Queens Guitar – The Guitar Lesson Resource Guide

In an earlier post I defined the Four Rules of Efficient Musculoskeletal Function. I’d like to elaborate specifically on the Midrange Function of Joints and provide specific examples of how it applies to the guitar and how this rule is commonly broken.

RULE: NEVER FIT YOUR BODY TO THE GUITAR, ALWAYS FIT THE GUITAR TO YOUR BODY!

When your position has good midrange positioning of joints, it means that all of the joints involved in a motion operate and relax in the middle 30% of their full range of motion.

Let’s take your elbow for example. Your elbow can fully extend so that your arm is straight, and can fully flex so that your hand touches your shoulder. If you place your elbow exactly within the middle of those two extremes, with about a 90º bend, it will be able to produce much resistance and counter much more force than if it was fully flexed or fully extended.

You can try the exercise in this video with your friends to see how important midrange function really is, and how dramatically it can affect your playing. You can also watch the following video of this exercise.

There are several reasons for which your joints are stronger in their midrange. I do not think that a full explanation is warranted here, but I’ll give two primary reasons.

1. Simple Physics – To counter a force, you need an equal and opposite amount of resistance. For example, to stop a billiard ball from rolling down a table, you will need to hit it with a second billiard ball of the exact same size and weight, traveling at the same speed in exactly the opposite direction. When this happens both balls stop at the point of collision. But if the second ball is not traveling in the same direction (the resistance is not applied directly against the force), you are not going to stop the first ball. When your joints are positioned in their midrange, they are better positioned to oppose a force. When your elbow is in its midrange, it is closer to producing a resistance that is opposite the force being applied to your hand, making it more efficient.  I use the elbow in following diagram because it is easier to explain than the compound levers that make up your wrist and fingers, although the fundamental principle is essentially the same.

2. Muscle Fiber Recruitment – Without going into detail here (it is complicated), you have more muscle fibers available for use when a joint (and its muscles) are positioned in the midrange. More available fibers means more available power. There is strength in numbers!

In order to maintain proper midrange function while playing the guitar, you should try this as an experiment. Think of all the joints that you use when playing the guitar. Think of each wrist, hand, and finger joint. Make a list of all these joints. Then one by one, do the following:

1.  Flex (close) the joint as far as it will go.
2. Extend (open) the joint as far as it will go.
3. Place that joint in exactly the middle position between those two extremes.
4. Ensure that each joint is near that middle position when it is positioned on the guitar. Its that easy!

Consider how much extra effort you may be making in your playing if your joints are not in their midrange! You may be doing much more work than necessary.

While there may be more problems than these, I find that the most common ways in which guitarists violate the rules of midrange function are:

1. The right hand fingers are overly extended (they look nearly straight) when doing rest strokes.
2. The right hand fingers are overly flexed (they are too curved) when doing free strokes.
3. The right hand thumb tip joint is over extended.
4. The base joint of left hand index finger is over-extended, and the other two joints are over-flexed because the radial side of the hand (the index finger’s side) is too close to the fretboard.
5. The pinky finger of the left hand is over extended because the ulnar side of the hand (the pinky finger’s side) is too far away from the fretboard.

Be careful of these things, and watch your positioning in general. Maintaining good midrange positioning will make it easier to press the strings with your left hand, provide you with more power and volume in your  right hand, and will provide you with more comfort and endurance when you play the guitar.

As always, waste no time and get to practice!