Setting up the Right Hand: the "Home Position”
Fingerstyle and Classical guitar requires a specific right hand posture and technique that is very challenging to master. The first concept we want to learn is called the “home position” which is the starting position of our right hand that will allow us to effectively reach the strings with the proper finger angle and positioning, and serve as the basis for all of the techniques found in this book.
It may be necessary to spend some time developing this starting position, and that is ok. Take your time here and make sure things feel comfortable in your hand.
To start with the “Home" Position:
Make a Fist with Your Right Hand with your thumb on the side of your index finger, and hold it over the guitar strings: It is important not to cross your thumb over your index finger, as it will impede the movement of your other fingers.
Relax your fist, and place your fingertips on the strings: You should have your thumb (P) on the 5th string, Index (I) on the 3rd string, Middle (M) on the 2nd string, and Ring (A) on the first string.
Right Hand Fingering
Consider the following points when establishing your Home position:
Your hand should be a natural extension of your forearm: There should be no bend between your hand and forearm to allow for maximum efficiency and muscle movement.
Only touch your fingertips to the strings: Keep your arm and wrist off the guitar and leave enough space between your hand and the guitar top for your fingers to move freely. You should have enough room to be able to close your fist without touching any part of the guitar.
Extend your thumb in front of your hand: Your hand position should be a relaxed fist with your thumb straight and extended in front of your hand. Your fingers should be in a soft “C” shape and never straight.
Getting Started: Free Strokes and Rest Strokes
There are two main methods of right hand technique on the guitar, called “Free Strokes” and “Rest Strokes”. For now, we will focus on our free stroke technique” as they are more natural to learn and serve as the basis for a majority of modern finger style guitar playing. We will cover the Rest Stroke later on in this book.
The Free Stroke and The “Touch, Rest, Move” Method
As we learn our free stroke technique, the method to playing Fingerstyle guitar involves a three step method to achieve the balance between good tone and projection of sound. Practice this method with each finger while paying close attention to the technique. There should be no weight in your fingertip, as your knuckle will push your finger through the string.
The concept behind this technique is simple, yet takes a long time to develop in the player. Essentially, the goal is to relax the fingertip as we use the knuckle to “move” the finger through the string.
Touch: Place the fingertip and nail on the string. Your finger should be relaxed with a soft “C” shape. There should be no pressure in your fingertip and no weight resting on the string.
Rest: Push your finger from your knuckle and let your fingertip straighten out and rest on the string. There should be no pressure in your fingertip, and the string should not move from its resting position, but should cause the fingertip to bend, as if the string is stronger than your fingertip.
Move: Quickly move your finger through the string with your knuckle and back towards your palm. Your fingertip should be in the same position as it would be if you had made a closed fist. Angle the finger slightly upward to avoid hitting other strings. Immediately reset your finger back to the starting position and repeat.
