Day 5: Micro-Releases (Relax After the Attack)

Watch (3 minutes)

Bill Kanengiser: On Left Hand Efficiency

What to listen for: the moment he separates “making the note speak” from “how much pressure you keep afterward.”

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Do This Today (12–15 minutes)

1) Choose one barre moment

Pick either:

• a barre chord, or
• a single barre note inside a phrase

2) Find minimum clean pressure

Get the note/chord clean with the least effort you can.

3) Test the micro-release

Do this sequence: attack clean → soften slightly while it rings

You’re not letting go – you’re reducing “extra” pressure.

4) 8 reps with full resets

• Do 8 reps
• Fully release between reps (reset to neutral)

5) Bonus (huge): try it during a shift

On a shift, use the same idea:

• clean attack
• then slightly lighter pressure

This often reduces squeaks and stiffness immediately.

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Success Check

You’re winning today if you notice:

• less fatigue
• less stiffness
• and often fewer squeaks, especially on shifts

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Common Mistake to Avoid

Softening so much that the note buzzes. The target is “just enough softening” – not collapse.

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Want to Go Deeper?

This “relax after the attack” idea is one of those tiny things that changes everything, and tonebase is full of this kind of detail across teachers and pieces.

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