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How you hold the neck with the left hand is discussed in [[Basic Technique]].
== Ergonomics and Injury Concerns ==
Proper holding of the guitar and pick is essential to not only play better but to avoid [[Injury|injuries (however, it is not the only concern - see the article for more details)]]. Here are some good pointers:
* You often want to push your head forwards to see the fretboard. This is bad posture for the neck and spine. Keep your back and neck straight, tilting only slightly forwards to see the guitar neck. But you don't need to see the face of the fretboard, only the side, which typically has additional fret markers. Learning which string you are fretting should be done by feel, not visual feedback, although early on you may need to use your eyes a bit.
* Conversely, you may want to rotate the guitar to face more upwards in a sitting position to see the face of the fretboard even while holding your head back. This means your fretting hand wrist will have to rotate even more to reach the thick strings and make certain chord shapes. This can lead to serious joint issues in the wrist. Again, looking at the face of the fretboard should be kept to a minimum while beginning to develop feel for which string you are playing. Then it should simply be avoided for ergonomic reasons.
* If the neck is too low, you may curl the fretting wrist strenuously to fret the thicker strings and make certain chord shapes. When standing, shorten the strap length to raise the guitar, reducing such pressure on the wrist. You may also want to hold the guitar in a classical position when sitting, with guitar resting on and between both thighs, not just on the picking hand's thigh.
* You may get in the habit of wrapping your fretting-hand thumb around the top of the neck. This isn't a big problem for lead playing on the thinner strings. For the thicker strings or some chord shapes, it means putting some serious stress on the fingers. If you sling your guitar high, or sit with it in classical position, it can mean bending the wrist away from the palm stressfully. You may not want to avoid placing the thumb over the neck like that at all; however, it's fairly natural and harmless for many kinds of playing. Rather, get used to the idea of switching between that and holding the thumb against the back of the middle of the neck.
* Depending on your guitar and strap, you may find that the guitar slips off your shoulder. To compensate, you may try raising your shoulders. Holding your shoulders as such for prolonged periods is very stressful on the joints and muscles. Instead, try using a larger (wider) strap, and shorten the strap length. Also, be sure that the guitar isn't in front your body, but on the picking hand's hip. If that doesn't help, consider the balance of the guitar. You may be able to weight the back end down to shift the weight balance away from the headstock. If nothing else works, consider a different guitar, using different body styles, woods, cavity placement, and chambering.
* You may find yourself hunching over the neck when playing, moving your head closer to where you are playing the fretboard. This curve in your spine is bad posture, and when held in such a position for prolonged periods can put lots of stress on it. Be sure to sit up straight.
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== Homework ==
* Practice holding the guitar.