The Poised Guitarist

Often guitarists who suffer from limitation express hesitance about moving as they play.  The great virtuoso, Jason Vieaux, talks about his inner conception (body map) of his wrist.  His completely accurate and detailed map of his wrist allows for the flexibility of movement and musical expressiveness that he enjoys.

Jerald:

How do you conceive of your wrist?  Do you think of it as a single joint, kind of like a hinge as many guitarists do, or do you think of it differently?

Jason Vieaux:

My sense of the wrist is that it is not a hinge.  I think of it as a lot of bones that are moving in concert with one another in order to move freely.  The variance of movement in the wrist is remarkable.  To me the wrist is such an amazing area.  It seems like its got to be one of the most flexible areas. It’s really a miracle when you think about it!

Jerald:

Your map of your wrist is spot on.  Very accurate and very detailed.  Just what a guitarist needs to play their best.  True, there are eight bones that comprise the wrist and as you already know there is not a single hinge-like joint but many joints among these wrist bones.  There is also a joint between the wrist bones and the lower arm as well as  joints between the wrist bones (carpals) and the hand bones (metacarpals).  That innate structure  that we all have allows for the flexibility that you speak of and clearly enjoy while you play. Our conception of our body and how it moves is one of the keys to excellence. (for more information on accurate mapping of the wrist see the first video sample on The Poised Guitarist home page)

*Video excerpts from the Virtuoso’s Map interviews are currently being prepared for posting.  Please check back soon.