Just as you learn to walk before you can run, it's a good idea to learn how to hold the guitar properly before you learn a difficult technique like how to do a tapping solo with a mixolydian scale in an Eb note. Holding the guitar properly will help practice the skills you need to play the song you want to play comfortably, quickly, and with the right technique. Good guitar players take time to practice and build habits that will make them even better at playing the guitar. You can play electric guitar, acoustic, and you can stand or sit to play it, however you must know how to hold the guitar properly and correctly.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Holding the Guitar (In a Sitting Position)
Step 1. Sit in a suitable chair
If this is your first time learning to play the guitar, it's best to start by practicing in a seated position. Before you can walk around the stage improvising solos, you'll need to master how to hold your guitar comfortably, and without having to struggle to reach the frets and strings. The best way to do this is to learn to hold the guitar in a sitting position in a suitable chair.
- We recommend using a chair that is hard back and has no armrests at all, or you can also use a short chair without a backrest. Sit at the end of the chair, so your back doesn't touch the back of the chair, your buttocks right at the end of the chair. Keep your back straight.
- Special chairs for guitar are available in music stores, these chairs are suitable for practice. The price is also quite expensive. If you want, you can buy one, but just practicing in your dining chair at home will suffice. Avoid practicing on sofas, recliners, and similar chairs. This can lead to poor posture and guitar playing habits.
Step 2. Adjust the guitar properly
Start holding the guitar by adjusting it properly to your body. If held correctly, then the largest string (low E string) should be at the very top, and the thinnest string at the bottom. The body of the guitar, which is the part of the guitar with the strings and earpiece, should be on the side of your dominant hand, the hand you write with. The neck of the guitar (neck,) is the long, slender part of the guitar, which should be on the side of your less dominant hand.
- Your dominant hand is the hand you will use to pluck the guitar strings, either with your fingers or using a guitar pick (pick). This will produce a guitar sound. Indeed it feels more comfortable if your dominant hand is used to press the black and striped fretboard (fretboard,) so that it will be easier to learn this way.
- Your less dominant hand is the hand that you will use to press the frets, this hand is to press the strings so that they stick to the fretboard and this will produce single notes.
Step 3. Align the base of the guitar with your thighs
When you hold the guitar in a seated position, move your foot slightly away from your dominant side, arching your knees slightly to form a slight angle toward your dominant, keeping your feet flat on the floor. Then your other leg should be slightly behind you to be more comfortable. Keep your back straight. Balance the guitar base (the end opposite the neck of the guitar) on the thigh on your dominant side.
Some types of dreadnought guitars (guitar with a larger body) have a shape that is suitable to be placed on your thighs, this can help you to straighten your guitar so that it is aligned. Take the time to learn your guitar and place it comfortably in your lap. If it's balanced properly, then you should be able to let go of your hands and the guitar won't fall
Step 4. Tilt the neck of the guitar up
Tilt the neck of the guitar to 45 degrees, not parallel to the floor, positioning it balanced on your lap. As this is often referred to as the “classical style,” this is the best and most convenient way to learn to play the guitar, whatever style of music you want to develop in your guitar playing; this is a great way to start learning it.
Some guitar teachers won't emphasize holding the guitar this way. When you feel comfortable, you can hold the guitar however you want. But for beginners, it is easier to explore the fretboard
Step 5. Hold the guitar body by using the elbow and forearm of your dominant hand
Keeping the guitar pressed against your body, the back of the guitar should touch your torso (upper body.) The fretboard and strings should be perpendicular to the floor, not tilted for a better view. Under the sound hole, keep the guitar against your body with your forearms and elbows, and keep your wrists where the strings are hooked (bridge.)
- To ensure that you don't hug the guitar too tightly, practice strumming with your fingers, allowing your hand to rest comfortably about 2.5 cm beside the sound hole of the acoustic guitar, if you're using a melody guitar (electric guitar) it's the same; it's just that in place of the earpiece it will be replaced with a resonant pick-up (pick-up.)
- It's best not to think of this as a way of "holding" the guitar, but rather as a way of letting the guitar rest comfortably in your lap while you play it. The less tightly you hold it, the easier it will be for you to play.
Step 6. Balance the guitar neck between your thumb and forefinger
You shouldn't need to use your non-dominant hand to support the guitar. If held properly, the guitar should stay in place just by leaning against the thigh on your dominant side, like holding it tightly against your body using your elbow on that side. To stay firm, form a "V" using the thumb and forefinger of your non-dominant hand, and use your hand to balance the guitar neck.
