Playing your first acoustic guitar

July 30, 2008 – 8:46 pm

by P R jones

Endless hours of playing your guitar can strain your back If you do not maintain the correct upright posture. If you want to learn how to hold your guitar correctly, here are a few tips on how to hold your guitar properly. Pick your guitar and hold it with the back against your stomach. Point the guitar neck to your left if you are right handed. Set the guitar body on your upper right thigh. Next, grab the guitar neck with your left hand, wrap your right arm around the guitar body, and place your right hand on the strings. If necessary, adjust your body position so that you feel completely comfortable when 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 will 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, although 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.

You use your right hand to “strum” or play the strings in order to create the various chord sounds. Let your right arm rest on top of the guitar. Your right bicep should be relaxed and over top of the guitar’s body. Your hand should be located directly above the sound hole of the guitar. This is the place the sound is made while you are playing guitar.

Many people choose to play guitar with a pick. In order to use a pick it should be held between the forefinger and thumb of your dominant hand. Then the pick is pulled across the strings in order to “strum”. It is similar to plucking, but more pressure is necessary then you would use with just 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.

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