Left hand
- Maintain an appropriate free left-hand shape which facilitates accurate placement of the fingers:
- developing speed, strength and flexibility of finger action
- playing in a single position and developing awareness of other positions
Ask learners to play a range of notes in an appropriate position, other than the first position, naming each note as it is sounded. Also ask them to find and play individual notes in a specific position and on a specific string.
Playing the ‘invisible guitar’ can help develop spatial awareness, i.e. ask learners to put the guitar down and move the left arm up and down the right forearm as if from first to third position, second to fifth, etc., always letting the arm instigate the shift. When changing position on the guitar, the thumb should release its grip and stay opposite the second finger during the shift.
Show learners how to practise different types of shifts on one string, e.g. those that move from one finger to the same finger and from one finger to a different finger (in both cases with and without the open string in between).
Set learners the task of making up vamps, asking them to use root/fifth or power chords in order to play vamps from A to A6, E to E6, D to D6, in various rhythms. Evaluate the musical effect.
A 12-bar blues using open chords is perfect for this exercise.
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