How to Play Guitar Sitting or Standing

Guitar players use various modes of positioning to play. A guitarist often sits in a chair to play, but someone playing on stage is just as likely to be standing. Both styles of play are common, and a guitarist who will be playing in public will want to get familiar with both sitting and standing positions.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Play the Guitar Sitting Down

1. Find the most comfortable chair available. Make sure your chair does not have arms. Playing the guitar sitting in an armchair is difficult. It's better to sit on anything else that allows you elbow room.

2. Position the body of the guitar in your lap.

3. Hold the guitar with the fretboard comfortably in front of your left hand, and the strings over the sound board accessible to your right hand for picking or strumming.

4. Get comfortable with your guitar. Playing sitting down is all about holding the guitar in a way that accommodates your style of play. Most times, you'll want the guitar as close to you as possible. Holding it further out in front of you will hinder your playing.

5. Change your position according to your style of play. Some "flamenco" or other techniques occasionally use a different style, with the guitar neck held slightly upward. You'll see this in some old paintings of guitar players. Nowadays, most guitarists stick to the regular chair-sitting position with the acoustic guitar.

Play the Guitar Standing Up

6. Get a strap. You'll want to have this accessory for standing play to free up your body. You can play standing with the guitar sitting on one leg, but it's not optimal.

7. Attach one end of the guitar strap to your neck at the head stock of the guitar, using the tie provided on the strap.

8. Attach the other end of the strap to a knob that should be on the other end of the guitar, at the "bottom," in the middle of the guitar body.

9. Put the guitar over your head and let the strap rest on your shoulders. Get comfortable with wearing the guitar.

10. Try playing and make sure you can reach. Adjust the strap as necessary so that you have good access to the fretboard and the soundboard. Don't try to play with the strap too long, it will strain your playing. Adjust it and get the guitar right up into your hands.