Playing Guitar

October 12, 2008

Playing Guitar

Without the proper posture, playing guitar for long periods of time can cause back strain. Here are a couple of tips about holding your guitar in the correct fashion. Pick up the guitar so that the back of the guitar rests against your stomach. If you play right handed the neck of the guitar should be aiming towards the left. Gently rest the body of the guitar against your upper right thigh. You should hold the guitar neck with your left hand and drape your right arm over the body of the guitar so that your hands can easily reach the strings. Your position should feel both comfortable and natural while you are playing guitar.

If you’re a right handed person you will use the left hand for constructing chords. The fingers of the left hand are bent and you

willl be pressing down on the strings on the fret board.

The guitar neck’s back is curved, so that your hand will naturally conform with the shape of its neck. Your thumb should arch over the top of the neck when you hold it properly. From there, your thumb is in position for constructing chords.When you are constructing chords it is ok to press your thumb into the back of the guitar neck, albeit this is more in common with playing guitar scales. You should try both thumb positions and then you will be able to use the one that is most comfortable for you.

When you are first playing guitar watch your positioning while playing. Your right bicep should be resting on the top part of the guitar body. Getting into bad guitar playing habits now may afflict your playing for years to come so try to get it right now. With your right arm resting on top of the guitar and your hand positioned over the sound hole use your right hand to “strum” the strings. The sound hole is where the sound of the guitar comes from.

Many people make use of a pick when playing guitar. Simply hold the pick between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand. Draw the pick across the strings you want to play. It’s similar to plucking the string but you use a little bit more pressure than you normally would when strumming with your fingers.

Left-handed musicians do not need to worry. There are two options for playing guitar left handed. First, you can re-string a right-handed guitar to reverse the order of the strings. Second, you can buy a specially made left-handed guitar.

When playing guitar, holding the instrument properly as well as maintaining a good posture permits you to play longer and is crucial to achieving the correct tone. Get into the habit of starting properly and it will serve you well.

Play Station 2 Guitar Hero Drum Set