How to Hold a Guitar
Sit in an appropriate chair., Orient the guitar correctly., Balance the base of the guitar on your thigh., Angle the neck up., Secure the body with the elbow and forearm of your dominant hand., Balance the neck between your thumb and forefinger...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Sit in an appropriate chair.
When you're first learning to play the guitar, it's important to practice in a seated position.
Before you can duck walk across the stage while ripping a solo, you've got to learn to hold the guitar comfortably, without having to struggle to reach the frets and the strings.
The best way to do this is to learn to hold the guitar from a seated position in an appropriate chair.
The best practice chairs are hard-backed chairs with no arm rests of any kind, or stools.
Sit far forward on the chair, so your back isn't touching the back-rest, your butt right on the edge of the seat.
Keep your back very straight.Guitar stools are available at most music stores, and they're perfect for practicing.
They're also rather expensive.
If you want one, go for it, but practicing in your own kitchen chair should be fine.
Just avoid the couch, the La-Z-Boy, and other soft recliners, which will build bad posture and bad guitar habits. -
Step 2: Orient the guitar correctly.
Start holding the guitar by orienting it to your body properly.
Held correctly, the biggest string on the guitar (the low E string) should be closest to the ceiling, and the skinniest toward the floor.
The body of the guitar–the part with the strings and the sound-hole–should be on the side of your dominant hand, which is the hand you write with.
The neck, which is the long skinny fretted part of the guitar, should be on your non-dominant side.
Your dominant hand is your “strumming hand” or your “picking hand." This hand will be used to pluck the strings of guitar and create the sound.
While it might seem more comfortable to use that hand for fretting, it's much easier in the long run to learn this way.
Your non-dominant hand is your “fretting hand," used to press the strings down onto the fretboard and create the individual notes. , When you pick up the guitar in a seated position, put the leg on your dominant side forward slightly, bending your knee so it forms a right angle, your foot flat on the floor.
Your other leg should be back slightly to make it comfortable.
Keep your back straight.
Balance the tail or base of the guitar–the end opposite the tuning pegs–on the thigh of your dominant side.
Some dreadnought-style acoustic guitars have a nice cutout that should seat nicely on your other thigh, helping to orient the guitar properly.
Take some time to feel out your guitar and seat it comfortably on your lap.
You shouldn't have to hold it up with your hands, when it's balanced properly. , Properly held, the neck of the guitar should be held at a 45 degree angle, not parallel with the floor, laying flat on your lap.
Though this is sometimes called “classical style,” it’s the best and most comfortable way to learn, regardless of what style you plan on developing in your playing.
Some guitar teachers won't emphasize holding the guitar in this manner.
Once you get comfortable, you can hold the guitar however you like.
For the beginner, though, it's much easier to access the freeboard this way.
If your guitar teacher teaches you to play with the neck of the guitar parallel with the ground, try it out the other way. , Keep the guitar in tight to your body, the back of the guitar touching your torso.
The fretboard and the strings should be perfectly perpendicular with the ground, not tilted backward so you can see them better.
Under the sound-hole, secure the guitar tight into your body with your strumming forearm and elbow, and keep your wrist on the bridge of the guitar.
To make sure you're not hugging too tightly, practice strumming, letting your hand fall comfortably, about an inch below the sound-hole of an acoustic guitar, or even with the pick-ups on an electric guitar.
You should think of this less as “holding” a guitar and more as letting the guitar rest comfortably on your lap while you play.
The less you “hold” it, the easier it is to play. , You shouldn’t have to use your fretting hand to support the guitar.
Properly held, a guitar should remain in place by supporting it on the thigh of your dominant side, holding it in tight to your body with the elbow on that side.
To keep it steady, form a "V" shape with the thumb and forefinger of your fretting hand, and use that hand to balance the neck of the guitar.
Some guitar teachers will put a small piece of tape just behind the third fret, on the neck of the guitar as an indication of where you should place your thumb.
If you're learning properly, your fretting thumb should always remain on the back of the neck, your other fingers arched over the fretboard.
Be careful not to wrap your thumb around.
Alternatively, guitar wizards from Hendrix to John Fahey have broken this rule with abandon, incorporating the wrapped-thumb to great effect.
If you've got long fingers, you can get away with it.
Follow your guitar teacher's instructions, if you're receiving them, or experiment to see what works best for you. , The most important part of holding a guitar properly is maintaining a straight back and keeping the guitar perpendicular with the ground.
It's easy to slide into a slouch, tilting the guitar back so you can see the fretboard, but this is a fast-train to poor technique and sloppy playing.
If you want to hold it properly, keep your back straight. -
Step 3: Balance the base of the guitar on your thigh.
