Members kwakatak Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 That other thread about the irrelevancy of tonewood selection got me thinking about something that occurred to me while building my first guitar. The guitar itself is not the only factor in how it will sound - the player does too, only not in all the ways you might initially think. So from a player's perspective, ask yourself these questions: - do you like to play with the guitar on your left leg or right leg, or do you prefer to stand up while playing? - when playing do you like to "hug" the guitar, let it rest against your body or do you hold it away from you at all? - do you plant your fingers on the scratch guard, rest your palm on the bridge or rest your arm on the edge of the body? You may not realize it, but all of these things may affect the way the guitar responds to you. Try holding your guitars in different ways and see if they sound any different. In the interest of getting to the point I'll just give you my perspective in another post... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Some valid points... I alway gig standing up, due to my spinal issues and the fact that I sing better standing up... I don't really hug the instrument, as the strap keeps it where I want it... I gently touch the pickguard w/ my ring and pinky when finger-picking rags and blues, occaisionally mute Travis style by resting the rear of my palm on the strings at the bridge saddle, and I do rest my arm on the edge of the instrument quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kiowa1 Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Terrible! I'm what you might call the 'sloucher-foot up on the table' type player. Gotta be comfortable, right? Guitar on right thigh, held loosely. And yes, when picking, I am a 'pinky-planter'. Rather poor posture for sure, but heck I'm 66 years old. Too late to change now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bax Burgess Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 I have a bent for the Quasimodo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 When I'm playing at home for my own enjoyment or for praise band practice, I slouch on the sofa; if I'm practicing for playing and singing solo in front of people I stand (I don't sing when I'm playing with the praise band). Basically, any time I'm in front of an audience, I normally stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Blanchard Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 I always stand when I perform. Sa for the other questions, I have no clue. I've never really analyzed how I hold the guitar, etc. You can check my YouTube vids I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike_E_McGee Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Sitting down, guitar on left leg, left leg on a foot stool. My right hand is all over the place. I play with fingerpicks on index and middle and a thumbpick. My hand's base position is with palm just touching the hand rest (national guitars) but I go into large flailing motions when I think it's called for. I don't use pickups, but try to work the mic (use the proximity effect as well as the reso's tonal variety depending on mic position (which means moving the guitar in relation to the mic)). While my basic posture is good (I think) I definitely move to the music. If the song has a groove, my shoulders will be bouncing around! I think it's important to put on at least a little bit of a show when people are watching. Dancing around with the guitar helps me convey the energy of the piece even when no one's looking (recording). That's just me though. Edit: I forgot to mention, I sit on a cajon (valter percussion big box) and beat out a beat with my right heel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 I mostly sit while I'm playing (in a straight-back chair). I usually cross my left leg over my right and sit the guitar on top on my left thigh - this gives a position similar to the classical posture (although if I'm lazy or noodling for a short time I sometimes use the right thigh position). My right arm touches the to of the lower bout and the back of the lower bout rests against my body - the top bout doesn't - I find that the guitar is angled away from me at approx 30 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldTwelver Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 A lot of different ways over the years, but these come to mind as primary. Practice alone: Standard chair, feet flat or right leg over left. Solo gig: Prefer high stool, but sometimes stand if more than one guitar used in show. Duo: Usually sit on high stool Trio, on up to seven piece: Standing Drunk: I can't really remember..... What I do with my right hand varies based on style of music, 6 or 12 string, acoustic or electric. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members espec10001 Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Playing sitting down I put the strap on and try to keep my back straight as if I was playing standing up. That way, there won't be any difference in the position of the guitar either way. For my picking hand, I use a thumbpick and my index, middle, and ring fingers to pick with. I don't anchor with anything I guess this is called the "floating" style. I like this because I love the sound of strings ringing out together and I can pick closer to the bridge for more treble, or over the fretboard for more bass without having to worry about anchoring. Over the soundhole gives the more "middle" sound. Plus, if I want to throw some strumming into the picking mix it seems to be quicker since I won't have to first anchor when I return to picking. But who really cares what I do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Blanchard Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 [video=youtube;IhjiqaujR70] After watching myself, I'd say: do you like to play with the guitar on your left leg or right leg, or do you prefer to stand up while playing? Stand up, always- when playing do you like to "hug" the guitar, let it rest against your body or do you hold it away from you at all? Rest against my body- do you plant your fingers on the scratch guard, rest your palm on the bridge or rest your arm on the edge of the body? Rest my arm on the edge of the body. Funny, I had to look at the video to know what I do; I had never thought about it before. I probably will never think about it