For beginners and even intermediated players, the question of how to hold a guitar is a constant source of doubts.
How to hold a guitar properly?
Did you feel like you didn’t have a proper posture? Have you felt you’re not able to play for long periods? Did you feel that you could improve the way you handle the guitar?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this article can help you to properly hold the guitar.
Guitar Holding Positions
The reason for so many questions about this issue of how to hold the guitar is cause by the instrument.
The guitar is such an adaptable instrument that it can used in several different positions.
Here are some of the possible ways that guitarists can hold the guitar:
- Standing with a strap.
- Seated with the guitar on the right leg
- Seated with the guitar on the left leg
- Seated with a strap
- Seated with a raising device.
And even these methods have different positions.
So, what is really the best way to hold the guitar? We will see in the next sections.
How to hold an electric guitar
Let’s start with the electric guitar. This instrument is used in all kinds of popular styles for its flexibility.
Rock musicians like to move around with their guitars, and even jump and dance.
Jazz guitar players, on the other hand, commonly sit down with the guitar on their laps. They also like to play more complex chords and solos.
This shows that the electric guitar can be played in different ways, depending on the musical style and they way you want to present yourself.
This flexibility is exactly what make the guitar such a popular instrument.
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Electric Guitar Standing Posture
So, lets, start with the standing posture common for rock guitarists.
To play while standing, you need to use a guitar strap. This allows a player to move around, which the guitar weight is supported by the strap around the neck.
Many famous players use this method and posture, including most of the famous rock bands, including The Beatles.
How to Hold an Electric Guitar while Sitting
Using strap, however, is not the only way to hold an electric guitar.
Another popular method is to seat in a high chair and use the guitar supported on your leg.
This style is used by many player, and it is very common on Jazz bands. Other types of bands also encourage this method.
How to hold a acoustic guitar
Although the acoustic guitar has a different sound and repertoire, the options for holding the acoustic guitar are similar.
One can use a strap to hold the weight of the instrument. This method is used, for example, by musicians in styles such as folk, country, etc.
But you can also use a position where the guitar is supported in the right leg. This is also a popular method.
Best way to hold a Classical Guitar
Another type of guitar that has it own tradition is the classic guitar. With this type of guitar, you can play much of the classical music repertoire, which was very popular until the middle of the 20th century.
With classical guitars, it is common to use a stand sitting position, where the guitar is supported in the right leg.
Using this siting position for the classical guitar, one can raise the left foot using a foot stool. This position is great because it increases the support and makes the guitar neck readily available to the player.
If you have trouble keeping your right leg raise, you can also use a lateral support for the classical guitar. These supports maintain the classical guitar at a particular height, so that you can have better access to the fretboard.
Video Lesson
Here is a video lesson that shows many of the important topics you need to care when holding a guitar
Among these important topics you should check the following:
- how to hold a right handed guitar
- Proper guitar hand position
- how to hold a guitar with the left hand
- breaking guitar bad habits
How do you hold a guitar?
What about you? What is your preferred way to hold a guitar? Try to identify the positions that give you more freedom and help you to focus on playing.
Given so many options, you should do some personal tests and identify what methods you like the most.