How do you hold a guitar stable?

Just the weight of my right arm on the guitar body. The size of the guitar determines which part of the arm.

Wow, never thought about it.

Playing right handed, a light guitar sits on my right leg and is held by my arm over the top.

But, a heavy guitar sits on my Left Leg! I never noticed it before! Same thing with a bass.

When I use a strap, the guitar is usually kinda high up and I've never noticed any problem with positioning, although one of the reasons I've never liked Les Pauls is because of the weight on my neck, it bothers me after a while.

Of course, I have some heavy guitars now and they don't bother me anymore, maybe it's time to reconsider getting a Paul! :twisted:

Next time you've been playing guitar for a few minutes, when you put it down, take a look at the inside forearm of your strumming arm - chances are there'll be an indentation where you've been subconsciously "hugging" the guitar to your body. I've been playing for a few seconds, just to check it out...and it's there. As for the neck, I noticed the soft pads at the top of my palm keep that fairly steady.....

:D :D :D

Vic

I've tried that postion for some tricky classical pieces. It does make some grips easier, but don't you find your back starts to hurt after a short while?

My guitar teacher said you should be careful using this postion to much because it can damage your back.

To hold the guitar in place I use my strumming arm, like DemoEtc. For me, that is the only way to hold the guitar in place :? .

That's pretty much how it works for me too.

I started thinking about this because I wanted to point out to a new player that holding the guitar steady does make a difference when you're trying to land chord changes.

But, talking about it here, I've realised that I needed to know more about it for my own playing too. I'm prone to a bit of back trouble anyway, but I recently discovered that my practice sessions were tending to be very short because of creeping pain. I hadn't even realised what was happening, I'd just automatically put the guitar down when the back started complaining. :(

As Vic and others mentioned, I was mostly gripping it with my right arm - probably more tightly than I should.

I've been experimenting with the strap and - as Margaret suggested - if I get it adjusted correctly it seems to make a big difference, even when seated. Using an 'ergonomic' style office chair adjusted at the right height and angles seems to be making a useful difference too. :)

Thanks everybody for some very handy input.

Cheers,

Chris

And a little story....

I was trying out the strap last night and started walking around and playing - which I'd never done before. It turned out to be much easier than I thought. So I found my wife - who was reading in bed - and started hamming up some rock moves, and mock serenading of her etc.. :wink:

"Look" I said " now I'll be able to follow you round the house and sing to you.... Maybe even give you nagging instructions in a little song..... 'la lala.. when you've finished gutting fishes, you can help me with the dishes...la lala'..."

Vicki (who's a very polite and easy going woman) gave me a wry smile and said "Maybe you could stick a broom up your.....****.. and sweep the house while you play...." ! :shock: :shock: I can't bear to tell you where she suggested I put the broom, but I don't think I'll be trying it... : :?

They say it's the quiet ones you have to watch, but that was so unexpected it had us both in stitches... :D

Cheers,

Chris

Vicki, you GO, girl!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Margaret

ROFLMAO!

I better watch it, my wife is planning something worse.

Here kitty,kitty,kitty... :twisted:

I just hold my guitar however it naturally falls into place, whatever position I am in.

Only a theory: As the player gets used to playing a guitar he develops and refines many motor coordination skills, and one of those is learning to hold and balance a guitar in a way that minimizes fatigue. If a guitar is supported near its center of gravity by knee, lap, strap or Dolly's Partons (search GN for that one), it actually takes very little energy to keep it balanced. What it does take is one's muscles learning to balance it using some medium to fine motor control. As for anything that requires motor coordination, we get better as we practice -- and while the guitarist practices playing, he is also practicing the 'simple' act of holding. It's almost a part of the zen of guitaring.

But of course for those who learn slowly, a broomstick attachment can be an amazing motivator. It also provides one with a three-point support system, which is of course among the most stable.

I don't think that's QUITE what Elmore James had in mind for the broom....

:D :D :D

Vic

As for anything that requires motor coordination, we get better as we practice -- and while the guitarist practices playing, he is also practicing the 'simple' act of holding. It's almost a part of the zen of guitaring.

Thanks. That's probably as good a definition as I'm going to find. :) As I progress with the guitar I find numerous 'simple' things that aren't really simple at all when you start, and which can only be slowly 'built in' by practising and letting the brain and body make all the small adjustments required. "The zen of guitaring" as you say.

When I started I couldn't seem to find room for my fingers without overlapping onto other strings. But now I can. Similarly, when I started clarinet it took weeks to be able to get the darned reed to work properly without squeaking or generally misbehaving. Then one day I realised it was working OK. Like many of the things with guitar - I have no idea how I did it, other than by improving in tiny increments. Even with a background in mathematics and engineering I can't explain to another beginner exactly how you do it. All I can say is that is happens... :? :D
But of course for those who learn slowly, a broomstick attachment can be an amazing motivator. It also provides one with a three-point support system, which is of course among the most stable.

:lol: :lol: I nearly fell off the chair reading that.... I'm never going to be able to play standing up now without having a mental image of propping myself up on the three point system.

And thanks to Vic, I'm now going to have to learn "Dust my brooom" too....

Cheers,

Chris

I'm prone to a bit of back trouble anyway, but I recently discovered that my practice sessions were tending to be very short because of creeping pain. I hadn't even realised what was happening, I'd just automatically put the guitar down when the back started complaining. :(
I get a little grief from my back sometimes too (I tend to slouch in my chair at work all day and can never remember not too :roll:). When that happens, I have a position that works great for me: stood up, leant against my sofa's armrest with my back straight. It's halfway between sitting on the armrest and being stood up, a real lazy lean. Give it a go, see if it works for you too :)

Thanks mate, I'll try that. :)

I know perfectly well what I need to do - and that is more regular exercises to build a bit more strength in the back muscles. When I'm fitter I get a lot less trouble. Maybe I should add it to the 2007 resolutions. :wink:

In the meantime I'll add the 'sofa lean' to my list of temporary remedies.

Just finished adjusting the height, angles and backrests on the chairs that I use at the computer, and for playing. So that should help.

Posture seems very important in a lot of things, not just guitar playing. I once stuffed my shoulder up (being an idiot and trying to swim 2 lengths underwater in a friend's pool) and I had 18 months of pain. Was resigned to it being a permanent problem. Various 'therapies' did nothing but enrich the therapists... Then I bought a new ergonomic chair to use at the computer. The shoulder fixed itself in 2 weeks! Wrong posture had been preventing the normal healing process - for 18 bloody months @##$%%. More careful now!

Cheers,

Chris

Buy a bar stool - great to lean against and have other uses when not playing guitar. 8) 8)

Various 'therapies' did nothing but enrich the therapists...
Heh, don't get me started on that subject! :wink: