Hold the guitar like an expert

by Crazy Dave

Short Description: You'll know how to hold a guitar if you go through this article.

When you've already bought a guitar and decided to master it, there's no need to wait any more.

Well then, let's go ahead and begin with the finer details of how to hold the instrument. Please, don't cast an awkward glance, it's indeed very important to hold the instrument properly, since, just like any other musical instrument, a guitar must be held properly to get the best out of it. Any awkward pose makes it really difficult to play even the simplest of melodies and you may soon drop the idea of becoming an accomplished guitarist.

Ideally, you should sit at the front edge of a straight-backed chair and let the guitar lie on your right thigh with the strings and sound hole facing outwards. The neck should point towards your left. But, if you're a left hander, don't worry; Jimi Hendrix was a leftie too! Gently place the guitar on your left thigh and let the neck point towards your right. The neck should point slightly upwards; say 30 or so.

But remember, comfort and ease is the watchword. A slight deviation here and there which might make you more comfortable wouldn't bring the heavens crashing down.

Now that your legs taken care of, let's see where your arms should be. I've described here the hand positions for a right handed player - it'd be just the opposite for a left hander.

Let your right arm lie over the guitar in a gentle way so that your fingers hang loosely over the sound hole. These fingers (rather, the finger tips) would strum the strings, so see to it that you don't require a lot of wrist movement in order to reach the strings. There are cases where people have ended up with carpal tunnel syndrome by exerting too much effort on their wrists, so, once again, be comfortable while holding the guitar.

Let's now see how you place your left hand or the "fretting" hand, as it's often described. The reverse side of the neck is curved. So your left palm fits snugly over it. Bend your fingers till you can freely press the strings with your fingertips.

There are two ways to it. You can either place your thumb at the back or you may arch it across the neck. Generally the thumb should arch over the neck while constructing chords and it should be at the back of the neck while playing scales. But, again, there are no hard and fast rules about it, keep your thumb in a position where you are most comfortable and can reach the strings with utmost ease.

About the Author:

Before you spend a fortune on 1-on-1 guitar lessons, make sure you check out Crazy Dave's review of the absolute best instructional video guitar course online - learn and master guitar. Dave site offers 35 free guitar licks!

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Title: Hold the guitar like an expert
Author: Crazy Dave
Keywords: guitar lessons,dvd guitar lessons,video guitar lessons,guitar,lessons,music,instruments,hobbies,entertainment
Word Count: 450
Category: Arts & Entertainment:Music
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