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Hello again,

I'm starting to build up my own site again, and I've got a lot of things to post on it.

Here's one : 

Clustering. No, not clustering up on the sofa after beers and the game ... but, finger clustering.

What's it all about?

The advanced players here will know right away, but for those who are still learning the basics, here's what it is, how it works, and how it can help you.

Suppose you play a simple scale in D major, starting on the open D string.

Your fingering is 0-1-2-3 on the D string, then 0-1-2-3 on the A string.

Assuming you keep your fingers down until you need to lift them again, your fingers 1-2-3 will be down on the string. That's your "cluster" - that shape you've just made.

So, if you start on the D string, and play 0-1-2-3, now lift your finger cluster (as a unit) and repeat on the A string.

It's about striving for economy of movement, physical and mechanical ease.

Two advantages for this simple, but very effective technique : less movement of the fingers, and better intonation, because you don't have to re-do all the individual fingering from scratch. Each finger will be 'hovering' above the note, in readiness for playing each successive note.