Guitar Tips
lessons, examples and more!

For an audio clip click here.

The Capricious Caddis

This study is one that I use frequently as a warm-up exercise. It is also included in the soon to be released book from Mel Bay publications entitled Getting into Fingerstyle Guitar. This study is called "The Capricious Caddis." A caddis is a water bug, and because this piece uses slurs it reminded me of the erratic or "capricious" movements of a water bug. The entire piece is based on slurs, which are also known as "hammer-on’s" and "pull-off’s." In order to properly execute slurs and other challenging fingerings, it is very important to keep your fingers and left hand in the optimal position.

In addition to slurs, there are many instances in fingerstyle pieces in which the player must achieve long stretches or unorthodox hand positions in order to achieve the desired harmony. These hand positions are much easier to achieve if the correct "hand posture" is adhered to. Let’s look at some of the main points of correct "hand posture". These points describe the "general" or "home base" hand position. Of course your hand position changes angles throughout the performance of a piece, but this is the basic position.

Keep the left hand knuckles "parallel" to the string. (see fig A.) Keeping the knuckles parallel to the string enables each finger to function at its optimal capacity. Keeping the hand in this position creates a couple of important benefits. One, it keeps the third finger and "pinky" finger in their strongest positions for playing slurs ("hammer on’s" and "pull-offs"). Some players tend to turn the knuckles towards the floor (see figure B), and this weakens the pinky. Turning the hand in this way causes the pinky finger to be stretched out and this weakens it’s ability to work efficiently in some situations. Let me illustrate what I mean:

Try a simple "pull off," from your pinky finger to your second finger, while keeping your knuckles parallel to the floor. Now try the same "pull-off" with your hand in the position shown in figure B. Notice how much easier it is to "snap" the pinky downwards when keeping the knuckles parallel to the floor. This is because the pinky is already curved and ready for action.

As I just mentioned, the basic concept behind executing a "pull-off" slur is much like "snapping" your fingers. Think about what happens when you snap your fingers.

1. You place your second finger against your thumb. 2. You apply pressure with the second finger. 3. The pressure "builds up" causing the second finger to slip off the thumb. 4. As the second finger slides off of the thumb it makes a "snap" sound as it is propelled against the skin of your palm.

The pull-off slur is similar in that there is a build up of tension and a release of energy as the finger "slips" off of the string. Actually, a more accurate term for a "pull-off" might be a "pull-down," because the actual motion is downward against the string rather than "off" of the string. Try this exercise for practicing a "pull-off":

On the second string try a "pull-off" from the third finger to the first. As the third finger snaps off of the string, make sure that it comes to rest on top of the first string. This is a very short movement, as the first string is only a few millimeters away. This movement will help to develop accuracy in your slurs. Also, resting on the next string will prevent it from ringing out accidentally.

Most guitarist tend to find "hammer-on’s" much less difficult than "pull-off’s." As the name implies, you are just "hammering" one of your fingers down to produce a tone. Here are a couple of tips to help with hammer-on’s:

1. The "power" comes from the velocity of the finger as it strikes the fretboard. Make sure to get enough speed as your finger travels down to the fretboard; however, once the finger strikes the fretboard all of the energy should dissipate and your finger should be relaxed. Continuing to exert pressure once the finger has struck the fretboard will just waste energy.

2. Make sure that the left hand finger strikes the fretboard on the "fingertip" or the very end of the finger. This is the hardest part of the finger and will produce the best sound. If you hit with flatter, fleshy part of the finger the note will be somewhat "muted".

"The Capricious Caddis" was specifically composed to help with practicing both "hammer-on’s" and "pull-off’s". Please be sure to practice VERY SLOWLY at first and increase your speed gradually. Your main goal should be to keep the slurs clear and even. Also, be sure to follow the left hand fingerings carefully in order to get the most out of the exercise.

I hope you’ll enjoy "The Capricious Caddis," and that it will be a fun addition to your daily practice routine.

-Jonathan Adams