Difference between revisions of "Holding the Guitar and Pick"
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| − | The middle of the bottom side of the guitar body usually rests on the right thigh and is ''balanced by the | + | The middle of the bottom side of the guitar body usually rests on the right thigh and is ''balanced by the <u>right forearm</u> pressing the guitar body against the right flank/ribs/gut''. The neck is almost parallel to the ground with the headstock slightly higher than the neck heel. The fretboard hand should ''not'' be required to balance the guitar. It should be free to slide up and down the neck, twist and turn to make different chord shapes and fret notes. Requiring it to balance the guitar only gets in the way of this. |
For playing leads or classical music, or for non-standard body shapes, it may be more comfortable on the left hand and wrist to rest the middle of the bottom side of the guitar body on the left thigh and tilt it so the side by the rear strap also rests against the inside of the right thigh. This may make playing around the 1st fret more uncomfortable, however. I use it occasionally, but mostly use the method in the prior paragraph. | For playing leads or classical music, or for non-standard body shapes, it may be more comfortable on the left hand and wrist to rest the middle of the bottom side of the guitar body on the left thigh and tilt it so the side by the rear strap also rests against the inside of the right thigh. This may make playing around the 1st fret more uncomfortable, however. I use it occasionally, but mostly use the method in the prior paragraph. | ||
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Revision as of 01:39, 15 March 2015
Guitars comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can be played standing up, laying down, or sitting; so there's no absolute way to hold the guitar. The main point for the beginner to grasp is that it should be as comfortable and controllable as possible. I find this is usually sitting.
Sitting
The middle of the bottom side of the guitar body usually rests on the right thigh and is balanced by the right forearm pressing the guitar body against the right flank/ribs/gut. The neck is almost parallel to the ground with the headstock slightly higher than the neck heel. The fretboard hand should not be required to balance the guitar. It should be free to slide up and down the neck, twist and turn to make different chord shapes and fret notes. Requiring it to balance the guitar only gets in the way of this.
For playing leads or classical music, or for non-standard body shapes, it may be more comfortable on the left hand and wrist to rest the middle of the bottom side of the guitar body on the left thigh and tilt it so the side by the rear strap also rests against the inside of the right thigh. This may make playing around the 1st fret more uncomfortable, however. I use it occasionally, but mostly use the method in the prior paragraph.
In practice, the left hand occasionally does do some balancing, particularly when holding chords with the left hand while the right hand strums the strings, which can be awkward if using too much forearm pressure against the body. Remember, the forearm only needs enough pressure to achieve balance - any pressure beyond that point is creating muscle tension and friction.
Standing
When standing, the strap is typically slung over the head and rests on the left shoulder - the strap crosses the back from the right hip to the left shoulder where it extends straight down to the front or horn strap pin. This prevents it from falling accidentally, and most guitar manufacturers balance their guitars so that when slung this way, the neck doesn't dip too much. A natural inclination may be to think the guitar's body should be centered in front of your body, but really it should rest on your right flank/ribs/hip. Your left hand should be reaching slightly away from your body.
Another inclination is to sling the guitar low, which looks super cool. Some people can pull this off, but I am not one of them. It kills my left wrist and greatly limits my playing ability. I don't think anyone should start that low. Sling it so it feels similar to sitting down or only slightly lower. As you gain comfort, you can start to lower the strap.
The Pick
When beginning, holding the pick (or plectrum) always introduces self-doubt. There's no absolutely correct way to do it, as it depends on your hands and the type of pick being used and even your playing style. You will adjust and gain comfort over time. The important things to know are that you have to grip it so that you can pick in both directions - down (from your head towards your feet) and up (vice versa). This shouldn't require any big adjustment - you want the natural give of the pick and the flesh of your fingers to allow you to "push through" the string as you pick, not angling your wrist differently or otherwise manipulating your grip.
Typically you will hold the pick on the fingerprint or joint of your thumb and side of the last digit or joint of your index finger. My index finger is curled so that the last digit is almost parallel with my thumb, and my thumb is straight, not bent at the joint. Only the pick should hit the strings. Either curl your other fingers to make a loose fist or leave them more extended. If extended, you can straighten your fingers or give them a slight curl. I like extended, as it has advantages that we will get to later. I also allow them to curl slightly, which is most natural to me. But the most important thing is to not strain. The more strength you need to give your muscles to keep your unused fingers curled or extended, the more tension it places on your wrist which affects picking strength, speed, accuracy, and stamina.
Body Angle
One final thing. There's a tendency to want to angle the guitar so that you can see all the strings as if you were laying it flat on your lap. Or hunching over. This makes viewing your playing easier, but it makes actually playing the guitar more difficult. You'll naturally need to do this as you start, so that you can see which strings you are fretting/plucking. But keep this in mind as you get more comfortable - try to sit up more straight and angle the guitar so that you can only see the side of the fretboard.
How you hold the neck with the left hand is discussed in Basic Technique.
Homework
- Practice holding the guitar.
- Try to see how little pressure you can apply with your right forearm while balancing the guitar.
- Try to strum the strings while balancing solely with your right forearm (no left hand).
- Try to slide your left hand up and down the neck without using it to balance (pinch the guitar neck with the tips of your left hand middle finger and thumb, no other part of your left hand).
- Stand with your guitar and see how comfortable it is to reach the 6th string 1st fret with your left hand index finger or 6th string 4th fret with your pinky. It will not be easy but should be doable. If it's impossible, try shortening the strap length to sling the guitar higher.
- Get comfortable holding the pick and positioning your right hand between the end of the neck and bridge.