Are You Playing Guitar Too Hard? Let's Talk Finger Pressure

Great video. I've been playing since i was 9. Im 76 now. I learned this through all my years of playing. But...if your hand is fatigued..you will develope bad habits. I play when Im feeling good. Unfortunately now my left hand has arthritis. But i still play everyday. I will never stop playing my beautiful instruments. Thanks.

I'm 60 years old. Been playing guitar since I was 12. When my dad started teaching me I was playing an old Harmony guitar with a pretty high action. Therefor I developed a heavy fretting hand and even to this day I know I fret harder than I need to but can't break the habit. Maybe I need to work on it more. The big thing is.... never start out on an instrument that has a bad setup. It will stay with you for years like it has me. Thanks for a good lesson Ben. Kenny is a great picker too! EE

I remember watching a guy play at a music store. His fingers were just floating around the neck. I always remembered that and try to remind myself to play lightly.

My guitar teacher told me to remove the thumb from the backside of the neck and only use the fingers to learn how soft you have to push down your fingers on the finger board in reality to get a clean note or chord.

When I was first learning guitar, all the chord shapes were new; my fingers were entirely unused to what I was asking of them. In order to hold my fingers where I wanted them to be, I held them down tightly, too tightly. 100% agree with everything you’re saying, but I want to add that little bit. Unlearning bad/incorrect habits takes a too long time, and then the time to re-learn correctly. Learning correct technique does take time, but the alternative takes 3 or 4 times as long and, as you say, can be very harmful. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, knowledge and experience.👍

Great lesson! I remember after having my first guitar called a "Stradolin," my grandmother realized I was serious about learning to play and bought me an upgrade that was much more playable. I was about 13 then. I had become so used to the bad setup on my first guitar that I remember my teacher telling me "you don't have to press so hard now, you have a much better guitar." I was actually still pressing the strings so hard during the lesson that all the notes I played were going sharp!

I never knew we should be fretting directly behind the fret..thanks. One other thing. If the string action is lower, there is also less distance up/down to have to cover to make the note ring...distance is speed.

I'm 61 Harmony was my first guitar and it took me awhile to stop pressing hard. It's hard to undo a bad habit and make it right

Man I've always said music isn't a sport but the way you put it makes great sense! I got a new American professional stratocaster in 2020 and the frets are showing really bad fretwear, I'm heavy handed but I will now start working on that and my speed has definitely picked up

This is why I like electric guitars with jumbo frets and acoustic guitars with lighter strings. They make me control the pressure so I don’t go sharp. Helped me a ton!

If you are aware of Bob Minner, simply watching him play is like taking a masterclass in this very subject…Great video, Ben. A very light touch is vital for clean speed. It also drastically reduces hand fatigue, which is very helpful when playing 3 hour sets. Thanks

The best guitar player I know has no calluses on the fingertips of his left hand. Like, none. He made me examine them while explaining about only pressing as hard as you need to to make the note ring, and only fretting while the note is ringing...

I’m 73 as of last week. I received my first guitar at approximately 10 years old. It was either a Harmony or a Stella arch top I can’t be sure. My parents didn’t know that guitars came in both right and left handed. I’m left handed and as such the guitar teacher didn’t recognize that and forced me to hold the guitar as a right-handed player would. Long story but I won’t go on with it. The action on the guitar was so high you could’ve driven a truck under the strings. Needless to say I have a very strong grip on the neck. I appreciate your video see and I will do my best to be aware of my grip. I have 27 guitars of varying styles and will experiment with fretting. Thanks!

It is absolutely the key to velocity…

I just realized I'm trying to strangle the thing. Great video, thanks!

Great lesson Ben!!! Have a wonderful weekend ❤

I have 35 years as a mechanic that needed a ultimate, death-grip for work. I've been playing 1.5 years. I absolutely guarantee that I am pushing to hard.

Great lesson.

Great lesson,i been playing way to hard for 40y years, knew it tried to back off but thought I had to put everything in it plus the kitchen sink, walked through video now easing off thank you.

I wear out the fret crowns really fast. My 2002 HD-28 frets are only .025 high now and the lower they get the harder I seem to fret. Time for new frets. This is a great lesson. I'm going to work on these things. Thanks Ben!