Is it any harder to play stood up, as opposed to playing sat down?
Not really.
If you get used to playing sitting down, then once you start playing standing up you'll have to get used to that as well.
It's important that you keep the guitar at a good angle, just as you do when you are sitting. If you hang it too low, it'll be harder to play, although angling it upwards can help with this.
Remember, it's better to sound good than look good...I think.
For me, sitting and standing each have their pros and cons. Sitting, my arm/wrist/hand has more room to do what it needs to do, so things like tough chords are usually a little easier; standing, much of the balancing I'm used to doing myself is taken care of by the hanging weight of the guitar, so quick fingering of individual notes is usually easier for me.
I'm sure there are plenty of other factors, too, like your strap, guitar shape/size, where you usually sit, etc.
-- Voidious
it is always easier for me when I sit down to play after standing.
it takes a while to adjust to standing after you have been sitting.
either way, I adjust or hold the guitar differently. so in a way, I play differently.
I can suck both standing and sitting. but I think I rock harder standing.
the degree of difficulty in playing between standing or sitting should be no different.
unless you play classical style guitar. they sit. never saw one windmill and kick.
Ta guys!
I would probably adopt having the neck angled more up towards to my face, as i would find playing stretches easier :)
thats the guitar too as well.
Strap is a 2" wide one..
Hi,
For a first timer, the most obvious difference between playing standing up is in the view you get of the guitar. When you first start learning to play there's a natural tendency to tilt the guitar up so that you can see what your fingers are doing. If you've already reached the stage where the guitar is held more or less up and down and you don't need to watch the fretboard to play, then playing standing up isn't really a big deal. However, if you're still relying on seeing where you place your fingers then it will probably feel pretty awkward.
When I first started playing standing up I was pleasantly surprised at how little difference it made. But I'd already been playing sitting down for many months and could do plenty of smooth changes without looking. I had also already got out of the habit of having the guitar facing up towards me, and was playing with it straight up and down. If you spend a bit of time getting the strap adjusted right and start with something you can already do easily then you should be OK. Good luck - it feels good when you get it to work. 8)
Cheers,
Chris
Yeah, once you get used to standing, then sitting seems awkward. When I sit I feel all jammed in, when I stand I feel freedom to move, much less cramped feeling. Now whenever I practice sitting, I sit on the front of the chair so my guitar can hang in front of me like when I stand. This is the only way I can play now.
When you stand, look at the dots on the side of your neck, don't tilt the guitar toward you, this will cause your wrist to bend to an excessive degree.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
I have a couple of years of experience playing mainly acoustic. I still have trouble playing unfamiliar chords or songs standing up. Sitting or standing with the electric seems make less of a difference for me.
Wyle :)
I like to stand up to play electric guitar or bass, but not acoustic guitar. With electric, I have it fairly high - I'll never be a super-cool guitar hero with a strap hanging down to my knees, even though I've got very long arms, it just doesn't work for me. I like to keep my wrist fairly loose, so the headstock's fairly high. Different with the bass - that I like low-slung, much lower than the guitar. I like the body low, so my right (picking) arm's almost fully extended - but again, I like the headstock fairly high.
With acoustic guitar, I can't seem to find a happy medium; I don't like the strap tied around the headstock, but there doesn't seem to be a good place to put a strap button like there is on an electric guitar.
Anyone have a you-tube link to an acoustic guitarist, playing standing up, who doesn't have the strap tied round the headstock?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
as has been said, sound is better than cool :)
and i wouldnt be worried about looking cool, i want people to be able to enjoy what i play, on whatever scale i may up playing at.
ta peeps :)
I read on numerous occasions that you should always play stood up due to the fact that if you ever play live you would be stood up and playing sat down your positioning will be complely different. Though I am forced to play sat down and seriously cannot wait to get an electric so I can stand up again.
There are plenty of people who play sitting live, but probably not so much with "popular music", people are expected to perform to some degree but a lot of accoustic players will sit playing classical style and that works in some settings too, it depends mostly on the style. I find it more comfortable to stand most of the time, but the reality is a lot of the time I play sitting down because I'm in my office plugged into my computer vs out in the living room where I have some space to work with.
im not sure if im at the stage yet playing without looking at the fret board (infact i know i arent - though I can get Gmaj, Em and Am changes without looking) and i sometimes need to look at the strings in playing (if soloing), but i'll just keep at it, as i think standing may be better for the style of playing i will eventually adopt :D
if people don't like my playing because i'm sitting then i think maybe i should lie on my back
#4491....
