The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary

View Poll Results: Do you prefer to stand or sit when you play jazz?

Voters
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  • I prefer to stand when I play

    50 22.73%
  • I prefer to sit when I play jazz

    170 77.27%
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  1. #76

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Joe
    I'd rather sound good than look good.
    Of course of course! Never sacrifice the quality of music, its given. I was thinking from the perspective of entertainment value, the visual aspect of a live show. To some it dont matter, to me it does! I love to see people are getting into it.

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  3. #77

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
    Of course of course! Never sacrifice the quality of music, its given. I was thinking from the perspective of entertainment value, the visual aspect of a live show. To some it dont matter, to me it does! I love to see people are getting into it.
    That's why I try to play with people who have more stage presence than I do. :P

  4. #78

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Joe
    I'd rather sound good than look good.
    don't be silly. You are there to entertain the nice people.

  5. #79

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nate Miller
    don't be silly. You are there to entertain the nice people.
    No, I'm there to practice my art where people can listen.

    I'd have to get paid to entertain.

  6. #80

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Joe
    That's why I try to play with people who have more stage presence than I do. :P
    LOL!!! Thats great! Anyone has more stage presence than me! LOL!! I sit these days.

  7. #81

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    I prefer to stand and move with the groove but my back demands I sit when Arthur Itus visits. I always use a portable, altered barstool (Legs shortened) with a back support. A Walmart barstool with a back support works great after I cut about 6 inches off of the Legs and it allows me to stand up when I need to.

    wiz (Howie)

  8. #82

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    Quote Originally Posted by wizard3739
    I prefer to stand and move with the groove but my back demands I sit when Arthur Itus visits.
    Man, I hate that Arthur Itus.

  9. #83

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    Standing is certainly better for your overall physical condition, unless you do have back problems, and proper adjustment of the strap and placement of the strap buttons goes a long way toward getting the guitar into a good, solid playing position. Even classical guitars can be outfitted this way. I'm thinking about 3 important jazz guitarists (to me): Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall and Pat Metheny. All favored the standing position, Jim had to sit after a back operation for the last few years of his career. Practicing while standing is not hard, but probably should be limited to similar lengths of time as gig sets, alternating with sitting for a while. There are gigs that are more sitting gigs, like background music or big band, but I have found that relating to the audience while standing, as well as interacting with the other musicians, is much easier. Those who have small frames but play 17" or 18" guitars will find that standing is a very smart way to go, especially for the right hand.

  10. #84

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    I used to stand, but my back has not been happy about that lately, so now I sit.

  11. #85

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    I used to stand. Now, I’m fucking old and always sit. My stool is part of the gig rig

  12. #86

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    Hard core stander. Even big band gigs if I can get way with it. I did recently lengthen my strap for my 3" archtops since I was finding that after 30 minutes or so of practice, my back was aching. But my straps were just way too short...now that they are slightly longer, it's all good.

  13. #87

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    Really don't have a preference. I suppose it depends on the gig. There's gigs where I think standing would be awkward, there's gigs where I think sitting would be boring.

  14. #88

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronjazz
    Standing is certainly better for your overall physical condition, unless you do have back problems, and proper adjustment of the strap and placement of the strap buttons goes a long way toward getting the guitar into a good, solid playing position. Even classical guitars can be outfitted this way. I'm thinking about 3 important jazz guitarists (to me): Kenny Burrell, Jim Hall and Pat Metheny. All favored the standing position, Jim had to sit after a back operation for the last few years of his career. Practicing while standing is not hard, but probably should be limited to similar lengths of time as gig sets, alternating with sitting for a while. There are gigs that are more sitting gigs, like background music or big band, but I have found that relating to the audience while standing, as well as interacting with the other musicians, is much easier. Those who have small frames but play 17" or 18" guitars will find that standing is a very smart way to go, especially for the right hand.
    I suspect there are a lot who sit when practicing, playing at home... and when they have tried to stand in performance found it uncomfortable. And I suspect that those of us who strongly prefer standing have figured out "how to stand" with the guitar.

    Personally, I have always been a stander and prefer it because it allows much more contact with other musicians and the audience. All the mechanics of my playing are best when standing and I routinely perform four hours and feel like going a few more afterwards.

    What I do:

    - feet together, not apart; this makes all twisting and turning motions light and easy
    - knees very slightly bent with the upper body leaning slightly back (this last is to balance the weight of the guitar and unload my back)
    - guitar slung high and positioned so my picking hand is on my center line and left hand is extended (neck is not in front of me but out to my left)
    - run the strap out over the corner of my shoulder (so it does not rest on the muscle between neck and shoulder)... this goes along with getting the guitar neck out to the left
    - wear good shoes

    ...basically the opposite of what rock stars do.

  15. #89

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    I like to stand it’s a bit more vibey.

    Background gigs it’s fine to sit...

    But you know that they say - the chair is the killer...

    just make sure you support your body and the guitar properly with you core when you stand ..... can be easy to slump or slouch and get back problems... but the same is true in a chair....

  16. #90

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    Do I sit or stand while playing? Yes. One or the other, depending on the situation. But in my mid to late 60s I started sitting more.

  17. #91

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    Standing is better for both hands with electric but you dont feel like it after working on your feet all day. I like classical guitar position.

  18. #92

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    Sit

    Makes it easier to reach for my glass of Maker's Mark.

  19. #93

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    And the pot pipe if your in WA USA.

  20. #94

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    I prefer sitting in an ordinary straight backed chair. I don't think it looks best, but that's the way I'm most comfortable.

    If I'm going to sing, then I use a stool. The problem is then that I can't reach my volume pedal easily.

    I could solve that problem, but I don't end up singing enough to bother.

    Oddly enough, I'm most likely to stand on an outdoor gig.

  21. #95

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    All my heroes sat...I wonder why?

    When Jim ditched the Les Paul he graduated from the floor to a chair.


  22. #96

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    Never had a sit down gig.
    No rest for the wicked I guess.

  23. #97

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    I saw Jim Hall many, many times in the past 50 years, he stood for 90% of his gigs until him back operation. I think he realized at one point that when he went out on his own as a leader that standing gave him more presence and also made it easier to communicate with the rest of the group. Standing is, in general, better for your physique, and it also is more interesting to look at, from the audience point of view. However, it is situational; if you have to dance around pedals, sometimes sitting is easier. Of course the rockers with their large arrays of effects have to stand to be able to reach them all, but the showmanship in the rock genre often makes up for the limited musicianship.

  24. #98

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    I'm standing, always during gigs, and most of the time when I practice at home.
    I have some issues with my back and my shoulders, and I find it difficult to find a good position when sitting for more than 5--10 minutes.
    I also have to say that my shoulder issues prevents me from playing deep bodied arch tops, like the ES-175 or L4 etc.
    I had to sell my L4 because of this.
    So I'm only using either teles or ES-335 type guitars.

  25. #99

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    I haven't performed in 5 years (and that wasn't jazz) and likely won't again. But because of age and arthritis in the knees, I sit. However the last time I did play, it was only for 30 minutes, and it was bass. I did stand for that.

  26. #100

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    Quote Originally Posted by kris
    Do you sit of stand when performing?


    Do you know who makes that headless/bodyless guitar? It's not a Yamaha Silent Guitar-they have the tuners on the headstock.

    Doug