re: Official: Guitar beginners question and answer thread.

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There’s a reason classical guitar players hold and play the way they do. The thumb naturally falls to the middle of the neck giving greater reach.

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Can't be said enough. It really is the perfect playing position, and will give cleanest sounding results, even if it's not the most comfortable.
I don't always play that way, but if I am at the studio and need everything right, that's how I'm doing it.

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although and why I hesitated to overload

Nothing is absolute (or one way for all) when it comes to guitar. Sometimes that thumb under center (and why I 1st mentioned) is your friend and can make that stretch easy. However on smaller necks and especially if your fingers allow grabbing the neck like a club there's also has some real benefits. Like phenomenal hammer-on's, the ever popular type G-run, as are other real common walks.

And for some guys a thumb over the top string is another other good way to make an A-type barre. Where you thumb over strings 5 and 6 from the top side and wrap center and ring fingers up a couple frets down toward the bridge. For instance... do an over the top thumb on top 2 strings (any fret)... next get all four thinnest strings two frets toward nut with a flat ring finger ... and strum middle 4 strings.. or include top string to create a 5th-in-bass/chord... or even include the thinnest string for real pretty 6th type chord. Note: Adding your center finger doesn't matter and can help make it easy as long is it's to the nut side (so it's hidden away). This form of barre is real common to Travis style picking.

another barre form (and best thumb center) is a

G-type barre (one of my fav's) and so easy. Fret any place across all strings with 1st and 2nd fingers stacked on top of each other. Finger two on top of pointing finger. Real strong and easy. Now get 5th string two frets down with ring finger and 6th string 3 frets down with pinky. Strum omitting high-E string (the thinnest); unless you want another 6th chord (which BTW is real pretty to do sometimes, often fit's, and barely noticed especially if lightly hit). Now that's a real easy 4 fret chord. And works if only top strings few strings are used - think power chord. I'm not sure why it's not more commonly taught? My instructor had me learn it with pinky on high-E all 4 fingers, it was quickly all but forgotten, and a real _itch.

oh-shite (overload)