Left hand tilt

[Li Shenron]

We talk a lot about different ways to position the left hand thumb behind the fretboard, what right hand fingers/wrist/elbow motion to choose, and how to hold the pick.

 

I was just thinking we don't talk usually about how do you tilt your left hand fingers on the board when fretting notes. The tilt I'm thinking here is the angle between your fingers and the strings, if you watch yourself in a mirror, so I'm considering the plane of your fretboard (not the vertical angle at which the fingertips touch the frets).

 

Shawn Lane seemed to keep his fingers most of the time in a position perpendicular to the strings, probably because he often used wide stretches. [This is likely to happen to basically everyone when playing the lowest strings, but when moving to higher strings, fingers tend to tilt]

 

On the other end of the spectrum, Paul Gilbert almost always has his fingers at 45 degrees or even less.

 

I'm just curious at which way comes more natural to other players. I think I tend to naturally follow Shawn's posture. I have quite small hands and fingers (but good stretch), I am not sure it really depends on that...

[Knottyhed]

I've always aimed for the ideal of having the thumb around the centre of the hand, in the middle of the neck and the finger in a line... the knuckles lining up with the neck (if that makes sense). Obviously I break this ideal all the time, but it's my 'default position' if you like. Probably more the Shawn Lane way than the Gilbert way?

I guess it all depends on hand mechanics. Paul Gilbert has mutant hands, Shawn Lane had fairly short 'normal' fingers (like you and me). I think probably just experiment, use that mirror and find what works for you.

[sanchezero]

this is something i frequently experiment with. most licks i'm training i check out for awhile both ways and i get mixed results with no clear indication why one is better yet.

 

as for my hand size, they're on the big side of small or the small side of medium, depending on your glass, i guess.

[Pankot]

I generally try to keep my fingers perpendicular to the strings, even at higher positions. Obviously this breaks down on some guitars where the neck joint impedes access, but on a through-neck I'm pretty consistent all the way up the neck. I think I picked up the habit via an old friend who played classical guitar.

[c+t in b]

my teacher corrected this on me a while back. perpendicular to the strings feel sbetter and works better.

 

i used to tilt as well and it causes your fingers to use too much pressure and they wont move as fast or as cleanly as being a perp

[Megatron_69]

I modeled my left hand positioning and technique from pictures in the Christopher Parkening Method Vol. 1 years ago. Fingers are perpendicular to the strings with my index and pinky angling inwards slightly.

I do allow my thumb to come over the neck in a few ocaissions. When doing bends, and vibrato I think it adds leverage and control. And when playing a lot of open chords I might for comfort and muting the low E. Also sometimes for Chords where I have to frets notes on the 6th string with the thumb. But generally my thumb is in the middle of neck opposing my middle finger.