Are You Doing It Wrong? Correct Thumb Placement for Guitar

Рет қаралды 13,828

Күн бұрын

The position of your thumb on the back of the guitar neck can make a big difference in your playing, making chords and scales more accessible and also keeping your hands safe from injury. In this video, I will show you the perfect thumb placement so you can play more comfortably and with better technique.
I take this topic extremely seriously, so I will demonstrate the proper placement for your thumb on the back of the neck, along with detailed closeups, as well as some common mistakes to avoid.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced guitar player, mastering your thumb placement can take your playing to the next level! Don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel for more guitar tips and tutorials.
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00:00 The Thumb Problem
00:28 Thumb Pressure Mechanics
01:18 Proper Horizontal Position
02:08 Proper Vertical Position
02:42 Hand Size Considerations
03:06 Be Flexible
03:36 Some More Advice...

Пікірлер: 43

@johnphillips752 3 ай бұрын

I played for years with my thumb as described here. I've been doing this since 1970, so I'm somewhat seasoned. However, different styles may require different hand positions than you may be used to. For instance, if you are learning the percussive approach of SRV. "The correct way" depends on a lot of factors and I would encourage fluid flexibility. However, this is a good starting point to prevent injuries. Just don't get too critical when you see someone with their thumb positioned differently than a classical guitarist.

@worthbeattie4148 Ай бұрын

Perfect video. Thank you so much, I felt I played very well for a long time using heavy thumb pressure on only thicker necks because I felt the pressure helped my rhythm, but now that my musculature has adapted to the lighter touch I have much greater capacity for more agile playing on thinner necks

@Tyrenexg 19 күн бұрын

I loved this video, thank u sm. I was doing the hitchhiker one; and it was hurting my thumb a lot haha.

@andretonelli 18 күн бұрын

That’s great to hear! Andre

@tobe1359 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for all your time and patience. I’m practicing your videos with a classic acoustic guitar.

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to share that! Andre

@pscbern Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your work and this video. As a "beginner", I also almost always look at the fretboard and therefore don't hold the guitar completely vertically. But this way my thumb always looks out the top. If I hold my thumb in the middle of the neck, I have a bend in my wrist instead and that puts a lot of strain on the tendons. I guess that's the danger of learning with KZfaq without a teacher. Anyway, now I play in front of a mirror and focus my attention on the hand position.

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Hi Peter, yes KZfaq is not ideal. But you could do worse than my videos! 😀

@raymondlugo9960 Жыл бұрын

Yes, I'm a fan of the F major chord across all six strings.

@SixEightSixty Жыл бұрын

thanks, playing bar chords used to destroy my hand if i played them for awhile but now I can do it pretty easily 👍

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

That’s great! On to the next thing!

@emmanuelwood8702 Жыл бұрын

This is the best video on this topic.

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Great to hear it was useful did you. Thank you! Andre

@ledzepplin4345 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 😊

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

You are very welcome! Andre

@andretonelli 5 ай бұрын

If you enjoyed the video and learned something new, could you please hit the 👍button, it really helps a lot! Thank you so much everyone! Andre

@user-qu5gq7pq4w 10 ай бұрын

❤❤❤❤❤❤

@gustiraffa2540 20 күн бұрын

terimakasih

@andretonelli 20 күн бұрын

🙏

@woollybear3328 8 ай бұрын

Thanks so much! I was getting so worried and frustrated experiencing pain at the base of my thumb for the first time since I started playing a year ago. Now I know what I was doing wrong, my thumb was creeping over the top and the whole hand squeezing the neck for dear life😵 Is it normal for the mound at the base of the thumb on the fretting hand to be (slightly) larger than the one on the other hand?

@andretonelli 8 ай бұрын

Slightly, yes… 👍

@AJNpa80 4 ай бұрын

As far as hand size is concerned, my one impossible is the 3 in a row on a fret chords. I've had to switch to barring them with different fingers smash bent in just the right spot after weeks of trying all different angles, stacking etc. . All except the nylon acoustic with the wide board. I can do them 3 in a row there. My tips just won't fit without buzzing a string somewhere, by contact or by being so far towards the next lower fret.

@AJNpa80 4 ай бұрын

Such as A. It makes B a bit easier at least. Getting all 4 fingers used to fretting 3 strings so depending if it was 1 or 2 frets above needing index bar, I could choose. I can't do 2 strings as good.

@br1ck1e90 5 ай бұрын

For some reaosn I have a lot of problems using my pinkie it’s glued to my ring finger and in all scinarios is awkward to use was wondering if that’s normal or if there is anything I can do about it ?

@andretonelli 5 ай бұрын

That is normal in the beginning but we want to get all of those fingers working right. This might help, as well as other videos on the channel. Good luck! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sLh_jbGSsMuonaM.htmlsi=63_B_FAoTn5WWjqg

@adonnisperalta Жыл бұрын

How do you get your guitar neck at that angle? Mine is a lot lower than that and doing what you are saying is the right way hurts to do.

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Hi Adonis, you don’t want it to get too low or you’ll start bending your wrist too much. Andre

@maxwellblakely7952 Ай бұрын

I can’t put my thumb flat on the back of the guitar neck behind my index/middle finger, it rolls to the side and is very painful. So I just play with it wrapping the top, I know that it’s wrong but at least my hand doesn’t hurt.

@andretonelli Ай бұрын

Hi, it doesn't have to sit flat against the fretboard. It can certainly be at a slight angle.

@gaminggreat Жыл бұрын

Everytime, the thumb gets applied too much on the guitar, making it harder to move.

@captainchaos8701 Жыл бұрын

Tried the tip (pun intended) of rotating from hitchhiking to the pinching motion my Italian grandma used to swear at me with. Man what a difference! It allowed me to play way more relaxed grip and less fatigue. Thanks for all the progress you helped me gain in my journey. My wife still says I suck so I guess progress is arbitrary 😂😂😂😂

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Glad it helped! Your wife simply hasn’t realized it yet. Andre

@SILVERCHARGEDS Жыл бұрын

You wouldn't like my thumb position at all. It does not at all affect my playing but it is all over the place depending on what I'm playing. I never really analyzed my thumb position until now. I just realized, I have a unique technique where I barely use any thumb pressure at times. I might need make a video on my thumb position while playing 🤔

@andretonelli Жыл бұрын

Hi! Nothing for me to like or dislike. If it works for you, then great. By the way I agree with changing positions depending on what we play, as said in the video. And, I think you should make a video! 😀

@RoofsHobbyGuitar 3 ай бұрын

It sucks because I feel I just physcially can't do this. I work factory work and have stiff joints, nerve damage etc. My thumb tends to almost be horizontal with the neck often. I can't bend my thumb over enough to be in line with the index or middle finger without pain. It sucks.

@andretonelli 3 ай бұрын

Hi, try not to worry too much about this. It’s a ”best case scenario” thing a lot of us don’t always adhere to, anyway. It is good to be able to play and practice like this, but if you need to adjust to fit your anatomy, please do without worry. Plenty of awesome guitarists out there with unorthodox grips. Andre

@Gleb_Martynov 6 ай бұрын

how to mute the 6th string then?there's no way to put fingers like this for example in nirvana - sappy

@uglyskratch 4 ай бұрын

you can slightly touch the low e string with one of the fingers which press down on the a string, then its muted... but for chords like the A on the 2nd fret, i use my 1st finger to fret the chord and the thumb to mute the e string

@Gleb_Martynov 4 ай бұрын

thanks man@@uglyskratch

@Lutemann Жыл бұрын

Actually, the thumb is subservient to the fingers. Get the fingers in the correct position and there will be only one possible position for the thumb. Since there is no one position for the fingers, there is no one position for the thumb. However, there is a default position for the fingers which can and should be used most of the time. Also Andre, if you get that neck up to about a 45 degree angle, the left hand will work better. One should always use a stap when sitting down.

@EnJoony 4 ай бұрын

Sorry - But what's "correct" is whatever works for the individual.

@andretonelli 4 ай бұрын

Not if you get tendinitis or wrist pain, though.

@EnJoony 4 ай бұрын

@andretonelli Yes - I understand that. But plenty of players (some that we all know and love) with unorthodox thumb position and no issues whatsoever. It reminds me of instructors at Berklee back in the day telling you that you're holding your pick wrong. 😂