Does anyone know why some guitarists slide their hands up or down the neck between chords or notes, without playing anything?
Habit?
Visual effect?
Other?
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Hi Brian.
Recapitulate from the fingers/hand in a tough/cool way?
It looks cool, and feels good…something like drawing on your guitar or something…
Edit;
If I take a closer look at myself, it is often when it seems quiet, it is not completely silent in the beginning,… and the movement is “in overdrive” a little ,…(more then necessary…sometime)
Greetings,…
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In the same way that you keep your strumming hand moving up and down even when not hitting the strings I think perhaps it helps keep time and movement going when there’s a gap between chords, lick notes etc.
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Here is some technical tutorial how to play without unnecessary noise. This problem becoms very obvious when recording, and not just strings but even noise coming from fingers holding the neck to tight can ruin the recording.
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Gordon pretty much nailed it.
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Hmmm…
Keeping the strumming hand moving has an important function that helps playing.
I’m not sure I see how adding an extra movement to changing chord grips would help.
I guess the next question is, should we be encouraged to incorporate this, or is it simply ok if it happens naturally? (I find it hard to believe that so many people do it spontaneously)
Don’t get me wrong… I have nothing against looking cool 
(As Rogier points out, I draw on my guitar, occasionally dress up and pull faces in my feeble attempts to do so 
)
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For me it just happens. I’ve never practiced it or even thought about it. If it feels good do it.
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I might just give that bear thing a go at the open mic next week
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We need that bear to give dance lessons to us rhythmically challenged folk!
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Hi Brian or others who liked this,
What that bear is doing I saw 2 or 3 weeks ago in a nature documentary a longer time and with more bears, … hilarious … unfortunately the makers put a music under it,… but absolutely worth it to look up
And to keep time and movement of the chords or go all the way down or all the way up the neck without sound to hold the movement of the solo???,…I don’t think so 
But tomorrow I’m talking to some professional musicians, 3 of whom are playing guitar, and if I’m wrong I’ll come back to it,… but still I think it starts with the “fade away” sound,… and the movement often becomes a habit later and or because it’s cool ,…
But I have seen Justin do this! I hope he is familiar with more than the open cords!
I think some of it is flourish, but it also may be a timing thing. If there is a long enough moment where the left (or fretting) hand needs to not be in contact with the strings, it might be best to move it away a bit to avoid an accidental mute.
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I’m certainly no expert but have you ever seen a ‘Rock God’ standing stationary? It’s all about movement and flow.
Similarly athletes, footballers, sportspeople of all sorts, don’t stop in the middle of something. They keep moving to keep the flow, the fluidity, whatever, going.
Ok, there may be an element of show, but the sliding up and down the neck thing is just a way of keeping the dynamic going. IMHO. 
. I do it all the time when playing live. 
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This crept into my improv by stealth and I just found myself doing it between licks. As Gordon says
seems to keep me locked into the rhythm of the backing track, in addition flexing my picking had wrist but also like a run up to the next note after sliding up to the nut. All subconscious but maybe not now, after this discussion. 
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And the advanced ones who can do more?,…no, it’s not possible here,…just keep looking
I`m certainly no expert also …but I have also seen rock gods very often look silently standing and in amazement at fellow musicians/bandmembers, … take a break between pieces when there is singing/by them or others and then prepare for a new piece or just pause guitar playing while the music plays then do nothing etc etc ,…
and now i’m only talking about solos/riffs etc…moving the hand and making chord changing wile not necessary just doesn’t happen,…if you find that exception confirms that the rule ,…it’s not necessary at all and with fast songs like Every body need some body -blues brothers,(good example from myself)…then players gratefully take a rest,…and with almost most songs the risk of unwanted string noise is much too great and that is also a good reason why that doesn’t happen,…
So, I hope you come up with better stories because it doesn’t hold up yet
Greetings,…
You’ve asked the question the wrong way round @brianlarsen
Why do some people not slide their hands up and down?
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It never would have occurred to me if I hadn’t seen it
Going by the responses/explanations, I think I’ll file this under the same category as nodding your head in time, or closing your eyes (and possibly pulling a pained expression) during a solo or emotional phrase… 
Just have to decide whether I’ll be an up or down the neck slider (or both? 
)
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Definitely belong together !
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