Odd question, but just wondering if anyone else has had this problem before. I took up playing about a year ago and earlier this year I purchased and began playing an electric. 95% of my practice time is spent sitting down and lately I've found that the days after I put in a particularly long session my right knee (the one that I typically rest the guitar on) stiffens up something awful. It can be quite painful at times and, while I'm no doctor, I'm guessing it has something to do with the weight of the guitar cutting off the circulation in my leg for an extended period of time.
Anyone else ever have this issue.
I don't know about the circulation thing, but I would suggest that you stand up to practice your electric. If you eventually want to play in a band, you'll be standing on the stage, so it's a really good idea to get used to the way the guitar hangs on you when you play standing. You may find that you have to alter the way you play ever so slightly when you switch from sitting to standing.
I practice my acoustics sitting down and my electrics standing up.
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-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´ -:¦:- Elecktrablue -:¦:-
"Don't wanna ride no shootin' star. Just wanna play on the rhythm guitar." Emmylou Harris, "Rhythm Guitar" from "The Ballad of Sally Rose"
I would echo what Elecktrablue said. I've found that after practicing the majority of time while sitting down, I had trouble playing simple open chords like B7 while standing. Why? I found that I was tucking my elbow in close to my chest while playing in a sitting position.
For the pain in your leg...I would imagine it is exactly what you think. My leg has gone numb while sitting and playing. So, same thing applies me thinks. A while back I had some major pain in my foot because I would curl my right foot when I played (sitting) After some time, I was unable to stand on it. What do they call that? Repetitive Action Injury??
Ric!! Where art thou?
Edit: (after having typed my response, I realized that I left myself open for Ric to reply that its not Repetitive Action Injury its just old age... :lol: That's fine...have at it! I can handle the truth!!!)
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
I have to agree with what everyone else already said. I have horrible posture anyway and I always end up slouching over my guitar when I play sitting down. It does cut off the circulation in my leg sometimes and also makes it hard to make some of the chords properly so I started standing up and that seems to help a lot with both problems.
All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I see I should have been more specific.
UrbanCowgirl,
Why are you using a guitar to comb your hair?
It's the rock that gives the stream its music . . . and the stream that gives the rock its roll.
UrbanCowgirl,
Why are you using a guitar to comb your hair?
It's called a comb filter effect.
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
Shhhhhh! You guys are letting out all my beauty secrets. :wink:
I can't play it very well so might as well use it for something!
All my life I wanted to be somebody. Now I see I should have been more specific.
UrbanCowgirl,
Why are you using a guitar to comb your hair?
It's called a comb filter effect.
whatever possessed you to ... ?
-=tension & release=-
I practice sitting down, and I don't have this problem, but my position is different. The guitar rests on my left leg, with the neck angling up and to the left and the body of the guitar largely between my spread legs (the right leg, which is square to the floor and bears more of my body's weight, has none of the guitar weight on it). The left leg is angled more forward in a relaxed position, which helps keep the blood flow a little further from the surface and less subject to compression from the guitar. This position also allows me to tap my right foot unfettered, gets my left wrist into a better attack position than with the guitar neck down, and takes some of the guitar weight off my neck -- which is my real problem area. :x
But then, I don't foresee playing in a band anytime soon, either. :?
Yer kiddin', right?
Sooner or later we make the observation: "I ain't no spring chicken!"
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cat
(Seriously, yer kiddin', right?
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
whatever possessed you to ... ?
BaAd joke, I know....
All I can say is that it was bordem...sheer bordem. Was sitting there with nothing to do..
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