- Some guitar teachers will put adhesive tape behind the third fret on the neck of the guitar, to indicate where you should place your thumb. If you learn correctly, your thumb should always be behind the neck of the guitar, and your other fingers curled across the fretboard. Be careful not to let your thumb rest on the neck.
- However, guitar players, from Jimi Hendrix to John Fahey managed to break away from this rule, they use the thumb that supports the neck and this is very influential in their playing. If you have long fingers, you can also do like them. Follow directions from your guitar teacher, or it's best if you experiment to see what style works best for you.
Step 7. Keep your back straight
The most important thing about holding the guitar properly is to keep your back straight and the guitar parallel to the ground. It's easy to get caught off guard and end up hunching your back, tilting the guitar back so you can see the fretboard is also a quick way to poor technique and sloppy playing. If you want to hold it well and correctly, straighten your back.
Method 2 of 2: Holding the Guitar (In a Standing Position)
Step 1. Buy a guitar strap (a safety strap so the guitar doesn't fall off) that can be adjusted in short length
If you are ready to bring your guitar playing to the stage, generally you will use a support tool in the form of a guitar strap. There are many different types of guitar straps, from the mariachi style that wraps around the body to the tight strap styles like those for musical instruments like the banjo, but the most common are the ones that are relatively easy to use. Look for a guitar strap made of quality fabric or leather that can also be adjusted in length, the goal is for you to be free and adjust the length of the guitar strap according to your taste.
Make sure you attach the guitar pegs (the pegs used to attach the strap to the guitar) before you buy a guitar strap, or you can install the pegs at a guitar shop. You'll need at least one guitar peg at the base of the guitar to attach it to the guitar strap. In general, the guitar pegs will be pre-installed on the guitar
Step 2. Tie the strap properly
There are different ways to attach a guitar strap, depending on the number of pegs on the guitar (one or two.) Many acoustic guitars only have one, but melody guitars generally have two. Always start by slipping the guitar peg through the hole at the end of the guitar strap, then attaching the peg near the neck of the guitar.
- To attach the guitar strap to a guitar that has only one peg, you must tie the string section of the guitar strap to the guitar head (the part of the guitar that contains the tuning pegs,) under the strings where the strings are connected to the tuning pegs (Tuning Pegs.) guitar straps are not like this, but in the meantime you can use shoelaces and insert them into the holes in the guitar strap instead. If your acoustic guitar already has two pegs, just attach the guitar strap to the two pegs at the top and bottom of the guitar body, and you're ready to play your guitar.
- To attach the guitar strap to a melody guitar, insert the guitar pegs into the holes on the ends of the guitar strap and you'll be ready to play music. Some guitar straps increase the number of holes so you can adjust the length of the guitar strap even more. Start with a little tight and slowly you start loosening the guitar strap and adjust to your needs.
Step 3. Adjust the length of the guitar strap
The length of the guitar strap can generally be adjusted by pulling the hook up and down to adjust the length of the guitar strap. Slide the guitar strap over the top of your head over the shoulder of your non-dominant hand and feel where your guitar hangs. If that feels comfortable, then you're good to go. If not, move the guitar and readjust the guitar strap until it feels right. The bottom of the guitar should be in line with the groin on your dominant side.
- Pay attention to the short length of your guitar strap. If it's too long, you'll have a hard time strumming the strings. Just as if your guitar is too high (guitar strap is too short,) it will be very tiring for your arms to maintain an arm lift to play the guitar.
- The length of the guitar strap will have a huge impact on your playing style. Some players want their guitar as high as possible to make it easier to play on the fretboard, but rock guitarists prefer to have their guitar as low as possible, because it looks stunning. There is no right way.
Step 4. Strengthen the guitar strap
The best arrangement of guitar straps should be equipped with a guitar strap reinforcement peg at the base of the guitar, which will help you keep the guitar strap from slipping off the pegs. There's nothing worse than a guitar falling off a peg and falling to the ground in the middle of a performance. These reinforcements usually come in the form of plastic clamps, which will attach and attach to the guitar base, preventing the guitar strap from slipping off the pegs.
Step 5. Thread your guitar cable through the guitar strap before connecting it to the guitar
One good way to do this is to thread your guitar cable through the guitar strap so it doesn't interfere with your playing. Insert the cable between the base pegs and the guitar strap, from the back to the front of the guitar, then connect.
