Playing standing up

Oh thats embarrasing..... I can't solo! :P
Anyway lots of helpfull advice in her thanks people, I'm gonna adjust my strap and practice like that and hopefully all my problems will sort themselves out

First i'd like to say that so far i'm developing quite a respect for the people on this site. i'm not much good at fitting in so i ask you to understand... i'm not normal. i mean look were i'm from. ha ha. Iwegians like myself hand down some atitudes father to son.
With that said..i don't stand up. not gonna...can't make me. Just sit on the back porch with friends, or roast a pig and pop a keg....sit around and play and sing. I love it. Even if i do play on stage...still...nope.
So, just because i'm not normal doesn't mean we can't be friends...i also have my dads way about that.

KSblu

Soon as I learned three chords I put the strap on and stood up. I've played that way ever since. I can't stand to play sitting down. :shock: :lol: I adjust my strap so my picking hand points somewhere between my crotch and my navel, depending on the guitar and how it hangs. (The guitar, not ... oh well never mind)

A point no-one seems to have adressed yet - there's a big difference between playing an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar standing up. With an acoustic, you're going to need a longer strap - and most acoustics have'nt got a peg on the top of the body to hang a strap on, so you end up tying bootlaces under the strings between the nut and the tuning keys. But have you noticed how the guitar hangs? A) The headstock is higher - and B) the front of an acoustic is further away from your body than the front of of an electric, so strumming is different. For me, playing acoustic and playing electric whilst standing are two VERY different disciplines - I can see why a lot of acoustic guitarists use a stool, I find it a LOT harder playing acoustic than electric whilst standing.....but the bass, on the other hand, seems to suit me fine.....seemed natural from day one..... have it slung LOW on the right hip, but the headstock is about level with my head....

We need pics of how the experts do it.....and I DON'T mean Slash playing "Sweet Child Of Mine".....looks good, but have you ever tried it?

:D :D :D

Vic

Pic of an expert? :lol:

Notice the wierd thing I do with the thumb on my left hand when playing the upper frets? Does anyone else do that?

Standing while playing is something that I've only just started to do on a regular basis. It does take some getting used to and can seem to set your playing back a bit until you get used to it. It doesn't take long though and is worth it in the end. Never tried the mirror thing but it sounds like a good idea. (I'll try it when I'm home alone. :wink: )

Haven't tried standing with my accoustic yet so I haven't expereinced the differences Vic mentioned but it makes sense. I'll have to give it a go.

Having tried a number of different positions with the strap I find that the position TRG in the post above is adopting to be very similar to that which I find comfortable.

@TRG: Never done that done with the thumb, and not sure I've ever seen it either. Nice axe BTW.

8)

Well so far I've raised my strap and have been able to play fine. Played for about 2 hours yesterday before I started getting a twing in my wrist which is just because I'm not used to playing like that I think.
So thanks for all the advice everybody!

On a side note I've played my acoustic standing up without a strap which was great fun! :P Might see if I can practice playing it like that more :)

Not an 'expert', but here's how I play standing :)

I try and get the headstock near shoulder height as it makes barre chords easier:

This is probably the easier way to play an electric, same as the acoustic just a shorter strap:

But I am often guilty of sliding it down a bit :P but you can see the effect that it has on the hand, it doesn't look comfortable (it's not too bad though) :

It's a weird thing though, if I'm ever play finger-style I find it impossible to stand up.

Pete

Chris C. said:It did look a little dorky though (with my acoustic you could almost see the big Mexican hat and the flashing smile....).

Great line Chris! Thanks for the chuckle.
Denny

Hey Pete! Nice Yamaha! I like it.

Thanks TR! It's been a bit negleted lated actually, I've fallen into a very Acoustic mood....its repaying me by falling out of tune after 10 minutes...

Guitars need love too I guess! :D

Pete

Thanks TR! It's been a bit negleted lated actually, I've fallen into a very Acoustic mood

good for the planet Pete....your concience is now bigger than your carbon footprint :roll: :lol:

Interesting replies on the mirror thing. My sitar instructor (years ago) told us (students) to practice in front of a mirror.

Robert Fripp has this story. He had been playing standing and it just wasn't working out. One night he brought a stool and sat while playing the gig. After the gig Jimi Hendrix approached him. He said "Shake my left hand man, it's closer to my heart." Fripp has been playing sitting ever since.

It all depends on what's comfortable to you.

While you're working playing standing up, learn to play standing up in the dark. I've found that for some reason when you're on a stage, despite all the lights, it is really dark. Eventually you'll be able to play with your eyes closed but that first time on stage when you can't see the fretboard can cause a bit of a panic.

You could also try putting those strap buttons on different places on your guitar to angle the guitar in a way you're most comfortable playing with. That is, if you don't mind drilling holes into your guitar ;) I used to have to put it up pretty high until I adjusted the position of those strap buttons. Managed to get the cool look and the ability to play comfortably.