CHAPTER 1
Section 1. Musculoskeletal Framework
Nourishment
Control Systems
Types of Muscle Contraction
Section 2. Limb Joints – Anatomy and Movements
Planes of Motion
Joint Movements
Arm Muscle Location
The Shoulder Girdle
The Shoulder Joint
The Elbow, Forearm and Wrist Joints
Digit Joints
Finger Movements
Thumb Movements
Forearm Muscles and Functions — Extrinsic Muscles
Hand Muscles and Functions — Intrinsic Muscles
Summary of Basic Anatomical Terms and Abbreviations Related to the Hand
Further Exploration of the Physiomechanics of Digital Movement
Anatomical Constraints to Digital Movement
Section 3. Motor Function, Proprioception and Muscle Metabolism
Muscular Innervation
Types of Muscular Fiber
Muscle Spindle
The Body’s ‘Sixth Sense’: Proprioception and Kinesthesia
Muscle Metabolism
Leverage
Section 4. General Pedagogical Considerations
Tension and the Experience of Mastery
Sitting Down to Play the Guitar
Static Effort and Dynamic Work When Using the Footstool
Anthropometrics and Guitar Playing
Nails
Leverage Conditions in Holding the Guitar
A Kinesiological Approach to Motor Training on the Guitar
Somatic Training
The Pathology of Guitar Playing
Training for Virtuosity
CHAPTER 2
Section 1. Physiomechanical Aspects of Right-Hand Technique
Arm Support and Stroke Type
Physiomechanics of Right-Hand Fingerwork
Section 2. A Positional Framing Approach to Right-Hand Fingerwork
Theory of Positional Framing
Positional and Framing Charts
Section 3. Mobility
Shifting: Arm-Wrist-Finger Interaction
Physiomechanics of Arm Shifting: Leverage
Various Approaches to Right-Hand Technique
Angle of Inclination of the Guitar and its Effect on Right-Hand Approach
Section 4. Compendium: The Talented Hand – Positional Framing Analysis
Carcassi: Etude Op. 60, No. 1. Positional Framing in Scalar Passages
Arpeggio to Scales
Arpeggio to Repeated Notes
Interpositional Arpeggios
Well-known Arpeggio Formulas
CHAPTER 3
Section 1. Physiomechanical Aspects of Left-Hand Technique [
The Poised Limb
Fingerboard Slant and Weight-Release
Redefining ‘Shifting’
Form and Function
Section 2. Towards a Typology of Shifting
Interpositional Shifts
Intrapositional Shifts
Compound Shifting
Shifts through Extensions and Contractions
Agility Issues
Fingering: Player’s Choice
A Technical Analysis of Left-hand Mobility in Fernando Sor’s Study Op. 6, No. 8
Section 3. Compendium: Limits to the Possible
Acknowledging the Limits I: Right-Hand Coordination Constraints
Acknowledging the Limits II: Tempo Constraints
Pushing the Limits I: Maximum Speed Shifting
Pushing the Limits II: Extreme Demands for Combined Finger Dexterity and Arm Agility