In this video, the teacher demonstrates the proper right hand position for levels 1 and 2. This position is referred to as a fixed finger position and the written sequence is below. The first thing you should observe in this video is that all of the students are in the Proper Position before approaching right hand set up. Notice the teacher's precise use of language as he refers to the guitar strings by number, the parts of the guitar using proper terminology and to right hand fingers by letter name. Also notice that he demonstrates the correct position as well as some of the common pitfalls that many students have when attempting right hand setup for the first time. Most of these errors have to do with the placement of the right wrist.
Right Hand Position
Students will:
- Sit up tall.
- Place left foot on the footstool.
- Hold the guitar at an approximate 45-degree angle to the floor – resting on the left leg.
- Contact the guitar with the right arm about one inch in front of the elbow at the point on the side of the guitar where an imaginary line through the bridge would meet the upper edge.
- Keep right wrist straight when viewed from in front of the player (teacher view).
- Keep right wrist slightly elevated so that there is space between the wrist and the face of the guitar and “the plane of the back of the hand is parallel to the plane of the face of the guitar” when viewed from above (student view).
- Keep the plane of the back of the hand parallel to the plane of the face of the guitar, no dip of the “pinky side” or the “thumb side” of the hand toward the face.
- Rest thumb on string 3, the i finger on string 2, and the m finger on string 1.
Next, we'll be setting the students up for success with a clear understanding of The Right Hand Technique.
Demonstration of proper right hand position.