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Developing Left Hand Technique on the Guitar
Left hand technique on the guitar has to be developed slowly and methodically. Many students rush through learning difficult passages too soon and end up with a sloppy technique, with inaccuracies in pitch, rhythm and intonation.
The most important element in developing a good left hand technique is to have a strong sense of pulse. This allows the student to make quick, accurate, purposeful movements. A sense of pulse is learnt initially by practicing to a metronome. When you are learning a technically challenging passage, begin by playing it half or a quarter the speed you finally intend and when playing this slowly it is important to give each note its full value and move the fingers quickly between notes, they should move like pistons from one note to the next. This allows the student to play much more accurately when working at faster speeds. Doing this type of practice will also make the guitar feel easy at faster speeds.
Increase the speed at increments of 5BPM each time and do not move on until you can play the passage perfectly at that speed ten times. If you can only do it once in fifty times, its highly unlikely that you are going to play it well in a performance. The passage should feel easy to play, if it doesn’t then take the speed down 20BPM and work up when it feels easy again.
Many people believe that the fourth finger is the weakest, both in speed and strength but in-fact the third finger is the weakest of the four as it operates on the same tendon as the fourth. It’s a good idea to work through technical exercises for the left hand. A good book for an intermediate to advanced player to work through is ‘Speed Technique’ by ‘Troy Stetina’ or ‘Pumping Nylon’ by ‘Scott Tennant.’
