How hard should I press down on the strings.


Old Bones
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Joined: 06/03/18
Posts: 35
Old Bones
Full Access
Joined: 06/03/18
Posts: 35
05/18/2019 9:45 pm

Something I have grappled with for a while because I suspect I press harder than I need to.

I am just looking for a bit of guidance as to what I should be trying to achieve.

In theory I assume that I should press as lightly as I can to get a good clean sound. That can be very light. However, if I am going to bend or vibrato, I find I have to press harder.

Is this OK, or should we be looking for something that is consistent.

The other thing I find is that if I increase my pick attack, I automatically press harder with my left hand.


# 1
Guitar Tricks Admin
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Joined: 09/28/05
Posts: 3,476
Guitar Tricks Admin
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Joined: 09/28/05
Posts: 3,476
05/20/2019 5:49 pm

Hi Stephen82,

There's no right or wrong way to how hard you should be holding the strings. Press hard enough to simply play the notes, but not so hard that it causes you pain. That's it. Don't overthink it!


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# 2

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