I’m a complete beginner and just started playing guitar this month. When I’m just practicing strumming motions on my acoustic, my hand doesn’t really rest near the bridge like I’ve seen a lot of acoustic players do. I simply can’t reach it, unlike Jimmy Page here. I mean, I could if I really tried to reach my arm down. But I’m pretty sure my posture is fine (neck angled up and only see edge of the fretboard and it’s not tilted towards me).
Am I doing something wrong? If it matters, I have a Yamaha FS800.
Hi Sean - welcome to the community! Do you mind posting a picture or a short video of your playing? You can always crop out your face if you prefer.
That will help people give you the best advice.
The FS800 is a dreadnought style guitar - one of the larger sizes, which might be a factor here, relative to your height, arm length, where you are resting your arm on the body of the guitar etc.
IIRC, this isn’t much of a factor until you get into palm muting which comes along in Grade 2 or thereabouts. There will be time to learn these techniques then.
A lot of things can change where your arm rests. Size of the guitar and the width being being important. also style of music and tone the player is looking for as well. Sounds change when playing over different parts of the body of the guitar.
I would not think to compare myself in any way against a great like Jimmy Page or Niel Young. Please dont think that not doing the same as them means not doing it correct. Thats sort of asking for a long long time of dissapointment. If you catch my meaning. Those guys are titans of the craft. You are doing fine, being here, asking and trying. All rock. Takes time.
Find the spot that is comfortable for your arm and your guitar, that gives your body the correct position where you are not hurting yourself. As yyou get better use the locations for changing dynamics and tone to suit the songs and music so you can express the sound you are trying to get across to you listeners. Go through justins lessons he shows how to do the basics. Follow his lead. You can do it. don’t give up.
This is not right, the FS800 is a “concert style” body size, which is smaller than a dread. You were probably thinking of the FG800, which is the dreadnought version.
Hi Sean, I guess, the picture you’ ve posted isn’t a good example for hand position in a strumming situation. If I’m not wrong, this is Jimmy, playing Going to California, and he’s fingerpicking and therefore his hand rests on the bridge.
I’m not sure about what you mean, when you say “rests” near the bridge while strumming, as the hand is moving constantly up and down for strumming?
Do you mean, that your pick is hitting the strings closer to the fretboard than to the soundhole?
You should be able to play with the fleshy part of your palm (the butt, I call it). There is a time when you want to play in front of the sound hole as Neil is doing up there, some times you want to play just about over the sound hole, but most often I find myself playing behind the sound hole, like Jimmy up there (well not really like Jimmy, but that’s about where my hand is). The HUGE advantage of playing behind the sound hole is palm muting. I suppose you can mute the strings from anywhere, but most of the time is right in front of the bridge. From there, you can take some of the note out of the strings without completely cutting it off. This is even more prominent on electric guitar, where it is more important to mute any strings you are not intending to play at that time.
If you are having difficulty playing below the sound hole, I would certainly play around with deliberately stumming in different positions along the length of the strings, try strumming all the way from literally right in front of the bridge to all the way up the neck past the body. Ultimately you will want a good amount of range in where you strum because you get a difference sound depending on where you strum. Some positions might be more or less natural, but the range is important.
From another beginner who is starting to somewhat shift into intermediate playing, I didn’t start playing with my hand on the bridge until here recently (2 years in). Strumming is a bit different, you can strum anywhere realistically, even right where your fretting hand is making the chord shape, it just sounds different. Give it a try and listen to the differences, in front of the sound hole, behind it, up and down the neck, all have different tones.
I don’t think there is per say a “right way” other than keeping your hand moving to the rhythm and strumming on the correct beats. Really the only time my hand is resting on the bridge is when I am playing fingerstyle, or picking and really that is just a reference for my hand to know where the strings are without having to look down at them. If it sounds good, it is good! Always remember that more than anything else.
