Alright, so I start standing straight, then sort of jump into it and throw my head back and lean backwards, legs spread apart. I'll find a video to demonstrate.

Almost like this. He's my favorite, his stance looked comfortable, it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-eW_5ia ... re=related

(guess who)

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Also, align the neck plate with your belly button for a comfortable height.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Practice Practice and then Practice some more. A different neck profile might help alittle also.

I sit on a Tama drum throne most times when practicing.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Tighten your strap until your guitar sits where it would if you were sitting down.


Personally, I go as high as I can, to the point where I actually had to tie a knot in my strap to shorten it.

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Former user Floyd_The_Barber.

With the guitar strapped on, stand straight with your arms at your side. Now, turn your left palm out. Without moving your left elbow, raise your left hand from the elbow, like a hinge. When your hand is at about 80% from the start point to your shoulder, that's where your palm and the first fret of your guitar should meet. With your right hand, keep the palm faced down. Simply angle your hand up like a hinge until your hand is crossing the opposite side of your stomach area with your right elbow at your side. Where your hand lands up, that's where the center of the picking area of your guitar should be. Adjust your strap so your left hand falls naturally to the first fret and your right hand to the picking area. To fine tune that, your pick should fall naturally on the low E string first in the middle of the pickups (or sound hole on an acoustic), and when you pick, you should simply lower your forearm like a hinge from your elbow to move the pick to the next string, which occurs at an angle and your pick should fall closer to the bridge as you move to the next string until your pick is about an inch closer to the bridge on the high e string.

You should be in a fluid state with your back and neck straight, looking forward, belly relaxed, shoulders dropped, elbows stationary acting as hinges for your arms that guide your hands where they need to be to make small adjustments in angles up and down to move between strings -- no tension anywhere, you're like a puppet being played by yourself.

I play better standing.

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"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a Conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. The American mind simply has not come to a realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst." J. Edgar Hoover

I find that playing standing up is much easier for me. When I am giving lessons I have to sit down and it kind of cramps me a little. Just play standing up all of the time, that is until your back gives out, and it will come to you. It's a matter of getting comfortable with it. Keep at it and good luck.

I've had the same issue, and I agree it is just a matter of practice. And I will point out that Tom Morello plays with his guitar up around his sternum.

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"Today Atlantis, tomorrow the world!"

I agree with the chef's advice. This makes it a lot easier to change positions. But playing while standing does take some getting used to; there's just no two ways about that.

The bottom line is that there's really no "right" way to sling your guitar. I've seen jazz guys with their guitars tucked under their armpits, and there are thousands of shredders who dangle their guitars at their knees. Do what's comfortable for you and just play the damn thing.

My two cents.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Once had the opportunity to see Andre Segovia play. There was a hush over the audience as he sat down and carefully opened up his little footrest and placed his foot on it. Then he waited. Waited until you could hear a pin drop. By this point I was ready to laugh out loud at this pretentious performance. But then he started playing. Yikes! Can that man play!

Just pointing out that everyone is different. Myself, I find standing to be much more versatile. I like to move around and it allows me to adjust for certain chords or riffs. I just like the freedom. I feel kind of restricted sitting down.

As usual, my two cents.

Peace,
Gridlok

I generally find that playing standing up is easier, but I think that's because I almost always practice that way (I usually like to move around and burn a little energy while I'm playing). I'm sure if I practiced more sitting down, it would feel more comfortable.

I do tend to keep the guitar strung up fairly high when I play. I've got relatively short arms and small hands, so if the instrument is strung too low it starts to get kind of painful.

I adjust the strap to where I like it when I'm standing up and then ... well ... I stand up. I don't sit to practice. Ever. What would be the point of that? There is no chair in my music room. Just gear. I also don't practice unplugged. Ever. I don't perform unplugged or sitting so what earthly reason could I ever possibly have to practice that way? That doesn't compute for me. Never has.


My 2 cents


YMMV

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

But...In your pix of your studio, I saw an acoustic guitar. Do you never play it???
I vary between playing unplugged (acoustic, mostly) and wired. When I'm unplugged, I'm usually sitting down. When I'm wired, I'm usually standing and the centre of the guitar body is at my hip. Sometimes, though, I sit down when I'm dubbing in a part and need to be at the computer keyboard.

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......it's a topsy-turvy world when noses run and feet smell...

I play it tons. Almost always standing up but I have to admit to occasionally playing my other (small) Taylor seated if I am around a fire but only if I can find an armless chair or a tall stool that doesn't interfere with my elbows, else I'll stand up around the fire too. The Genz Benz amp you saw under the window is my acoustic amp. It rawks! I love playing my "big" Taylor plugged into that thing.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.