have learned new techniques but you’ll also get to enjoy and play some short, delightful compositions, putting all your new skills into practice.
Learning the right-hand patterns is an absolute MUST for fingerpickin technique. So many people struggle due to improper set-up and inefficient movements.
This exercise focuses on conditioning your hand for the correct setup and perfectly executed finger movement. It’s the first step to achieving a light, precise, and fast right-hand technique.
By the end of this lesson, you will have laid the foundation for effortless right-hand technique. Don’t forget to apply everything you’ve learned immediately in the charming compositions at the bottom of this page.
Lay the foundation for a perfect right-hand technique by playing these compositions.