Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang
Hi DadOfThree,
This blog post and introductory video lesson by Bryan Sutton is all you need to know to achieve the posture that is best suited to achieving optimal playing, optimal tone and optimal posture, from a standpoint of body mechanics:
https://artistworks.com/blog/why-pla...rs-flatpicking
(It's available without a subscription)
You'll find it confirming many of the already excellent points made in this thread. One of the main reasons for using a strap whether playing seated or standing is that it ensures you hold the guitar in the exact same position each time. This is usually not the case if you use a strap only while playing standing. |
I have to say I don't agree with some of the points there. In the pics from above, the guitar neck is too far forward - not a lot, and not for playing higher on the neck, but definitely for playing in open position.
He says:
"When we hug the guitar, keeping it tight against the abdomen, our body absorbs a large percentage of the vibration, thereby diminishing its natural resonance." Most (of not all) of the guitar's resonance is from the top, not from the back and sides.
In fact, he says later that the guitar should "
rest comfortably between the contact points of the thigh, the diaphragm and the right hand forearm". Where does he think the diaphragm is, if not in the abdomen?
I appreciate what I guess is the difference between "resting" and "hugging tight", and the position he is holding it in relative to his body is fine. But I've found that "hugging the guitar tight" (between those three points) improves playability.
The guitar may certainly be tighter against the ribs or chest than lower down the abdomen, but the issue of preventing the back vibrating is a red herring. If it's
comfortable to hold the guitar close to your body - if it helps both hand positions - then any inhibition of the guitar's resonance is not worth worrying about.
Everything else he says about relaxation is good, of course. (I'm not suggesting one should "hug" the guitar with any kind of tension in the right arm! But wedging it against the body - simply with the weight of the arm or upper body - is fine.)
And if he was to turn his shoulders more to the right (much as Silly Moustaches was saying), facing forward parallel with his right thigh, then his fret hand would approach the neck at a better angle.
The explanation on the video - going into more detail - is better. You see that he is not reaching forward too much to fret the lower frets: his upper arm remains vertical (relaxed) his elbow at 90 degrees. You also see him (from above) facing a little more in the direction of his right thigh.
It seems like I'm splitting hairs, but my main issue here is that it's very easy to allow the guitar neck to drift too far forward and even down a little - to straighten the elbow and hold the neck in the palm with thumb over. That's bad for the left wrist, and makes some playing more difficult. That's why I encourage beginners to keep the neck
back and up. Not pulled right back of course, but just to counter the tendency for it to drift forward too far. The better you get, the more that position can relax, and the neck can move forward more without causing problems.