Yesterday, I talked about getting comfortable sitting and practicing the guitar. Today, I will continue the same topic and give additional suggestions about sitting and practicing guitar. You can watch my Facebook video HERE, which I did live on day 33 for my musician brothers and sisters.
Prop Up the Guitar
Whatever you do to keep yourself from straining more than you have to, PROP UP THE GUITAR IN A SEATED POSITION (see photo below). This position of guitar makes you sit in a more relaxed and comfortable posture because your vertebral column will have better alignment. . Without this attachment, you have no choice but to fold over the guitar (flexed vertebral column) that will cause more strain. More strain compounds itself daily leading to repetitive strain injuries we want to avoid.
You can use different devices to prop up the guitar. A guitar strap or a device under the guitar can work well to raise the guitar. The goal is to bring the guitar up while you’re sitting, so you don’t have to fold over the guitar. Better alignment of your back and head will create less stress and reflect in a more relaxed playing style that will be more powerful.
I use a home-made cylindrical device made of a simple PVC pipe that props up the guitar. I got it from an Alexander instructor, Ethan Kind. A footstool is often used in a classical guitar set up. Alternatively, you can also keep your feet flat on the floor without adding any additional stress to your pelvis.
Let Your Body Parts Relax!
As you play the guitar, relax your body parts that don’t need to work. For instance, your fingers are working most of the time. Let your shoulders, arms, and other body parts relax while maintaining a dynamic upright posture.
Side Angle For the Guitar
Another angle to consider when playing is the side angle (See Guitar Angle 2). To create this angle, just move the guitar away from you as shown in the photo with the double arrow. With this angle in place, you will have less rotation of the head to look at the fretboard resulting in less strain.
Standing Position Suggestion
You can also choose to stand using a strap to bring the guitar up to a preferable height. When the setup is maximized for comfort then a better performance is the result along with less chance to injure yourself along the way.
Here’s a good example of an upright posture with the guitar height in a place that will equate to less strain and more power.
I am bringing a course for the wellness of musicians very soon. It is for everyone who wants to play music and stay healthy. Until then, you can keep in touch with me and see my progress in the last thirty days of the 60-days cleanse via these blog posts.
