guitar positions

by RON
(DANDENONG .VICTORIA . AUSTRALIA)

Dear Sir,

I cannot keep my thumb on back of guitar neck, it keeps wandering . Can you suggest ANYTHING?

RON.

Hi Ron,

Initially, you need to become very aware of what your thumb is doing i.e. focus on it like you would your other fingers when playing.

My suggestion would be to start off with a very simple exercise like moving from the first fret to the fifth fret with both your thumb touching the back of the guitar neck (about three quarters up on the neck not hanging over the top) and your first finger touching the sixth or E string.

The pressure you apply is very slight and you're just moving slowly back and forward touching both the string and the back of the neck.

Your concentration is on your thumb mainly to keep it in position on the neck but not "dragging" with pressure or tension.

After you have mastered this easy example I'd move on to playing simple scales in the first position but giving your thumb the same attention as the other fingers.

Later on you can increase the difficulty and practice at a much deeper level by playing scales all over the guitar like these Segovia Scales

If you focus your concentration and, in effect, set your subconscious mind a goal as it were, you'll find over time that the subconscious will take over and you'll do this, or any action without thinking about it.

It's actually how we learn anything and it's how it becomes "automatic' over time whether it's playing a sport, driving a car or playing guitar.

The "trick" is to initially focus your concentration on the problem you want to solve and very slowly build up your competency.

I hope this helps.