Day 6: Where You Fret Matters (Free Efficiency)

Watch (2 minutes)

Bill Kanengiser: On Left Hand Efficiency

What to listen for: the difference between fretting too far back vs close to the fret, and why it changes everything.

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Do This Today (10–15 minutes)

1) Choose one barre spot in your music

Pick a single chord or a short passage where the barre is a bottleneck.

2) Play it “too far back” on purpose

Place the finger toward the middle/back of the fret space.
Play once and notice:

• how much pressure it takes
• how unreliable it feels

3) Play it close to the fret (not on top of it)

Now place the finger close to the fret wire (but not touching it).
Play once and notice what changes.

4) Alternate 6 times

Do 6 rounds of:

• far back → close to the fret

Don’t chase perfection. You’re training your ability to find the easy spot quickly.

5) Combine with Day 5 (optional but powerful)

On the “close to the fret” version: attack clean → soften slightly while it rings

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Success Check

You’re winning today if:

• you can feel the “easy spot,” and
• you can find it on purpose within 1–2 tries

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Common Mistake to Avoid

Going on top of the fret wire (it can choke/damp). The target is close, not on.

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Want to Go Deeper?

If you want this applied to real passages you play (not just one example), that’s where the full lessons shine.

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