Some examples of "teaching the basics" you'll see a lot when questions are asked:
Left hand position & technique:
Keep the left hand relaxed
Angle the fingers like a fiddler would
Don't choke the neck, leave a gap rather than have your palm cradle the neck
Assign two frets to each finger:
- 1st position, index frets 1 & 2
- 2nd position, index frets 3 & 4
- 3rd position, index frets 5 & 6
- 4th position, index frets 7 & 8
Thumb rests lightly and naturally usually along edge of fret board
Fret with tips of fingers, fingers curl slightly
Use minimal pressure required to get a clean note
Fret close to the fret
Use one finger to bar two courses if possible
etc.
Right hand position & technique
Keep right hand relaxed
Hold pick loosely, just tight enough not to drop it
Avoid tension
Motion in wrist not fingertips, some motion in forearm
In common time, alternate picking DUDU with downstroke on the beat
In slow 3/4 time, downstroke on the beats emphasizing beat one
For jigs, master DUDDUD
etc.
I'm of the opinion that it is important to master the basics, and I think the best teachers are ones who teach and drill the basics in as interesting a way as possible. Most of the best players, when and if they teach students, tend to teach the basics.
BUT the other thing is, that once the basics are mastered, most musicians are not SLAVES to the basics.
An example would be Tommy Emmanuel. When he teaches fingerstyle guitar, he takes a tune like Freight Train and drills the importance of playing an alternating base line, adding rhythmic harmony over a never-changing bass line, and adding melody lines on top. It's a form that is taught rigidly, with few variations, by any good teacher of fingerstyle guitar.
But watch him perform: Hands and fingers all over the place, bass line pretty steady but disappears at times, etc.
Advanced playing is often underpinned by a mastery of the basics, but can leave the basics in the dust to good effect.
I think that sometimes when very basic advice is given in a public forum, some advanced or long time players can bristle against the basic teachings or the manner of the basic teachings, because 1) they learned by a different route, and 2) they are not slaves to the basics - they maybe are advanced, journeyman players who've been largely self taught, and do not readily see the value of teaching a newbie to master the basics.
Examples of "exceptions" to the mandolin basics I mentioned at the top
When forming various chord shapes, the thumb goes wherever it's most comfortable, the angle of the fingers could be much different, a lot of pressure could sometimes be needed (should still use minimum necessary to avoid tension build up), etc.
One finger to each fret on many chromatic runs, next finger next note, etc.
Pretty much every basic rule can be forsaken for the sake of playing well in one situation or another. Some very creative musicians think entirely out of the box on technique and create some wow factor stuff.
I believe that teaching and drilling basics is the only way to go with students, and once they are mastered, learning individual tunes or songs give opportunities to depart from the basics where necessary, and creativity should be encouraged always.
Just some captain obvious thinking and rambling this morning, before I actually have to go do some Sunday work, lol.
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