Monday, July 28, 2008

Playing an acoustic guitar

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.

For right handed guitar players, you will use your left hand to form the notes and chords. Bend the fingers on your left hand so they are pressing the strings down 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 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.

If you're left handed, you'll be happy to know that guitars are available for left-handed players. If you can't find a suitable one for playing guitar left-handed, simply buy a regular guitar and have re-stringing done to reverse the order of the strings.

Not only does proper positioning while playing guitar allow you to play for extended periods of time, but it also helps you produce the correct sounds. So take time to learn how to hold the guitar and position your body correctly.

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