Adjusting from sitting to standing

[troggg]

Hi, when performing, I've cycled through standing, sitting on a chair, and sitting on a stool higher than a chair.

While I've made substantial progress as far as not looking at my hands too much while I'm playing, it seems a lot easier taking the occasional peek at my hands while I'm sitting. In other words, when I'm sitting, I can see a lot of the fretboard, but when I'm standing, I have to mostly rely on the dots on the side of the guitar and I feel less accurate.

Would anyone have any advice how to maintain accuracy when moving from sitting to standing position? Or if anyone else switches back and forth, what do you do differently or think about differently to accommodate both positions?

Thanks!

[1neeto]

Playing sitting down can be a crutch, it’s easy to see the fretboard that way. Guilty as charged. But truth is that constantly looking at the fretboard is just like any bad habit, and bad habits can be broken. Best advice I can give you is to play more while standing up.

*edit*

Also guitar strap adjustment can have dramatic effects in playability. Sure James Hetfield looks cool with his guitar hanging by his knees, but you try and play anything other than power chords that way. Adjust your strap so it’s at a similar height whether you’re sitting or standing. Yes the guitar will be quite high George Harrison style, but it will be more comfortable to play.

[Bob Womack]

I'll second the higher guitar position and setting your strap so that there is little difference between sitting and standing. It ain't sexy but you just have to decide whether you want to play or look like Jimmy Page. The low position is pure style and limits you.

Examples:

Those days (1978):


These days:


It's moved up maybe two or three inches to make it easier to play. First shot is live, second shot is in the studio, where I live these days. Same guitar, by the way.

Bob

[Silly Moustache]

When I play at home, making my YouTube vids I sit on a hard sofa which is almost OK, and when my trio rehearse I sit on a simple wooden dining chair (we are often playing for three hours less a couple of tea breaks but when I perform, I have to stand.

If you think about it when you sit the guitar is actually pretty high up ,so I replicate that standing - you can see my belt below the lower bout of my dreads.



The other advantages for this is it makes me stand with a straight back, and I can sing and play into one large condenser mic.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I'll second the higher guitar position and setting your strap so that there is little difference between sitting and standing. It ain't sexy but you just have to decide whether you want to play or look like Jimmy Page. The low position is pure style and limits you.



Examples:



Those days (1978):





These days:





It's moved up maybe two or three inches to make it easier to play. First shot is live, second shot is in the studio, where I live these days. Same guitar, by the way.



Bob

I was going to ask if that’s the same guitar. What a beauty! Love how that pickguard has aged.

[philjs]

As others have said, the easiest solution to accuracy in changing positions is not to change positions. I always use a strap...sitting, standing, kneeling, laying on my back, whatever...I'm wearing a strap. I keep the strap short enough that the guitars sit pretty high on my chest so both of my arms and hands are completely free and unimpeded. It's pretty much the same relative position of the guitar body, neck and head in relation to my arms and hands that you'll see classical players have. Nothing changes if I sit or stand: my guitar is always in exactly the same position.

Phil

[Earwitness]

Originally Posted by philjs

As others have said, the easiest solution to accuracy in changing positions is not to change positions. I always use a strap...sitting, standing, kneeling, laying on my back, whatever...I'm wearing a strap. I keep the strap short enough that the guitars sit pretty high on my chest so both of my arms and hands are completely free and unimpeded. It's pretty much the same relative position of the guitar body, neck and head in relation to my arms and hands that you'll see classical players have. Nothing changes if I sit or stand: my guitar is always in exactly the same position.

Phil

I am amateur compared to most on here, but this is how I transitioned to being able to play standing. I just leave the straps on and make myself use them while sitting, too. Reminds me to use better form.

[Russell G]

Personally, I like sitting on a tall stool with one foot on the rung, the other on the floor. Looks cool and is easy to play.

[M Hayden]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I'll second the higher guitar position and setting your strap so that there is little difference between sitting and standing. It ain't sexy but you just have to decide whether you want to play or look like Jimmy Page. The low position is pure style and limits you.

It's moved up maybe two or three inches to make it easier to play. First shot is live, second shot is in the studio, where I live these days. Same guitar, by the way.

