holding the guitar with the neck semi vertical

[markf]

A friend pointed out that chords with big stretches are easier to make if you hold the guitar in a more vertical position.

I have seen players like Steve Herberman who holds his guitar in a very vertical position.

I tried it, and it works. and it doesn't seem that hard to adjust to. and I noticed that some single note things worked better. although I just tried this for a few minutes.

any opinions? (chuckle)

[MaxPicks]

That's pretty much my default, although more around 65 degrees. The palm of the left hand is effortlessly parallel to the fingerboard so all 4 fingers have comfortable access, stretches are easy, so Bill Evans voicings and extended arpeggios are straightforward. My picking hand falls naturally into the right place with easy access across the fingerboard. Joe Pass' guitar was pretty vertical when he was playing solo and needed to cover a lot of territory.

A lot of us start out with the guitar across the knee, and get used to playing that way, but the near vertical neck makes way more ergonomic sense. I know Benson and Wes and lots of other fine players play with their guitar more horizontal, but a hack like me needs all the help he can get, and having that neck upright makes everything easier.

[TH]

John Stowell

Gotta check him out
David

[markf]

The palm of the left hand is effortlessly parallel to the fingerboard so all 4 fingers have comfortable access, stretches are easy, so Bill Evans voicings and extended arpeggios are straightforward. My picking hand falls naturally into the right place with easy access across the fingerboard

.

That's how it seemed to me, just trying this for a few minutes.

Joe Pass' guitar was pretty vertical when he was playing solo

funny how I have seen this, and it made no impression on me at all. and now I get it.

Gotta check him out

very nice. thanks. that's it. now I just have to figure out how to deal with the weight of my heavy solid body guitar.

thanks both of you.

[MaxPicks]

Try using a lap strap to get your guitar in position Make Your Guitar More Ergonomic with The Lap-Strap

It's a regular guitar strap, but it goes under the lower bout, across your lap, and gets tucked under the opposite leg. The guitar is stable, and you can adjust it as you like.

[FatJeff]

Try using a lap strap to get your guitar in position Make Your Guitar More Ergonomic with The Lap-Strap

It's a regular guitar strap, but it goes under the lower bout, across your lap, and gets tucked under the opposite leg. The guitar is stable, and you can adjust it as you like.

Didn't quite work for me. The guy demonstrating the technique is using a classical guitar; I think the added weight and bout width of my L5-type guitar interferes with the effectiveness of this idea.

[MaxPicks]

Didn't quite work for me. The guy demonstrating the technique is using a classical guitar; I think the added weight and bout width of my L5-type guitar interferes with the effectiveness of this idea.

I use it on a 175 and it works fine, but on a 17 inch bout guitar it`s cumbersome, it pulls the bout up too high.

[marcwhy]

John Stowell
Gotta check him out
David

Yep, John's a great player, and an awesome dude!

[bako]

I also play cello which is totally vertical. There are some advantages stretch wise perhaps because gravity assisting movement downward towards the higher notes.

Here's a vertical classical guitarist with a cello endpin and a cool resonator box as well.

[JakeAcci]

Awesome clip Bako, thanks for that. Interesting piece.

I've been playing mostly with a footstool under my left foot and the guitar on my left leg (classical style basically) and I find the more vertical the neck is the more I can get around certain things for sure.

However I switch between conventional sitting and the classical position because it seems to hurt my back to play with the footstool for too long. Unfortunately it's an issue I haven't really resolved - I think a smaller guitar would help.

An important observation is that I think most stretches that are achieved with the vertical angle can also be achieved in normal sitting position by pointing the neck away from your body.

[fumblefingers]

Galbraith is amazing, but he plays an 8-string and therefore has special challenges to overcome. Stowell uses a pretty aggressive angle as well. Most players probably don't need that. The classical position/angle should be fine for most.

So if you play jazz on an electric guitar:

when you sit or when you stand - "play strapped", so that you may use the same angle that classical players use.

Of course, that doesn't jibe with the current metal-influenced, hipster punk style of holding a guitar while standing. That style is typified by playing
low slung because it looks cool. That doesn't make it optimal from an ergonomics standpoint of course. Far from it. So, you have to pick your poison.

[Extrapolation]

I find it's best for me to practice sitting with the strap, and the body sitting in-between the legs, rather than resting on either one. This puts the neck more or less at a 45 degree angle, and it's very comfortable for both chords and single-note. Give it a try and see if you like it. Another advantage of this is that the angle is exactly the same while both sitting and standing.

[markf]

thanks for all the ideas. very helpful.

[markf]

I also play cello which is totally vertical. There are some advantages stretch wise perhaps because gravity assisting movement downward towards the higher notes.

Here's a vertical classical guitarist with a cello endpin and a cool resonator box as well.

very nice. first time I have heard of him. It makes sense to me.

one other advantage of what he is doing, for finger picking, is that the fingers hit the strings at a much better angle. less chance of a flub.

[jseaberry]

I hold my neck quite high as well; the reason I like it is that the wrist is completely relaxed, no strain, I can play more effortlessly and longer. When the neck is horizontal, look at the angle your wrist makes when you put your fingers on the neck. Now, the higher the neck goes, the straighter the line is between forearm, wrist and hand = less strain to me overall.

[Nuff Said]

I don't think she has ever played a guitar in her life.

Nuff

[MaxPicks]

I think one of the reasons there is so much scalar playing is that with a neck not upright, arpeggios beyond 3 or 4 notes require awkward shifting. Get your neck up and 2 and 3 octave arps sit under your hand with minimal shifting.