What technical problems are you currently struggling with on your instrument?

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martin.3
updated 2 yrs ago
12replies

What technical problems you’re currently struggling with on your instrument?

I don’t find enough time to practice now, so I am starting to struggle with the fluidity of my left hand, especially with slurs (I'm typing more on a computer keyboard than doing my hammer-ons on a guitar).

Let us know! 🙆‍♂️

PS: We are opening an AMA with Marco Tamayo for November! Watch out for that, he might help you 💪

- BLaflamme
- 2 yrs ago
- Reported - view
martin hmmm... use Siri to tell your computer what to type and practice Llobet/Sor Variation #7 at the same time! Great news to have Marco here in November!
- Retired
- Jack_Stewart
- 2 yrs ago
- Reported - view
This is not exactly what you are asking for. I recently sliced the top side of my LH middle finger - with a serrated bread knife nonetheless, so I am probably out of playing for several weeks. My nails are so bad I can only use fake nails. So I decided to try working on RH playing without nails. I am doing my exercises with LH only. (If you don’t think exercises are boring enough you should try this.)

I am also trying to ‘practice’ by just reading scores. That is a real challenge for me and I get frustrated easily, but I think it is a very good habit to develop - the reading of scores not the frustration.
- joosje
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Jack Stewart 😦I don’t know what this emoji is about, but it should express my being shocked about your injury. One of those horrors for every guitarist. Guess reading scores is a great exercise and will be useful, brain/hand coordination…. Listening to interpretations and imagining it’s your fingers playing, some say is also a trick that could be helpful…. Wishing you speedy recovery.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  joosje Thanks Joosje. It was stupid carelessness on my part. 🙄Just when I was just about to re record the Sor op. 26 variations. Well, that’s going to have to wait.
  
  I am going over the scores of my repertoire and imagining the fingerings. Hopefully that will help keep them in my memory.
- Amateur guitarist/lutenist
  
  David_Krupka
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Jack Stewart I hope the injury isn’t too bad, Jack. You’ll need to channel your inner Django for the next while! (Maybe it’s an opportunity to strengthen the third and fourth fingers?) I’ll be interested to hear how you get along without nails. I’ve been playing this way ever since I took up the lute, some years ago now. It’s not ideal for all repertoire, but it works well for early music. If you’re interested, I’ll try posting something to show my approach to playing nail-less.
- BLaflamme
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Jack Stewart sorry to hear that, so sad news 😥... I hope you'll recover well and fast. There's some mental work you can indeed do, but not having the instrument under the fingers is always frustrating.
- BLaflamme
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  David Krupka that'd be great to see your approach to nail-less playing.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  David Krupka Thanks David. I have to admit I’m not thrilled with playing nailless, but that could be due to inexperience. Ultimately I am hoping the break from fake nails will, somehow, miraculously improve my own nails to the extant that I can go back to them. The injury itself is more nuisance than serious, though it might be 2-3 weeks before I can start to fully play. As to my ‘inner Django’ - I’m not sure he’s in there.
- Retired
  
  Jack_Stewart
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Blaise Thanks Blaise. I’m guessing it will be 2-3 weeks before I can fully play. But then, at my age, recovery can be a bit slower. ‘but not having the instrument under the fingers is always frustrating.’ true - but then, ‘having the instrument under the fingers’ can also be frustrating.😁
- BLaflamme
  
  2 yrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Jack Stewart 😂... so true... as the opposite is... 😂
- Erstwhile jazz bassist.
- Matthew_Brown
- 2 yrs ago
- Reported - view
When working on the Pujol slur study that I've been working on for months, I still struggle with my L hand cramping as I play. I also struggle with my LH when working on Giuliani's RH studies 1-20! As a bassist for many years, I have had to learn how to arch my fingers to stay clear of the strings so they can ring, and I often find that my middle finger of the RH interferes with open strings.
- Ali_Issa
- 2 yrs ago
- Reported - view
Hello, I am an intermediate-advanced guitar player but I quit a year ago an now I am back, I am new to tonebase too. I need recommendations to where to start with all these exercises bank.