Are You Fighting the Neck? A Mechanical Approach to Fretting Efficiency

When you play scales, licks, or solos, does it feel like you’re fighting the neck? Like you have to work harder than you should for every single note?

Maybe it’s not that extreme. Maybe you just notice that your forearm feels surprisingly “worked out” after only a short time playing.

For years, I assumed that meant I simply needed more practice and more stamina. But as I got older—and started dealing with a few playing-related issues—I began to suspect something else was going on. So I stopped thinking like a musician for a moment and started thinking like a mechanic.

That shift led to a simple but powerful realization: how your fingers move between notes can matter just as much as which notes you play.

Observations

If we’re not playing chords, we’re playing melodies. And melodically, notes only do three things: they repeat, go up, or go down.

From a fretting-hand perspective, that leads to three basic movement strategies.

Layering

Each finger stays on the fretboard as you play the next higher note. This can help you keep your place and provide extra stability, especially for your pinky. The trade-off is that your fingers may stay under tension even when they’re not actively sounding a note.

Switching

Each finger lifts off as the next note is fretted. This gives your hand more rest and can be especially helpful at higher speeds. The downside is that it takes more coordination to keep the notes clean and connected.

Peeling

Think of this as “reverse layering.” You place all the fingers down first, then lift them one at a time from high to low. A common example is ascending three notes on a string, then descending by peeling your fingers off in order.

Each of these approaches has strengths and trade-offs. The key is knowing which one you’re using—and how much effort it’s actually costing you.

A Simple Process

This is a straightforward way to analyze your own playing.

1. Picked Scale

Play through the pentatonic scale, ascending and descending, picking every note. Don’t let it sound like a drill. Play it as if it’s a line in a solo.

As you go, observe your fingers.
Are you switching?
Are you layering and peeling?
Does it change depending on the phrase?

This step is purely about awareness, not correction.

2. No-Pick Scale

Now play the same scale, ascending and descending, without picking a single note. Resist the urge to hit the strings harder. Move your fretting fingers exactly as if you were picking.

Which notes ring clearly?
Which notes seem to disappear?

This reveals how much work your fretting hand is really doing.

3. Make Small Adjustments

The goal is to use the minimum amount of force to get the maximum result.

If you’re switching on every note, can you adjust the timing so there’s no gap between them?

If you’re layering and peeling, are you pressing too hard on fingers that aren’t currently sounding a note?

If you find yourself plucking notes with your fretting hand on descending lines (which is perfectly fine), are you using more force than necessary? It doesn’t take much to make a note speak.

As you experiment, focus on reducing effort rather than adding control.

A Note on Setup

This process is much easier on an electric guitar through an amp than on an acoustic. High action and heavy strings can make these ideas harder to apply. Personally, I use light strings and the lowest comfortable action on all my guitars, and it makes a noticeable difference in how little force I need to play cleanly.

Small changes in how you move can add up to years of more comfortable, more expressive playing. If you have questions, you can send them to me by clicking here.