Finger height tips?

[disturb]

I watch my favorite fast players and notice that all of their fingers are just centimeters above the strings at all times. When I play slowly, I can concentrate enough to keep them low. When I speed up, I notice I am lifting my fingers too high. It affects my speed. I think if I could keep my fingers low, I could really increase my speed. Anyone have any good tips or exercises to help keep them low? I need to burn it into my subconcious. I almost wish there was a device I could keep above my fingers while I practice, so that I couldn't lift them higher than a certain point. Then my brain would get used to it.

 

[fingerace]

Re: Finger height tips?

start slowly! then slower and slower... then after you do that, start going SLOW !

ok I haven't said that, a famous musician did but I forget who it was...

So start slowly... get the speed down with the minimum hight you want... really get it down. after you are really familiar with that, increase the speed with small increments. Do not proceed to a faster pace until your fingers are doing what YOU want...

This always worked for me for whatever I do on the guitar...

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: Finger height tips?

The faster you play the more pressure you use on the strings, at least that's what I did. But I discovered that you can play fast even if you only use few power.

If you speed up, does your hand cramp?

 

[fingerace]

Re: Finger height tips?

The faster you play the more pressure you use on the strings, at least that's what I did. But I discovered that you can play fast even if you only use few power.

If you speed up, does your hand cramp?

yeah +1

that's the most important

 

[disturb]

Re: Finger height tips?

My hand doesn't cramp. Don't get me wrong, I've been playing for 20 years, and in a steady gigging band. I'm not really slow, but just think I could really pick up speed and fluidity if I could keep my fingers really low.

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: Finger height tips?

I agree with fingerace here. Slow a bit down and give the thing some time. You have to change your style until the new technique is becoming something ordinary. Find the BPM where you think your fingers do the twist and get it under control.

Take some songs which you can play without problem, slow them down and watch every move you make with the fingers. If you play the songs always like this and speed up a little, your fingers gonna "think" it's part of the song that you have to move your fingers that particular way.

If you play new stuff, take this approach that you move your fingers as little as possible and accept it's part of the song. Because the first impression you get with practising is the most important.

That's why mistakes are hard to get out of your playing if you're used to play a song in your way/style you think it was right but later by finding out you ought to play 1 or 2 different notes it is tough to manage/change it because it's saved in your brain how you learned it.

Practise it also while standing and if it is difficult, move the guitar further to your neck..it's not rock'n'roll then but you have a better control over the instrument.