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  #16  
Old 02-16-2021, 12:36 PM
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RodB RodB is offline
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Originally Posted by lar View Post
Check out Guitarlift. I don't have one but made something similar and it's very versatile.
I have one of these - yes, very versatile. I usually play with right leg over left, but for long sessions the Guitarlift gets the neck up to a nice angle without the nut being too far away...
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  #17  
Old 02-21-2021, 09:00 AM
nightchef nightchef is offline
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I suspect any back issues arise for other reasons - you need to sit with the back straight, not leaning over the guitar. Not craning your neck forward to see what you're doing...
As I’m reading this thread and looking at the photos, I’m realizing that one of the advantages of my cross-legged position (knee over thigh rather than ankle over thigh) is that it lifts the guitar and makes it natural to tilt it backwards a bit so the top back edge is resting against my chest. This mitigates the “leaning over the guitar” issue, because the guitar is leaning toward me. It doesn’t mind, because it doesn’t have a spine.
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  #18  
Old 02-21-2021, 09:07 AM
Kenneth Belsham Kenneth Belsham is offline
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Smaller acoustics/electrics I play on my right leg/with right leg elevated by placing on footstool or crossing my legs. If I'm playing my Lowden O35, I have to play classical position, with a footstool. Otherwise I was getting pain in my right shoulder because of how massive it is!
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  #19  
Old 02-24-2021, 09:03 AM
virob virob is offline
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I found this video by Michael Chapdelaine on guitar position very informative.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PI9wPGfHjw
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  #20  
Old 02-24-2021, 12:04 PM
NormanKliman NormanKliman is offline
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I found this video by Michael Chapdelaine on guitar position very informative.
He doesn't mention it in the video (although there's a reference in the linked text), but his preferred position is traditional for flamenco guitar. I play several styles of music that way (on the same nylon-string guitar) and it works well. Nowadays, you see a lot of flamenco guitarists playing in the cross-legged position, but the traditional position is still very popular, especially when accompanying. Typically, guitarists will use both, switching as needed to remain comfortable.
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  #21  
Old 02-28-2021, 12:29 AM
rwhitney rwhitney is offline
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I was exacerbating back problems using a footstool (not classical style however) because I still bent slightly over the guitar. As we get older it doesn’t take much, especially if you play every day as I do. Now I use a regular guitar strap set relatively high with all my guitars and try to keep a straight back when playing. This seems to have solved the problem for me.
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  #22  
Old 02-28-2021, 10:06 AM
Robin, Wales Robin, Wales is offline
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Originally Posted by JonPR View Post
IMO, this is one of those "whatever works for you" questions.

The most important thing is that the fret hand (and wrist and arm) is in a comfortable position, and able to reach all the fretboard that it needs to.

That's the reason for classical position, because the guitar body is wedged firmly against the body by both legs and the right arm. The left hand doesn't support the neck and can easily reach the whole fretboard without extending the elbow. With the thumb on the back of rhe neck, the fingers have maximum reach in any one position.

But any position which keeps the guitar similarly steady, and allows full fret hand movement, will do. Hence the use of a strap (for some).

Personally, I generally play with the guitar on the right leg, but crossed over the left, so it brings the instument higher and I can hold it more firmly under my right arm.

A while ago I also discovered another highly efficient position for fingerstyle, which is with the right ankle crossed on the left knee. The right thigh is then much higher, and the guitar is really wedged against the body, so the neck moves around a lot less - certainly a lot less than it does in the usual (uncrossed) right leg position.

I realised that's why Bert Jansch used to play like that (I found I could play one of his most complex tunes more easily in this position):


You often see jazz or flamenco players in that position:



Still, I find this one uncomfortable after a while, so it's not one I generally use. I do play a fair number of classical pieces, but I generally use my crossed legs position, not the classical position. If I do play on left leg, I'll use a footstool to raise the leg, and haven't had any issues with that. I suspect any back issues arise for other reasons - you need to sit with the back straight, not leaning over the guitar. Not craning your neck forward to see what you're doing... The torso does need to turn slightly towards the left leg, so I guess that slight twist of the body might cause problems if held for too long.
I think that the "trick" for any right leg guitar placement (crossed or uncrossed) is to allow the neck to fly away from the body at about 45 deg so the guitar is tucked under the right shoulder and headstock is a long way from the left shoulder out if front of you. I find this simple manoeuvre both balances the guitar and relaxes the shoulders, for those who like to play off the right leg. Of course, you can't see the fingerboard - but that's no bad thing really if you are banging out songs!
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  #23  
Old 03-01-2021, 11:20 AM
nightchef nightchef is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin, Wales View Post
I think that the "trick" for any right leg guitar placement (crossed or uncrossed) is to allow the neck to fly away from the body at about 45 deg so the guitar is tucked under the right shoulder and headstock is a long way from the left shoulder out if front of you. I find this simple manoeuvre both balances the guitar and relaxes the shoulders, for those who like to play off the right leg. Of course, you can't see the fingerboard - but that's no bad thing really if you are banging out songs!
You can see the fingerboard just fine if you tilt the whole guitar back toward you a bit. This also makes it easier to sit up relatively straight rather than hunching forward to get over the guitar body. (You can't do that standing up, of course, but then you can't place the guitar on either leg standing up either.)
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Last edited by nightchef; 03-01-2021 at 11:39 AM.
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  #24  
Old 03-02-2021, 11:44 PM
lar lar is offline
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Originally Posted by virob View Post
I found this video by Michael Chapdelaine on guitar position very informative.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PI9wPGfHjw
The only thing I don't like about Michaels preferred position is that the guitar isn't balanced, you have to support it. Either support the neck with the fretting hand, or keep it from rotating neck-down with the strumming arm (or both). I want my arms to do one thing each, fret (left arm) or pick/fingerpick (right arm), not support the guitar.

However, with some of the guitar supports that are available, you can be in that exact position with the guitar perfectly balanced.
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