How to Improve Right-Hand Accuracy With Planting

Someone asked me about the guitar technique of right-hand planting. This technique is often used by classical and finger-style guitarists to create greater technical security, better accuracy, and more consistent tone. But some criticize planting as an obstacle to playing legato. What are the advantages of planting on the string vs. not planting on the string? I decided to prepare a video explaining this. See the following video link. I have also provided a text explanation below.

Group Planting

When you’re playing an arpeggio that goes from bass to treble, I usually advise group planting, that is, putting the fingers on the strings as a group. So, for example, if I’m playing p,i,m,a, I’ll put the i-m-a down as a group, then I’ll play the fingers one at a time, then I’ll set the thumb back on the bass string. So, thumb plays, i-m-a gets ready. i plays. m plays. a plays, p gets ready. p plays, i-m-a get ready.

So this is group planting. Some would call that full planting, but I don’t usually use that term unless you’re actually placing all the fingers on the strings.

A group plant could be only p,i,m, for example, where you just place i-m together as a group. And typically the thumb is not placed at the same time as i-m or i-m-a in a p,i,m or p,i,m,a arpeggio.

Sequential Planting

Then, there’s sequential planting where you go from trebles to basses, for example, a, m,i, p.

a plays, m gets ready. m plays, i gets ready. i plays, p gets ready. p plays, a gets ready. That’s sequential planting.

You can also do sequential planting in the ascending arpeggio. p plays, i gets ready. i plays, m gets ready. m plays, a gets ready.

The planting allows you great technical security, allows you to make sure you’re getting a consistent tone and attack, and the group plant actually will help you damp a previous chord when you have a chord change. You get a nice clean break in sound with the group plant. If you’re looking for a more legato ringover, then the sequential plant is an option.

Preparation in Front of the String – Group

For increased legato, you can also not plant on the string. At this point, some teachers and some guitarists would feel there’s no planting or no preparation going on. I would say there’s actually preparation in front of the string.

So, for example, if I’m going to play an arpeggio without planting on the string, I’m going to still prepare the fingers in front of the strings. So now thumb’s prepared in front of the string. i-m-a are prepared in front of the strings. Thumb’s prepared in front of the string. i-m-a are prepared in front of the strings.

So in this case, in an arpeggio going from bass to trebles, I am actually preparing the i-m-a as a group even though I’m doing it in front of the strings.

Preparation in Front of the String – Sequential

Likewise, on a descending arpeggio, I’m going to prepare the fingers sequentially in front of the string even though I may not actually plant on the string and I may want to get a more legato sound.

One thing that beginners have to watch out for is thinking, “Well, preparation in front of the string is more advanced than planting on the string, so I’ll skip that whole planting business and just go straight to preparation in front of the string.”

A couple of things to be aware of:

  1. A lot of advanced players use planting wherever they can because of the increased technical security and the more consistent tone.
  2. Also, advanced players will tend to use planting early on even when they are going to use preparation in front of the string later in learning the piece, just so they train the hands to have the right habits.

So for beginning and intermediate players, I encourage you to start with planting on the string and only once you’re very secure, consider moving to preparation in front of the string, which is not necessary for every arpeggio context. Have fun!

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you.

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