For many people, experimenting with playing very, very softly works well. For some reason, when we play loud, we tend to press harder with the left hand. This doesn't gain us anything in regards to volume or tone, but we do it none the less. There is absolutely no reason for this since any more pressure than absolutely needed in regards to the left hand is, well, more than you need. Think: soft, fluffy marshmallows.
After playing softly for a while and learning how very little pressure you need in the left hand, try playing at a normal volume while remembering your loose left hand. You'll probably revert to your old tense l.h. after a while, so you might have to go back and forth from soft to loud regularly for a while. One other suggestion: don't forget to breathe! Chris --- Ed Durbrow <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Nov 3, 2005, at 4:07 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > Can anyone suggest method of relieving tension > in left hand. > > Don't press hard. > > Do this little experiment: touch the string lightly > and keep plucking > while you gently increase pressure until you are > actually getting a > regular sound. That's all the pressure it takes. > Well placed, just > behind the fret, requires very little pressure. > > Ed Durbrow > Saitama, Japan > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/ > > > > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com
