Proper guitarist position. How to hold a guitar and pick correctly. Correct position of the guitarist Position of the guitar when playing

To learn how to play any instrument, you must first learn how to hold it correctly. The guitar is no exception; correct posture and hand placement are very important here.

There are many schools of guitar playing, and the rules for seating and hand positioning are not very different, but they differ. However, there are rules that cannot be ignored.

Correct fit

To play the guitar, you should sit on the edge of a chair so that the neck of the guitar does not rest against its back. You need to place a low stand under your left foot, which will prevent the guitar from sliding down all the time. Using the notch, we place the guitar on our left leg and press ourselves against it, while our right leg should be slightly set aside. We hold the bar at an angle of 45-50 degrees relative to the floor, the head of the bar should be slightly higher or at shoulder level. Your back should be kept straight, without bending or turning to the side, otherwise there is a risk of getting tired quickly.

This position provides four points of support: the left and right leg, chest and forearm. right hand. The guitar neck should be firmly fixed; there is no need to support it with your left hand, this will give your hand greater freedom of movement.

If inconvenience occurs during the game, this may indicate several reasons:

incorrect posture;

incorrect placement of the guitar;

the elbow of the left hand pressed to the body.

The essence of proper seating is to hold the guitar strictly in one position, and the neck at the correct angle, which will ensure comfortable playing for both left and right hands.

Hand placement

We take the guitar neck with our left hand between the thumb and index finger, leaving a small space between the palm and the neck. The thumb should be resting on the back of the bar, without peeking out from behind it. For the left hand there is great exercise: We take the pencil with our fingertips, try to alternately remove our fingers and put them back in place, trying to keep the pencil straight. The fingers must be rounded and the hand is not tense. This exercise will help you learn how to place your fingers on the bar correctly. The right hand should rest on the upper body of the guitar, with the hand hanging freely. You need to move your hand so that your thumb is opposite the bass strings, and the rest are at the level of the first and second strings.

On that website "Alena Kravchenko's Guitar School" can be found useful information for beginner guitarists. Correct fit and hand placement is very important point which should be given Special attention so that this does not cause problems in the future.

The two most common types of landing are classic (more often called academic) and modern pop. Next, we will consider each of them in detail, focusing on both the pros and cons.

Classic guitar playing position

This position is most common among academic musicians and this is exactly the position that is taught in music schools. The main purpose of the classic fit is to balance and stabilize the guitar only through its position on the hip and the weight of the hand resting on its body. With this position, even when you release the neck with your left hand, the guitar should remain firmly in place.

As we see, it is not possible to achieve such a landing without available means. In order for the guitar to rest on the right thigh, the left leg should be slightly raised, literally by 10-15cm. For this, special stands are used. However, if for some reason you couldn’t find such a stand, you can safely replace it with some kind of box.

Advantages

• The guitar is fixed only with its feet;
• The bar rises to such a level that left hand It does not bend at the wrist, but at the same time the fingers can easily reach the thickest strings, which is very convenient not only for academic works, but also for modern high-speed playing.

Flaws

• As mentioned above, without additional funds such a landing is impossible, and as a result is not always appropriate, especially if you just want to play your favorite songs by the fire;
• In this position of the instrument, playing “strike” is not entirely convenient, since the right hand holds the soundboard and, as a result, the expressiveness of the performance suffers.

Pop landing when playing the guitar

Despite the obvious advantages of the classical position, it has not taken root in modern music, mainly due to the fact that nowadays guitar music is usually based on pulsating rhythm and groove, and the academic position is not conducive to an expressive style of playing.

As we can see in the photo, only one musician (Gene Simons) adheres to something close to the classical fit.

The essence of the pop position is that the guitar rests on the right hip, while the neck is balanced with the left hand. In this position of the instrument, the right hand is not tense, which allows you to play “strike” without extra effort. It is most suitable for singing guitarists.

Advantages

• The most comfortable seating position for playing rhythmic parts while maintaining the desired dynamics and expression;
• The optimal position of the guitar when accompanying your own vocals;
• Apart from a chair, there is no need for additional equipment.

Flaws

• Due to the fact that there is only one fulcrum and it is impossible to fix the guitar with just your feet, you have to constantly hold the neck, which can be inconvenient in the initial period of learning

Playing the guitar while standing

Standing play deserves special mention. Many novice musicians, under the influence of their idols, rush to play standing and begin to practice this position of the instrument almost the next day of class.

You shouldn’t do this; at first you need to focus on sitting while sitting, and then, over time, slowly move to a standing position.

Conclusion

And gradually increasing technical and theoretical skills, move on to a standing position, without which, as a rule, concert activity is hardly possible, unless of course you are Robert Fripp, who constantly plays all concerts while sitting.

4 1

An acoustic guitar is a power musical instrument, which means that when playing, the musician needs to make some effort. For example, for clamping strings on the fingerboard. Therefore, it is necessary to start learning the game with the correct landing.

The position for the game should never be underestimated. She helps:

• redistribute body energy;
• reduce the load on your hands;
• relieve tension from the back;
• simplify the execution of complex techniques;
• develop proper breathing.

All this leads to the fact that the process of playing the guitar becomes not only simple, but also enjoyable. Of course, at first you will feel very uncomfortable and unusual. If you already have a guitar, then you have probably tried to play it while sitting in any position the way you are used to sitting every day. However, this is wrong, and below we will look at the most common mistakes made by beginners.

What should you avoid?

The guitar is perhaps one of the most freedom-loving musical instruments, providing enormous opportunities for self-expression. The history of the world stage knows many cases when one or another musical genre dictated its own rules. Thus, hippies play while sitting on the ground with their legs folded Arabic style, while rock stars play while standing, holding the electric guitar at hip level. Just remember the famous Vladimir Vysotsky, who also played standing, but held the guitar higher, at the waist.

