Holding the guitar the right way can drastically improve your ability to play the guitar. It is one of the most important things for a beginner to follow. Often when people have difficulty playing the guitar, especially chords, the problem is almost always improper positioning and holding of the guitar.
1. Use a guitar strap
Even if your sitting you need to use a strap. You should have two strap buttons on your guitar, even if its an acoustic (see below). Sometimes acoustic guitars have only one strap button installed. There should be one on the bottom of the guitar and one up where the neck meets the body. If you only have the one on the bottom, it is good to have another one installed up by the heel of the neck too. Tying it up by the head stock is not ideal, as it tends to keep the guitar to parallel to the floor.
2. Let the weight of your right arm rest on the top of the guitar’s body
Place your flat palm directly on the strings in the middle of the body. Now let your forearm rest on the top edge of the body. Don’t push down on it just relax it and let gravity do the work. This is helps keep the neck up for the fretting (left) hand. Never hold the guitar neck up with your fretting hand. Try this! Let go of the hand that plays the neck. If the neck drops at all towards the floor you are holding it up.
3. Keep the neck UP, higher than the body of the guitar– The head of the guitar should reach up to shoulders height give or take. The weight of your right (strumming) arm will help this to happen. This angle helps take the bend out of your fretting (left) wrist, which can happen when the guitar is held to low or parallel to the floor. It may not be the coolest looking way to hold the guitar but it is the right way to hold a guitar and will make playing it a lot easier easier.
Cheap run of the mill strap buttons.
Here are locking strap buttons. Keeps the strap from accidentally coming off. This can happen some times when you first pick up the guitar and the strap is turned upside down on the peg. Always make sure your strap is secure before you put weight on it.
Previous Lesson: Parts of the Guitar –Acoustic or Electric
Next Lesson: Left Hand Position
Feel free to post any comments or questions you may have.
Get the locking strap buttons! I had my electric slip and drop to the floor and crack the plastic at the bottom. Guitar still works, but sux.
Aww, done it too many times myself. It’s always a good idea to check that the strap hasn’t spun upside down on the bottom of the guitar. If you put your guitar on when this happens, the second you put any weight on it with your strumming hand it will push the peg off the strap and the guitar will come crashing down. Really sucks! You can either rely on your memory to check the strap there every time you pick it up or play it safe and get strap locks. There are many options out there.