DETAILS REGARDING TECHNIQUE BY "TECHNIQUE" WE WILL MEAN A PERSONAL PROCESS OF EXPLORING AND EXTENDING ONE'S LIMITS IN A MANNER CONDUCIVE TO ENHANCING THE BODY'S LONGEVITY IN DOING SO. ALL POINTS REGARDING THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE HAND'S POSITION ARE INDICATIONS, NOT ABSOLUTES. STUDY YOUR OWN HANDS WHILE YOU PRACTICE. SOME INITIAL STIFFNESS IS INEVITIBLE FOR THE AMBITIOUS STUDENT. UNABASHEDLY MASSAGE THE LEFT HAND INTERIOR MUSCLES. ESPECIALLY THE NODE WHERE THE THUMB CARPAL MEETS THE POINTY FINGER. DON'T GO SO DEEP AS TO CAUSE PAIN. ACUPRESSURE POINTS ARE INVALUABLE. TAI CHI AND/OR YOGA IS GOOD. THE THUMB OF THE LEFT HAND IS USUALLY PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE NECK'S CENTER. HOWEVER, IN THE COURSE OF PLAYING, IT IS MORE DYNAMIC, AND DESCRIBES AN ESS CURVE. IT OPPOSES LEFT HAND FINGERTIPS. I.E., IT'S CLOSER TO THE UPPER STRINGS WHEN YOU PLAY LOWER END NOTES, AND VICE VERSA. THE 1234 EXERCISE AND ALL ITS 24 VARIANTS IS A WONDERFUL WAY OPEN THE DOOR. FIVE MINUTES OF THIS AT RANDOM TIMES AROSS ONE'S DAY WILL GENERATE STRIKING RESULTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. KEEP THE LH FINGERS CURVED. THINK ARCHES FROM THE FINGER. TRY TO AVOID "COLLAPSING" ANY OF THE JOINTS WHEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE A NOTE. CUT NO CORNERS, AND YOU WILL LEARN HOW FAST SLOW CAN BE, IN TERMS OF THE BODY'S MUSCLE MEMORY LEARNING CURVE. DROP THE WRIST TO ACQUIRE LEVERAGE TRY TO SUSTAIN THE 4/1 INTERVAL AS YOU MOVE TO ADJACENT STRING TO "RING" AS A "CHORD" FOR A MORE FLUID, LESS CHOPPY EFFECT SLOW PRACTICE WILL RESULT IN FASTER DEVELOPMENT. USE THIS TO EXPLORE ALL THE "COLORS" OF A GIVEN PITCH, AND EMPHASIZE A CLEAN EVEN SOUND FOR YOURSELF. REMEMBER THAT THIS IS ABOUT FINDING YOUR PERSONAL "VOICE," NOT WINNING A HORSERACE. UP/DOWN PICKING IS PREFERRED FOR THE MOMENT, EVEN IF IT GOES COUNTER TO YOUR HABITS. PRACTICE ASCENDING, I.E. 1234, AND DESCENDING 4321. WHEN ASCENDING 1234, KEEP THE FINGERS "DOWN, EVEN AFTER YOU PLAY THE NOTE. I.E. WHEN YOU PLAY THE 2 FINGER, STILL KEEP THE 1 IN PLACE UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD YOU "FORCE" THE EXERCISE TO THE POINT OF PAIN. IF A STRETCH IS TOO GREAT TRY TO DO THE EXERCISE IN ANOTHER POSITION. APPLY ALL OF THESE PRINCIPLES TO EVERY SCALE STUDY.