In other words, every guitarist plays the way he is comfortable. The pose allows not only to simplify the technique of playing, but also to convey the character of the performer, and at the same time, all professional musicians, without exception, first mastered the basic techniques and methods, and only then developed something of their own.

As a beginner, you will need to show a little effort on yourself and, so to speak, “get out of your comfort zone.” Forget for a while about soft sofas and armchairs, and come to terms with the idea that in the next few months your rehearsals will take place on a stool or on a chair without a back. Once you have mastered your own technique, you can play however you like (sitting, standing, lying down), but for now it is very important to master the basics.

Two main positions

So, there are two landings to choose from, which are the basis of the basics:

• classical;
• modern.

In both cases, you will need a special footrest, which you can purchase at a musical instrument store. If you don’t have anything like that, then you can use the means at hand: a shoe box, several thick volumes, a small wooden box - whatever.

In the classic pose, the performer places the “waist” of the guitar on his left leg, which is placed on a stand. In this case, the bar is raised at an angle of approximately 45°. The left arm, bent at the elbow, is located approximately at shoulder level. The right one is placed on the shell, and the hand is located near the voice box.

The modern pose is more free and comfortable. In this case, the musician places the guitar on his right foot. You can also use a stand here to help elevate the guitar and reduce strain on your hands, but this is at your own discretion. If you feel like you're getting tired quickly, try adjusting the height to suit you (add/remove a couple of books). With this position, the neck of the guitar does not look up so much, and its position is closer to horizontal. The musician's left hand is moved more to the side and moves freely (maximum access to the frets). Don't stick your elbow out, but don't press it toward your waist either.

Whatever position you choose, try to keep an eye on a few basic aspects:

• keep your posture. By slouching, you are tightening your diaphragm, which will make it much more difficult to sing with a guitar;
• breathe evenly. Don't hold your breath. Lack of oxygen will lead to yawning and difficulty breathing;
• relax. The more you tense your muscles throughout your body, the faster you will get tired when playing. Try to relax your shoulders, legs, arms and back. Playing the guitar should be fun, not a test of endurance;
• give yourself a rest. A small warm-up once every half hour will charge you with the necessary energy, allow you to relax and relieve stress. Stretch your neck muscles, roll your shoulders, squat, do push-ups.

In this article we will look at how to hold a guitar and what landing when playing the guitar correct.

Guitarist's seat.

There are several positions for playing the guitar:

1. foot to foot (+ flamenco)
2. regular fit
3. classic fit

Let's start with the fact that the performer should be comfortable sitting and playing the guitar. A common and comfortable position is when we cross one leg over the other. The correct thing to do is to cross the right over the left, which is more common, with the guitar placed on the right leg. You can also throw the left one over the right one; here the body of the guitar rests on both legs.

Cross-legged landing Provides a stable position for the guitar and prevents it from dangling from side to side. Another variation of this position is when the right leg is bent and the right ankle is placed on the knee. This position is common in the flamenco style of performance.

Regular fit is considered unstable, since the guitar, located on the right leg, has only two points of support: the leg and the right hand. And when sitting cross-legged: leg, right arm and rib cage, which provides the guitar, as mentioned above, with a more stable position. In order for the usual landing to become stable, you should add a third point of support - emphasis on the chest. This is achieved by raising the right leg, or using a footrest or low chair.

Classic fit.

In the classic position, the guitar is placed on the left leg, with a stand placed under the foot. The head of the bar should be at eye level. This is done, firstly, in order to open access to the entire neck, and secondly, to ensure a stable position of the guitar. It is in this landing that three points of support are achieved: left leg, right arm, chest.

Traditionally, the classical guitar is played sitting down. With a side cut, the instrument is placed on the left leg, and the right leg is moved slightly to the side, providing support for the body of the guitar. The left foot is placed on a stand with a height of 10 to 15 centimeters, depending on your height. Here you need to experiment and find the height that is most convenient for you.

The neck of the guitar is angled to the floor at about 50 degrees so that the headstock is at shoulder level. You need to sit straight and naturally, as if you were sitting, say, at a dinner table.

With this landing, the guitar receives 4 points of support: right and left leg, chest and forearm of the right hand. Thus, it turns out that the left hand is completely freed from the need to support the weight of the guitar and can move as freely as possible.

Protrude your elbow!

The whole point of the correct posture of a classical guitarist is to fix the guitar in one position and raise the neck to the desired height, providing maximum freedom for both hands.

A common mistake made by beginning guitarists is that they press their left elbow too hard against their body, thereby hindering their movements. If in this position you try to take a note closer to the 12th fret, the elbow rests on the body and does not let go of the hand.

Conclusion: try to keep your left elbow away from your body, but not too far away so as not to cause discomfort to your hand.

Left hand

To understand what position your hand should be on the fretboard while playing, simply lower it along your body and completely relax it. Please note that there is no tension, no bending or “breaking” of the joints. The fingers are slightly bent towards the palm, but not clenched. There is a distance of several centimeters between the thumb and the rest of the fingers. All you need to do now is “insert” the neck of the guitar into this gap between your fingers.

Remember that if the bar rests on your palm, this increases the load on the hand and hinders movement. If you feel like you're supporting your guitar by the neck, go back to your stance and make sure your instrument has the 4 points of support discussed above.

About the thumb

Thumb

The thumb of the left hand should be placed at the level of two-thirds of the width of the neck, since when setting thumb in the middle, when playing the upper strings, the remaining fingers have to be strongly straightened, which again hinders the movements of the hand.

The thumb can periodically act as a hinge on which the hand rotates, thereby increasing the range of “reach” of the fingers.