# Fretting hand position?



## Key_of_Off (Mar 24, 2009)

How do you position your hand on the neck? Do you use the "baseball bat" grip with the neck sitting in the palm of your hand and your thumb curled up to the top of the neck, or the "classical" style, with your thumb resting in the centre of the back of the neck, and the rest of your hand 'floating' as your fingers curl around to the fretboard?

Or do you have your own style?

(Sorry, had trouble finding good pics for these).

EDIT: I should have been more clear. Often you have to use both for certain situations, but I think I'm right in saying most of us have a "favoured" natural position, and we use the other to cover certain exceptions.

Hope that's more clear!


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## Lester B. Flat (Feb 21, 2006)

I use whatever position it needs to be in to do what it has to do. As far as playing bar chords, I use both the 'thumb-over' and 'behind the neck' positions. It depends on where I'm coming from or where I'm going to. You should probably add 'both' to your poll.


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## Beach Bob (Sep 12, 2009)

90%+ of the time, I use the "classical" position, the rest of the time I"ll have the thumb wrapped around.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

When I was first learning how to play, the instructional book I inherited (and it was old then in the '70s) showed a *classical* position so that's what I adopted. I couldn't play those Bach studies any other way. The only time I do the thumb over is for an open D chord, besides I have small hands. I also discourage the baseball bat grip in beginners as I believe it encourages unnecessary muscle tension and reduces mobility. Many players move freely between positions, but they're usually more experienced than beginners.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Bryan (Jan 14, 2008)

I said classical , but it depends on what you are playing . I am doing a piece right now that requires me to use my thumb to fret the low E several times during the piece , but I would say that the classical position lets you be the most versatile .


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

Lester B. Flat said:


> I use whatever position it needs to be in to do what it has to do. As far as playing bar chords, I use both the 'thumb-over' and 'behind the neck' positions. It depends on where I'm coming from or where I'm going to. You should probably add 'both' to your poll.


This is my answer as well. Where I put my hand/thumb depends entirely on what I'm doing at the time, where I've been, where I'm going, and how I happen to feel like playing at that exact moment.


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## Phlegethon (Dec 18, 2009)

for the majority of the time I don't have any other choice but to use the classical position. . . although using a hybrid of classical and baseball bat is quite useful for open position chords and six string barres. 

couldn't imagine why someone would want to put the extra strain on their hands by using the baseball bat style, also don't understand what's cool about wearing your guitar like a rapper wears pants either (or jimmy page) but I'm not the one who's playing their instrument . .lol


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I use more of a classical style, although I can get sloppy on it at times.
And that's why I don't like V necks--the "point" of the V is where I want to put my thumb, and it's not comfortable.
Even soft V's.

I also started on a classical.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

grip it, and rip it. :rockon2:
(probably baseball most often)


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

I first learned the "classical" position, but now so much of what I play is fingerstyle stuff that requires using the thumb for fretting that I pretty much use the "baseball bat" position all the time.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

82.187%of the time I use the classic position; the other 17.813% I'm all over the place. I need to concentrate more on using the classic position.


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