RIGHT HAND GUITAR TECHNIQUE

This is the traditional classical position – guitar on the raised left knee, arm resting about the inside of the elbow, wrist hanging loose and relaxed, fingers on strings, ready to play. Unless you want to study pure classical guitar, we don’t have to follow everything from the classical tradition, but there are certain points of this that, I believe, are worth keeping.
Knee – the guitar doesn’t have to be on the left knee, but it is a good idea if the knee where the guitar is sitting is higher than the other. A book, crossed legs, even one foot on top of the other can all be used instead of a formal foot stool, as long as it has the same result.
Inside of Elbow: should be somewhere close to the top of the guitar, wherever feels best. Wrist: hanging down, relaxed. Easier said than done!
If playing with Fingers: We’re aiming for the thumb to play the bass strings (E, A or D) and for the fingers to play one string each as follows –
• Index – G string • Middle – B string • Ring – ‘high’ E string
EXERCISE: picking a simple pattern of thumb-index-middle-ring-middle-index and repeat
• Start on open E • Continue to open A • Then to open D • Fingers never changing, only changing the bass note picked by the thumb. • The goal is to be able to go up and down the bass notes with your thumb while
picking the treble strings, continuously and without break in rhythm or flow.