Hand position: "Classical" or "Rock and Roll"....

[6mmSid]

I've been playing for a little more than a year, and I play blues and hard rock. I started playing using the classical hand position with my thumb directly behind the center of the fretboard, but lately I've been wrapping my hand around into what I'll call a "rock and roll" position.

 

I have small hands for a man, and wrapping around allows me to mute the low E with my thumb, and also seems to help my pulloffs stay clean. A disadvantage is that I have to rotate my hand back around to cleanly fret a full barre chord and most of the open chords.

 

Is wrapping around OK, or am I setting myself up for trouble down the road? Are there other advantages/disadvantages that I'll run into down the road if I keep "wrapping"? I don't have a teacher, so it's up to you guys :>). TIA.

 

Sid

[Knottyhed]

Really you should be trying to maintain a 'correct' or 'classical' hand position, it's easier on the wrist, allows more flexibility and allows more freedom from moving up and down the neck. It's definately worth persevering with IMO.

 

However, that's not to say you should *never* wrap you thumb over or move your thumb into another place...

[The Burninator]

The classical position enables a wider finger strech, rock'n'roll position gives

you a stronger grip on the neck that can be usefull for string bending (and

for jumping around with the guitar, I guess).

 

I try to use the classical position as a default when I practice, and change my

grip to the rock'n'roll position when I feel I need it for bends or certain chord

shapes. I usually mute the low E with my picking hand or with my fretting hand's

index or middle finger when I do 5th string based barre chords and stuff.

[FFStratophile]

The rock grip position is for bends really, and for pentatonic playing...

The classical is for classical guitar, fast runs and wide stretches...

 

I freely go back and forth between 'em.

[Ostracized]

Heh...I guess I'm lucky that my first guitar teacher was a classical instructer who was strict about hand position.

 

I only use the classical position, and I think I'm better off for it.

[CBLjazz]

i think you need to be comfortable moving between the "classcal grip" and the "rock grip". Either position has advantages and disadvantages.

Personally I don't believe one way is right and one way is wrong. I have a little experience with classical guitar and I'm fully aware of the ideology behind the "classical grip". It stems from 2 reasons:

1. classical guitar necks are huge so in order to play easily it's silly and almost impossible to wrap your thumb around.

2. classical guitarists don't amplify so feed back isn't a problem for them.

 

Additionally certain chord voicings are only possible or simply easier by using an "incorrect" thumb position.

To me it's only problematic for electric guitarists if they can only play ONE way and not take advantage of both techniques when the music calls for it.

[Dubb]

^ ^ ^ Yup.

 

End thread here

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[captain average]

that's a question for your hands, not for your head. do what feels right is my advice.

[liko]

So apparently you won't get struck by lightning if you use the "rock n' roll" position. I use it quite a bit for most chord work (I have bass player's fingers, so in my case it actually helps get the extra finger/hand length out of the way), but while playing a lead riff and 100% of the time on my bass, I use the "classical" thumb-centered-on-the-neck position. Certainly on bass, I need the flexibility to pivot up and down on the fretboard.

[raggety]

electric necks are so skinny that its often too tricky to use the classical position and the thumb over grip is much easier on those instruments.

 

some classical players (Julian bream for example) you can sometimes see the tip of their thumb poking up above the top of the neck when playing.

 

the best advice I have ever read is to try and keep the thumb in line with wherever the second finger is at that time, if you are playing the bass strings the thumb position will naturally want to be higher up on the neck and so if you are playing the treble strings it will naturally be towards the middle of the neck

[Kat73]

I switch back and forth between the positions, depending upon how I can get the best leverage on the strings. When I'm stretching my hand across the fretboard or playing some bar chords, I go with the "classical grip." Otherwise, I go with the "rock grip."

[48Crash]

Dear Sid

 

You obviously can do as you please, but I'd strongly suggest that the 'classical' position is more good to you and your playing, in the short and long-term. Your fingers remain free above the strings, with a strong pivot behind them, which means you'll be using your fingertips to fret the strings, which means you can play faster, cleaner and more accurately ... and all that stuff. If you're having to mute the E string, perhaps you need to work on your picking, rather than trying to damp the string?

And in the long term, using your thumb as well as fingers can lead to carpal tunnel problems and other stress injuries to the wrist - can do, not automatically will, but still something to be avoided. Good players who use that technique tend to be good despite what they're doing, rather than because of it.

 

Although of course, I could be wrong.

[6mmSid]

Thanks everyone.

[BuckyB]

I sometimes use my thumb on the 6th string for chords that would be otherwise unplayable. For example, Ab/Bb, where my thumb and pinky are fretting Bb's on both E strings at the 6th fret, while my other 3 fingers are fretting an Ab chord on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th strings on the 4th, 5th and 6th frets, respectively (5th string is muted). Or just to add a low F# to an open D. No way I could play this with Classical position. I think both positions have their value. I tend to use the R&R position more, but it would probably be best to use the Classical as default, switching positions as needed.

[Ian Hand]

I'm of the opinion that modern guitarist should use both techniques depending on what they are playing and depending on which technique allows them to play it better or more easily.

 

Using the thumb to play the bottom E was/is a technique utilised by guitarists such as Hendrix and Page which releases the little finger to play extensions that wouldn't be possible using a full barre chord.

 

It would be a shame to ignore techniques like this just because they are not seen as 'technically correct' or because classical musicians would not use them.

[wrathfuldeity]

i have small hands and use a left hand classical position for better fretboard access