Developing Safe Left Hand Technique

Playbassnow.com proudly presents a lesson from our guest teacher: Adam Neely

 

Add to favorites

Hey all, thought I’d post a technique lesson.  Here is the YouTube video of me explaining how to approach developing a safe and effective left hand technique.

Here are the basic ideas behind the neutral position that I cover in the video. These are all things that happen when you flip the forearm 180 degrees.

1. The shoulder holds up the arm, and allows all the rest of the arm to relax and go limp.

2. The elbow is most relaxed when it is bent at moderate angle.

3. The wrist is relaxed, flexible and straight.

4. The joints of all the fingers are curved, and the finger tips are all on the same horizontal plane

5. The thumb is to the left of the index finger and is roughly perpendicular to the second finger segment.

Remember! Dedicated lessons with an experienced private teacher is the best way of learning technique. A teacher will be able to correct nuances in your technique that you yourself won’t be aware of while you’re playing and really force you to unlearn bad habits. No matter how advanced you are, there is always room for improvement in your physical approach to the instrument.