Holding Your Guitar

One of the most important aspects of playing the guitar is how you hold it. The way you position your instrument affects your comfort, posture, technique, and sound. So we're going to explore the different ways to hold the guitar today.

Sitting Down:

There are three main positions for sitting regardless of the type of guitar you have. For each of these positions make sure to have both feet firmly on the ground. You should also find a level surface to sit on (chair with no arms).

Traditional Steel String/ On Right Thigh:

A. Put the guitar strings facing away from you. 

B. Put the side of the guitar, where it curves in, on your right thigh. 

C. Line up the smaller side of your guitar so it's in the middle of your chest. You may need a different chair, or something to raise your guitar up to get it into this position. You can use a footstool or a stack of books to get your leg higher.

D. Finally, put your right arm (think your bicep) on top of the larger side of the guitar. Let your forearm droop down from the elbow. The weight of your right arm should keep the guitar in place. 

E. Put the right hand on the strings (just behind the soundhole) and you’re done.

Here’s the correct ending position:

Traditional Nylon String/ On Left Thigh:

This is a classical method that is often used by acoustic and nylon-string guitarists. Follow Parts A and B from the steel string position. But, put the indented part on your left thigh instead of your right. You will notice the guitar in an awkward position with the lower half between your legs. 

To get a better position for the instrument, you will need a footstool to elevate your left leg. You have to have a footstool in this position. With the guitar on the right leg, you can get away with not having one. On the left it's a must.

Follow Part C from Number 1 for lining it up . Then follow Parts D and E to from Number 1 to finish up. 

Flamenco Style (on with a Classical or Flamenco Guitar)/ On Right Thigh:

Instead of placing the indented part on your right thigh (like in the steel-string method), put the larger curved on your right thigh. Then, follow Parts C-E from Number 1 to finish up.

This will be the hardest one to get at first because the guitar is mostly floating. Yet, this is my favorite position due to not needing to elevate either leg to get into a good playing position. No footstool needed here.

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Standing Up:

Standing up to play guitar is the most common method for performing. Any time you go to concert, they're probably standing up.

And if you’re going to play standing up, you need a guitar strap. You can put them on all electric guitars. You can also put them on most acoustic guitars. But for some, you might need a special kind of strap.

The most common approach to standing up is to tighten the strap to a point where your hands drop and meet the guitar. The goal there is make sure your hands can get to the strings without bending your right arm too much. 

But, while it's common, it's not the position I recommend. I recommend adjusting the strap so the guitar is in a position almost identical to sitting down. This means that you will need to tighten the strap a lot. But, it will put you in a better position to play than most of the people you see.

There you go! These are some of the most common ways to hold the guitar. Experiment with with them all. The main thing to remember is to keep your body relaxed and your posture straight.

Happy playing!