How to Hold a Guitar With a Strap
Properly holding your guitar in a strap ensures a secure fit, as well as freedom of movement. You should use a guitar strap for playing while standing up and choose a strap that is comfortable and that is adjusted to the proper position in relation to your body. Not having a strap adjusted to the proper length can result in awkward handling, unnecessary tension in your fret arm and reduced visibility of your fingers and guitar strings. All of these problems will inevitably compromise your guitar playing.
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Instructions
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Choose a guitar strap that will be comfortable on your shoulder when holding the weight of the guitar. Skinny straps can dig into the shoulder, especially when supporting a heavy guitar. Wide guitar straps and padded guitar straps are available.
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Pull the guitar strap over your head so that, starting with the strap on the topside of the guitar, the strap goes over your shoulder, behind your back and under the opposite arm.
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Position the guitar to approximately a 45-degree angle, with the head of the guitar higher up.
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Adjust the length of the strap so that your fret hand, when positioned near the head of the guitar, is about the same height as your chest and so that the body of the guitar is resting comfortably against your upper hip and belly.
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5
Stand up straight and double-check to make sure you will not be straining your fret hand, your wrist or your neck when looking down at your fingers and strings. Make any necessary final adjustments to the strap length.
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