How to hold a guitar?

  • Post category:Tutorial

One of the most important things while learning a guitar is to know how to hold a guitar! A lot of beginners struggle with just holding a guitar. This impacts their adaptability, pace of learning and eventually their guitar playing too. They create undue stress on their back and arms making the whole experience of playing guitar painful for themselves. You need to be at ease holding the guitar before you can start learning.

There are 2 methods of holding a guitar. One is the normal style and the other is classical style of holding guitar. Let’s explore both these styles along with holding the guitar while standing.

Image credits: Image by freepik

Normal guitar holding

The normal position is used by the wide majority of guitar players. Rest the natural curve of the guitar on your right thigh if your strumming with the right hand. Keep your back straight. The guitar should be positioned just below the chest. The fret hand arm should be at a right angle. This will ensure minimal strain while pressing strings. In the above picture the guitar player is resting the guitar on his right thigh and has his legs spread wide out. His fret hand is at a right angle.

Image credit: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Andrey_Ostapenko%2C_guitarist.jpg

Classical guitar holding

The natural curve of the guitar is rested on the left thigh if you are strumming with the right hand. The neck of the guitar points upward at an approx 45 degree angle. To achieve this, the left foot is raised with a footstool. The base of the guitar is rested inside the right thigh. In this image the guitar is held in the classical style. The player has held it pointing upward at 45 degree angle.

Seating while learning guitar?

An armless chair is the best piece of furniture to sit on while playing guitar. It gives back support while also keeping both the hands unrestricted. We don’t recommend sitting on a sofa or high stool to play guitar as it damages posture.

Image credit: Image by freepik

Holding guitar while standing

The guitar should be held just below the chest while standing. It is advisable to use a guitar strap as it minimises the strain on the back and hands. When a strap is used, the guitar remains suspended across the shoulders. You can focus on playing the guitar and not worry about holding it right.

How to attach a strap to a guitar?

Attaching a strap to a guitar can completely transform the way you play it. It can make you super comfortable with the instrument and usher in an amazing guitar learning experience.

  • Look for a strap button at the bottom of the guitar body/base.
  • Insert one of the strap holes at the strap button at the base of the guitar.
  • The strap holes are usually made to fit snugly over the button, so it can take a little effort to insert it over the button.
  • The adjustable buckle of the strap should be facing outwards.
  • Tie the other end of the strap to the headstock and underneath the strings.
  • Adjust the guitar strap so that the guitar is right below your chest and it remains suspended while you stand or sit. What this means is, the guitar should be freely hanging on your shoulders irrespective of whether you are standing or sitting. You should not need to adjust the strap length when you sit.

Guitar straps can be made of cloth, leather or even synthetic materials. You don’t need to buy an expensive guitar strap. A basic one which will serve the purpose of holding the guitar securely is enough.

Holding the guitar correctly is the fundamental step towards making your guitar learning experience a pleasurable one. Using a strap helps you to focus only on learning the guitar. If you get both these things done