-
Step 4: Angle the neck up.
-
Step 5: Secure the body with the elbow and forearm of your dominant hand.
-
Step 6: Balance the neck between your thumb and forefinger.
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Step 7: Keep your back as straight as possible.
Detailed Guide
When you're first learning to play the guitar, it's important to practice in a seated position.
Before you can duck walk across the stage while ripping a solo, you've got to learn to hold the guitar comfortably, without having to struggle to reach the frets and the strings.
The best way to do this is to learn to hold the guitar from a seated position in an appropriate chair.
The best practice chairs are hard-backed chairs with no arm rests of any kind, or stools.
Sit far forward on the chair, so your back isn't touching the back-rest, your butt right on the edge of the seat.
Keep your back very straight.Guitar stools are available at most music stores, and they're perfect for practicing.
They're also rather expensive.
If you want one, go for it, but practicing in your own kitchen chair should be fine.
Just avoid the couch, the La-Z-Boy, and other soft recliners, which will build bad posture and bad guitar habits.
Start holding the guitar by orienting it to your body properly.
Held correctly, the biggest string on the guitar (the low E string) should be closest to the ceiling, and the skinniest toward the floor.
The body of the guitar–the part with the strings and the sound-hole–should be on the side of your dominant hand, which is the hand you write with.
The neck, which is the long skinny fretted part of the guitar, should be on your non-dominant side.
Your dominant hand is your “strumming hand” or your “picking hand." This hand will be used to pluck the strings of guitar and create the sound.
While it might seem more comfortable to use that hand for fretting, it's much easier in the long run to learn this way.
Your non-dominant hand is your “fretting hand," used to press the strings down onto the fretboard and create the individual notes. , When you pick up the guitar in a seated position, put the leg on your dominant side forward slightly, bending your knee so it forms a right angle, your foot flat on the floor.
Your other leg should be back slightly to make it comfortable.
Keep your back straight.
Balance the tail or base of the guitar–the end opposite the tuning pegs–on the thigh of your dominant side.
Some dreadnought-style acoustic guitars have a nice cutout that should seat nicely on your other thigh, helping to orient the guitar properly.
Take some time to feel out your guitar and seat it comfortably on your lap.
You shouldn't have to hold it up with your hands, when it's balanced properly. , Properly held, the neck of the guitar should be held at a 45 degree angle, not parallel with the floor, laying flat on your lap.
Though this is sometimes called “classical style,” it’s the best and most comfortable way to learn, regardless of what style you plan on developing in your playing.
Some guitar teachers won't emphasize holding the guitar in this manner.
Once you get comfortable, you can hold the guitar however you like.
For the beginner, though, it's much easier to access the freeboard this way.
If your guitar teacher teaches you to play with the neck of the guitar parallel with the ground, try it out the other way. , Keep the guitar in tight to your body, the back of the guitar touching your torso.
The fretboard and the strings should be perfectly perpendicular with the ground, not tilted backward so you can see them better.
Under the sound-hole, secure the guitar tight into your body with your strumming forearm and elbow, and keep your wrist on the bridge of the guitar.
To make sure you're not hugging too tightly, practice strumming, letting your hand fall comfortably, about an inch below the sound-hole of an acoustic guitar, or even with the pick-ups on an electric guitar.
You should think of this less as “holding” a guitar and more as letting the guitar rest comfortably on your lap while you play.
The less you “hold” it, the easier it is to play. , You shouldn’t have to use your fretting hand to support the guitar.
Properly held, a guitar should remain in place by supporting it on the thigh of your dominant side, holding it in tight to your body with the elbow on that side.
To keep it steady, form a "V" shape with the thumb and forefinger of your fretting hand, and use that hand to balance the neck of the guitar.
Some guitar teachers will put a small piece of tape just behind the third fret, on the neck of the guitar as an indication of where you should place your thumb.
If you're learning properly, your fretting thumb should always remain on the back of the neck, your other fingers arched over the fretboard.
Be careful not to wrap your thumb around.
Alternatively, guitar wizards from Hendrix to John Fahey have broken this rule with abandon, incorporating the wrapped-thumb to great effect.
If you've got long fingers, you can get away with it.
Follow your guitar teacher's instructions, if you're receiving them, or experiment to see what works best for you. , The most important part of holding a guitar properly is maintaining a straight back and keeping the guitar perpendicular with the ground.
It's easy to slide into a slouch, tilting the guitar back so you can see the fretboard, but this is a fast-train to poor technique and sloppy playing.
If you want to hold it properly, keep your back straight.
About the Author
Peter Jenkins
Peter Jenkins is an experienced writer with over 17 years of expertise in consulting. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Peter creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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