Some pieces require both rest stroke and free stroke, which makes fingering even more difficult to master.
Arpeggios (broken chords) I generally find free stroke (where my fingers leave the string, allowing it to vibrate) most beneficial to master, and as long as you know the Latin names of your fingers (p,i,m,a), you can chose which fingers you wish to use,
Generally, I use my thumb (p) for the bass note and my first three fingers, i,m, and a for the chord fingering.
Often I practise difficult arpeggio fingering, such as pimiaimi away from the strings and against my thumb on my right hand. This will also improve your speed for faster tempos.
However, when you are playing scales or other
notes, I find it beneficial to use rest stroke, resting my finger against the string to stop its vibration when I play quarter notes or notes that you don't want to sustain through the measure.
Also, it is helpful to move your right hand as though you are opening a bottle and position it over the opening in the body of the guitar. This will improve its acoustics and resonance.
In addition, always remember to have a small foot stool handy to lift the neck above your waist, as when you keep the guitar at waist level it is more difficult to master bar chords and to stretch your fingers to play a more difficult chord, or to carry a note over as you continue to play the measure.
Hope this helps, Aphrodite (love the name). Keep practising every day and you'll get better.
Regards, Susan
-playing 15 years
May 23, 2009
Slow is faster by: George
I second what Trevor said. In the very early stages of learning you will build up your fingering skill with slow, accurate practice (See the Segovia scales or the "Pumping Nylon" book).
Don't even consider speed or making the tune sound like music yet. Work on those challenging movements every day for maybe 10 minutes...remember that your fine finger muscles learn movements much slower than your brain can comprehend the desired outcome or theory of that same movement..."teach your fingers well"...do some of the movements in extreme "slo-mo" until everything is smoothly coordinated.
AND don't forget that you're PLAYING not WORKING...enjoy yourself...slow progress is much more gratifying than rushing to failure.
