How do I make sure I'm holding my guitar correctly?
January 31, 2023 1:35 PM Subscribe
I am a beginner guitarist and whether I'm standing or sitting, I'm not totally sure if I'm holding my guitar correctly. Besides the obvious answer of "hire a teacher to show you", what is the best/most correct way to hold a guitar? And how can I confirm that I'm doing it correctly?
My main issue is the wrist and top part of my (left) fretting arm. I feel a lot of weird stretchiness / pseudo-tension in my wrist and midway down my arm when I play chords on the top frets. My arm feels pretty weird as well when I'm around the 10th-12th fret and I'm reaching for notes on the 6 string--it's not painful but it is somewhat uncomfortable after a couple of minutes, like an intense stretch.
Me: I'm a self-taught guitarist with average-sized hands who is just picking up the instrument after a few years. I do watch a lot of YouTube videos about guitar, and from watching those and reading books I suspect that my arm discomfort is mostly being unused to playing properly. In the past I've been very sloppy with how I play my chords, not caring if I'm muting strings with my fingers or my palm--now I'm much more mindful of those things. But I don't want to hurt myself if I'm wrong and my new technique is actually wrong.
My main issue is the wrist and top part of my (left) fretting arm. I feel a lot of weird stretchiness / pseudo-tension in my wrist and midway down my arm when I play chords on the top frets. My arm feels pretty weird as well when I'm around the 10th-12th fret and I'm reaching for notes on the 6 string--it's not painful but it is somewhat uncomfortable after a couple of minutes, like an intense stretch.
Me: I'm a self-taught guitarist with average-sized hands who is just picking up the instrument after a few years. I do watch a lot of YouTube videos about guitar, and from watching those and reading books I suspect that my arm discomfort is mostly being unused to playing properly. In the past I've been very sloppy with how I play my chords, not caring if I'm muting strings with my fingers or my palm--now I'm much more mindful of those things. But I don't want to hurt myself if I'm wrong and my new technique is actually wrong.
- when adjusted correctly, the strap should hold the guitar slightly above the thigh when sitting. this adjustment does not change for standing. it's much higher than most rock dudes hold it, but ergo is ergo, looks are for poseurs.
- the left hand does not support the neck; the strap does that work.
- the angle of the neck: with the left arm fully relaxed, gently raise the hand to the neck. the forefinger should land on the first string, seventh fret.
- the thumb does not wrap around the top of the fretboard, it rests gently on the back of the neck, in the center.
- over-pressure of the fretting hand against the fretboard inevitably introduces unnecessary tension and bad form, eventually injury. it takes remarkably little pressure to fret a string.
- fret directly behind the fretwire, not in the middle of the fret.
- maybe more later...
cheers! have fun!
posted by j_curiouser at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2023 [10 favorites]
- the left hand does not support the neck; the strap does that work.
- the angle of the neck: with the left arm fully relaxed, gently raise the hand to the neck. the forefinger should land on the first string, seventh fret.
- the thumb does not wrap around the top of the fretboard, it rests gently on the back of the neck, in the center.
- over-pressure of the fretting hand against the fretboard inevitably introduces unnecessary tension and bad form, eventually injury. it takes remarkably little pressure to fret a string.
- fret directly behind the fretwire, not in the middle of the fret.
- maybe more later...
cheers! have fun!
posted by j_curiouser at 2:35 PM on January 31, 2023 [10 favorites]
the thumb does not wrap around the top of the fretboard, it rests gently on the back of the neck, in the center.
This. It may feel easier, or more comfortable, to let your thumb hook around top, especially when just beginning. Proper positioning, as described above, with the back of your hand in a more vertical orientation and the thumb resting lightly on the back of the neck, may feel harder at first, or even uncomfortable. Resist the urge to do what might feel easier (hooking the thumb). You'll have an easier time of it down the road, if you can reinforce good habits from the start.
posted by xedrik at 4:56 PM on January 31, 2023
This. It may feel easier, or more comfortable, to let your thumb hook around top, especially when just beginning. Proper positioning, as described above, with the back of your hand in a more vertical orientation and the thumb resting lightly on the back of the neck, may feel harder at first, or even uncomfortable. Resist the urge to do what might feel easier (hooking the thumb). You'll have an easier time of it down the road, if you can reinforce good habits from the start.
posted by xedrik at 4:56 PM on January 31, 2023
Hold the guitar at a 45-degree angle from your body. I.E., if there was a 2x4 placed flat on your chest you would hold the guitar at a 45-degree angle from that 2x4.
Cheaper guitars that are not well set-up will have a very high action, which is the distance between the fretboard and the strings. With more distance, you have to use more force to push the strings down. And it's just more awkward, and that can kill wrists. You can try out some guitars in a guitar store to get a feel for what really low action guitars feel like--the pricier ones are measured very precisely so the strings are extremely close to the frets and the frets are exactly far enough so they do not buzz (strings that are too close to the fretboard will buzz). You can do a bit of set-up yourself, but if the frets aren't quite the right height you might just trade a high action for buzzing frets.
Finally, it takes quite a bit of time and work to get to the point where you don't need to use a lot of pressure to play chords. If you like playing you might spend quite a bit more time practicing than may be healthy. Listen to your body.
You can make guitar practice a little easier with a capo, which are really cheap. It might complicate ear training to play songs with a capo on since it necessarily changes the key, but if it allows you to practice more that's with it. You can also play open tunings, as the strings are mostly looser. Also, electric guitar is quite a bit more forgiving on the hands and wrists than acoustic (good electric guitars have gotten a bit cheaper over the years, and amplifier simulation technology has never been more accurate or cheaper, so that might be something to consider).
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 6:47 PM on January 31, 2023
Cheaper guitars that are not well set-up will have a very high action, which is the distance between the fretboard and the strings. With more distance, you have to use more force to push the strings down. And it's just more awkward, and that can kill wrists. You can try out some guitars in a guitar store to get a feel for what really low action guitars feel like--the pricier ones are measured very precisely so the strings are extremely close to the frets and the frets are exactly far enough so they do not buzz (strings that are too close to the fretboard will buzz). You can do a bit of set-up yourself, but if the frets aren't quite the right height you might just trade a high action for buzzing frets.
Finally, it takes quite a bit of time and work to get to the point where you don't need to use a lot of pressure to play chords. If you like playing you might spend quite a bit more time practicing than may be healthy. Listen to your body.
You can make guitar practice a little easier with a capo, which are really cheap. It might complicate ear training to play songs with a capo on since it necessarily changes the key, but if it allows you to practice more that's with it. You can also play open tunings, as the strings are mostly looser. Also, electric guitar is quite a bit more forgiving on the hands and wrists than acoustic (good electric guitars have gotten a bit cheaper over the years, and amplifier simulation technology has never been more accurate or cheaper, so that might be something to consider).
posted by Luminiferous Ether at 6:47 PM on January 31, 2023
Lots of people like Justin Guitar's (very friendly and encouraging) guitar videos - here are two on how to hold your guitar:
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/how-to-hold-your-guitar-b1-102
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/holding-the-guitar-b1-304
(As I recall, he pretty much says the same thing as other folks here in the thread; I just thought I'd offer it in case you'd like some video.)
posted by kristi at 4:06 PM on February 2, 2023
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/how-to-hold-your-guitar-b1-102
https://www.justinguitar.com/guitar-lessons/holding-the-guitar-b1-304
(As I recall, he pretty much says the same thing as other folks here in the thread; I just thought I'd offer it in case you'd like some video.)
posted by kristi at 4:06 PM on February 2, 2023
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