I am an utter newb, and I'm having some trouble balancing my guitar on my right knee in such a way that it's stable. If I sort of fold my elbow over it, then the neck seems too low, and my hand feels like it's too far to the back edge of the soundhole. Is there something obvious that I'm missing? I've taken a picture with my webcam:
Consider the sitting positions in this article:
http://guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/sitting.htm
Also standing positions:
http://guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/elec_stand.htm
Hope that helps!
P.S. Welcome to GN!
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
i probably don't do it right but this is what i do: i sit with my legs crossed and my left on top. i have the guitar against my left leg, not my right. i also at some point figured that my guitar was too big and eventually got a smaller guitar.
i have a smaller guitar, but here's where it rests on my leg
and here's where my hand sits in relation to the soundhole
and this is my smiling face
Hi Arue. As the link above suggests, it may help to elevate your foot a bit so that your leg helps to hold the guitar in place instead of allowing it to slide down your thigh towards your knee. (Be grateful you aren't trying to do this with an Ovation roundback!) Then you can allow the guitar body to fall against you and you can relax your strumming arm.
And then you can concentrate on using that arm for playing and for positioning your hand where you want it rather than holding your guitar in place. Your strumming hand should be free to move up and down the strings - closer to the bridge gives a brighter tone while more directly over the sound hole gives a darker, thicker tone.
You appear to have your wrists straight relative to your forearms. That's a very good thing, not only to facilitate your playing, but also to help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which can be brought on or exacerbated by trying to play (or type or use a hammer or anything else repetitive) with your wrists bent.
I hope what we've said helps. If not, please let us know and we'll keep picking at it until we get it right. Cheers!
If the dude woke up this mornin', he's playin'.
You a lefty or is that pic backwards? I find if I can get my right foot up a bit it helps. Sitting on a stool you can put your right foot on one of the upper rungs. If you can get your knee up a bit it holds the guitar. Pic looks OK, just need to get that knee under the guitar up a bit some how.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
A strap can be an immense help in balancing the guitar and freeing your hands to play.
Margaret
When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~
