Stand or Sit or What?

[BluesCam]

I sit now. I am in a duo. If it was a full band, I would stand. We play were the audience is sitting as well. Part of my "sitting" has to do with balance issues. But, in a duo, I think sitting can be more intimate. I see some big names doing that, like James Taylor.

[lkingston]

prefer to stand when performing, because it better supports good breathing for great vocals.

This is how I feel as well.

[noledog]

Well I love interaction with the crowd, I stand, dance & have a blast! Music is more than chords & tone; its movement, a beat an energy from the subdued to the cra-cra > I love it all & sprinkle my jam with one love vibez!

[Mooh]

In performance...
99% of the time I sit while playing acoustic;
99% of the time I stand while playing electric and bass.

At home I sit most of the time.

[jaymarsch]

At home, I play both standing up and sitting down. I move around as much as I want.

In performance, I tend to stand in one spot, relaxed as possible, moving enough so I don't look like a statue but still in the right spot for the vocal and guitar mics.

I am not much of a dancer so I can't pull off moving around the stage like Adam Rafferty, for example.

As a concert goer and audience member, I find it very distracting when a performer moves around too much unless it is obviously choreographed to be a part of the show.

Best,
Jayne

[ChrisE]

Reading this thread it's obvious that there are differing opinions, but when I play at home by myself or friends I sit. When I'm playing a gig I always stand. Toes tapping, swaying to the music, making eye contact withe crowd, etc. Nothing crazy but pretty much constant movement of some sort.

To me standing up shows that you're paying attention to the crowd. Like standing up to greet someone when they enter a room. I worked in retail for a long time and I hate walking into a store and somebody is sitting on a chair behind the counter. They should stand up and greet the customer when they come in. That's how I look at performing. Stand up and greet the audience.

I used to play in a cover band and our bass player would bring a stool to sit on. That drove me crazy.

I know there are exceptions, but that's pretty much how I see it.

[Goat Mick]

I stand in one spot mostly when I'm performing solo because if I get away from the mic I can't sing. Songwriter rounds are traditionally done seated. If I'm playing in a duo or trio, I'll move over to jam with whoever's soloing. I just try to be entertaining without looking like I'm forcing it. Whatever comes natural.

[Shoreline Music]

I can't stand still, in spite of all those open mics back in the day when I was stuck in front of a mic stand. I'm more subdued for solo stuff, but if I'm leading a band, they know that I lead with my body and wander the stage (occasionally leaving it, like the OP).

I do this even when I'm playing bass and technically glued to the drummer.

[FrankHudson]

As an audience member I don't care if the performer stands or sits. As far as I can tell it has no impact on the performer's impact on me. On the other hand, I agree with the idea presented here by others in this thread that some (many/most?) members of an audience are likely to pay attention to the performer if they stand.

I'm not a regular performer, but when I perform on acoustic guitar I'm sitting. I play better sitting. Taking the statements above in consideration, I take these particulars into consideration: I'm not an attractive looking guy and my stage presence isn't all the impressive. In my case I loose less than some others would when I sit and imply that the music has to carry the show. Also I've tended to use just a mic on the guitar. I wouldn't recommend what I do, and I should probably reconsider it for myself.

On electric I used to stand or sit, depending on the piece. I used to play with a small (by modern standards) pedalboard, and for some pieces I was using both feet, so standing was out of the question for those pieces. Nowadays I'd stand I guess (I'm mostly an amp/cord/guitar guy now) and yes, I move around, not that I'm in the Prince class. As I get older, the idea of standing for two one hour sets seems less pleasurable though.

There's an option no one's mentioned. Sitting and standing in the course of one performance. That might have some dramatic advantages. First there is variety. think of how some solo singer songwriters would have a couple of songs on piano, which besides the different instrument, the visual change in their stance worked to break up the show. Second, you can make a statement when you get up. I can think of a riveting John Lee Hooker performance I saw in his later years. He came out after the warm up song and sat down. He had a full band, that immortal tapping foot was not part of the band that night, but when he got up out of the chair and simply stood and gave that John Lee Hooker look and growl it gained added impact.

[Nama Ensou]

Usually standing, very rarely am I in a situation where I just think it feels more appropriate to play sitting.

Again, depending on venue, I have a few restaurants with little/no space and I mostly stand in place, but when I've got a stage I'll move about a bit, or even jump over the railing and go out to sing with customers who've obviously had enough tequila.

[Song]

I always use a strap, sitting or standing. Like my guitars in the Steve Howe position. Kinda high.

Being in a semi-large church band, our moves are choreographed to a certain extent so I have to be standing and using a wireless. When a song features the acoustic guitar, I move to the front and sometimes actually enter the congregation from the front of the stage. When a vocalist is featured in a song I'm frequently required to approach him/her in order to highlight them. Also, I move towards the electric guitarist if there's a guitar solo. I rarely sing so I'm not tied to a microphone.

When I played clubs/restaurants in the olden days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, I played and sang seated. When I did warmup sets for acts traveling through town, I stood. In light of things I've learned from other gigging musicians here at AGF, if I had to do it over I would probably stand at clubs too, but I would remain seated at restaurants - since I was largely a live muzak system for them lol

[beninma]

I started out strictly sitting. (I'm a beginner)

I'm transitioning to mostly standing, even if I'm just practicing.

I sit too much at work, etc.. and I have long arms.. standing solves all kinds of postural issues for me.

I am pretty much 100% comfortable standing with my electric guitar. It's heavy and just stays rock solid where I want it. Still working on it with acoustic.. the lighter/larger body seems harder to keep in place.

Regarding getting older.. I saw Buddy Guy last weekend, 81 years old. He played for 2 hours. Never sat down, never took a break, walked all over the stage, at one point he plugged into a wireless setup and did a lap of the entire auditorium while playing a solo. Wild stuff.

[MikeBmusic]

Lot of places around here there is no 'stage' - band or solo, you are on the floor. Sit down and no one in the room will see you, there might as well be a jukebox playing.
I like to move around (when not stuck at the mic), but many places you barely have room to turn as you have been crammed into a corner with all your gear!