Total agreement. In the 1980s, Mick Goodrick wrote a column for Guitar Player in which he compared the kinesthetic relationship of a guitarist and instrument to a reed player’s embouchure, which is how reed players handle the mouthpiece. “Strive for consistency” was the lesson, with the idea being that the guitar should be in basically the same position vis-a-vis the player irrespective of position.

Since then, I use a strap whether seated or standing. Consequently, the instrument falls in basically the same place whether I’m in standing or seated position, which makes a huge difference in playing cleanly and consistently.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

I'll second the higher guitar position and setting your strap so that there is little difference between sitting and standing. It ain't sexy but you just have to decide whether you want to play or look like Jimmy Page. The low position is pure style and limits you.

Examples:

Those days (1978):


These days:


It's moved up maybe two or three inches to make it easier to play. First shot is live, second shot is in the studio, where I live these days. Same guitar, by the way.

Bob

Ergonomically speaking, the younger, lower slung position has the player hunched over a bit while the latter, higher picture shows a more upright player. If you're young with good abdominal muscles you can get away with it. But as an older player even 1 inch too low can make a difference.

To the OP... ALWAYS play with a strap. Sit so that the guitar hangs as you would standing so there is little or no difference from standing to sitting. Then get used to playing with the guitar/hands in that same position all the time.

Tangentially, a lot of guys play sitting, with their guitars perched on their right knees- then say they're uncomfortable with dread or larger guitars. Perhaps it's not the guitar, but their positioning of the guitar that causes the discomfort? Just saying.

[troggg]

I'm wondering how you all knew without me confessing my Jimmy Page adoration that I let the guitar hang lower than anyone I know?

I'll (grudgingly) try more of a "hootenanny" position. Of course no one has ever seen Jimmy Page play an acoustic standing up. That also invites discussion of his $20 Radio Shack tape-on mic which, with the help of his sound crew, sounds like 20 million dollars on his 70's Martin.

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

I was going to ask if that’s the same guitar. What a beauty! Love how that pickguard has aged.

Thank you very much! It is a 1974 Kalamazoo-built, "Small Script" Les Paul Standard. It was built before the official "Standard" model existed, on request from dealers. The Standard wasn't even in the catalog until 1976 and had a larger script "Standard" engraved on the truss rod cover and maple neck, among many other changes.

Bob

[troggg]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Thank you very much! It is a 1974 Kalamazoo-built, "Small Script" Les Paul Standard. It was built before the official "Standard" model existed, on request from dealers. The Standard wasn't even in the catalog until 1976 and had a larger script "Standard" engraved on the truss rod cover and maple neck, among many other changes.

Bob

Some of those Norlin boat anchors sound pretty great. I was going to ask how yours got the big humbuckers ...

[Bob Womack]

Originally Posted by troggg

Some of those Norlin boat anchors sound pretty great. I was going to ask how yours got the big humbuckers ...

They are the original pickups. They are T-Tops, which are considered by some to be among the best humbuckers Gibson has made. They are also fairly low in output, so people used to jack them up right under the strings which made the guitar sound flat and lifeless because the magnetic influence dampened high-end and sustain. I learned to use a booster rather than physically jack them up.

It sounds great and has been on a bunch of recordings.

Bob

[beninma]

As a beginner I've made the transition to standing in the last 6 months. One of the big motivators for me was standing just has so much better access to the upper frets. I have to be really really careful sitting to keep the guitar just right to use them, but standing everything just magically works and comes more easily. Standing has actually taught me what I need to do when sitting too!

As others said getting the strap(s) right was a key thing.

If anything I'm probably having a little more trouble standing with my acoustic as it doesn't seem to rest as flat against my body. (I'm really skinny so who knows why.)

The funny thing with looking at the fretboard (I still do it a lot) is it is only easy to do sitting if you start tilting the guitar towards you, which is obviously really bad for your fretting wrist. If you look down sitting you will also mess up your back faster.

For some reason standing I can look down and I don't hunch, so my back doesn't get strained.

I sit at work, being able to stand playing is good for me. I also just got a 30" barstool and that is really great, much better ergonomically than the chair I was using, which couldn't have been higher than 21-22". With the barstool I have zero worries about my right shoulder.