again, for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pitar Posted September 26, 2012 Members Share Posted September 26, 2012 Lately I've been playing while walking. When I sit I feel stuck. I lean and twist and sway and feel trapped by a chair. A stool is a lot better for me but only because I'm just barely on it - a half cheek - and even then I can't sit still. So, I stand and the next thing I know I'm walking around the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Lately I've been playing while walking. When I sit I feel stuck. I lean and twist and sway and feel trapped by a chair. A stool is a lot better for me but only because I'm just barely on it - a half cheek - and even then I can't sit still. So, I stand and the next thing I know I'm walking around the house. LOL, are you sure you're not dancing? I find myself doing that when I play certain songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pitar Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 LOL, are you sure you're not dancing? I find myself doing that when I play certain songs! Busted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 I like standing up when I play and I like my strap connected to a button at the neck. It's the way I play live, so sitting down to practice or jam never feels quite right. If I'm playing something delicate I try not to hug the guitar too much because I think I can hear the difference, even though many people say the back is irrelevant and may as well be made of guacamole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Busted. I KNEW it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 I tend to smother my guitars a bit when playing, as I'm kind of a big {censored}er and I always play sitting down. Git is usually on my right leg, but sometimes I switch to left with a smaller guitar. I hug the git. I sometimes "anchor" a finger on the pickguard. I definitely have some bad habits, but over the years I find that I enjoy playing less when I'm fighting certain natural tendencies, so I just let that crap go - especially as very few people on the planet other than myself will ever hear my playing. No need to beat my brains out, I figure. The forearm resting across the lower bout is also a bit of a tone damper, I find. A while back, I tried a Pearse armrest on one of my dreads. I think it made a difference for the better, but I just couldn't get used to the thing being on there, so I got rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kwakatak Posted September 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Hey knock, you've built a couple and I assume got off on the tone tapping thing too, right? Did you find that that appreciation what goes into the construction of a guitar affect your predispositions as a player - or at least make you more aware of what you were doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Hey knock, you've built a couple and I assume got off on the tone tapping thing too, right? Did you find that that appreciation what goes into the construction of a guitar affect your predispositions as a player - or at least make you more aware of what you were doing? Overall, I'd say my experiences as a player affect my hack building much more than the latter affects the former. I don't play any differently relative to my very limited building experience. Maybe that will change over time. I'm not much of a tapper. I find it very difficult to shake the suspicion that tap tuning is ultimately a steaming load of hocus-pocus bull{censored}. I do tap, whack, knock my plates and boxes now and then, but really just because it's fun. I also drum on my desk a lot. I suppose if I were to hear something really dramatic, like if I tapped a top and heard the ocean, or a bunch of dishes and glasses shattering on the ground, this might tell me something, but I still wouldn't be certain exactly what... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Overall, I'd say my experiences as a player affect my hack building much more than the latter affects the former. I don't play any differently relative to my very limited building experience. Maybe that will change over time. I'm not much of a tapper. I find it very difficult to shake the suspicion that tap tuning is ultimately a steaming load of hocus-pocus bull{censored}. I do tap, whack, knock my plates and boxes now and then, but really just because it's fun. I also drum on my desk a lot. I suppose if I were to hear something really dramatic, like if I tapped a top and heard the ocean, or a bunch of dishes and glasses shattering on the ground, this might tell me something, but I still wouldn't be certain exactly what... Rosewood sounds like the Atlantic and Mahogany sounds like the Pacific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarist21 Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 I stand and rest my arm on the guitar. In general, my posture is terrible. I am notorious for not sitting up straight or standing tall when I walk around. My mom points it out every time I see her. I've been getting better about it (because now I hear her voice my head whenever I slouch or whenever I see anyone slouching). I know this isn't the point of this thread, but I think it's pretty important to sit or stand up straight when you play. It is my understanding that it keeps your back healthy longer, and it will keep you playing guitar comfortably for longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDR Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 ..... I think it's pretty important to sit or stand up straight when you play. It is my understanding that it keeps your back healthy longer, and it will keep you playing guitar comfortably for longer. If I sit, I sit erect, not touching the chair's back. I find I can breathe & sing a lot better this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Rosewood sounds like the Atlantic and Mahogany sounds like the Pacific. Actually, I'm pretty firmly in the camp that believes there are significant tonal differences between various species used for backs. But I look at tap tuning as something else altogether. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Queequeg Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Did somebody say "posture"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted September 27, 2012 Members Share Posted September 27, 2012 Actually, I'm pretty firmly in the camp that believes there are significant tonal differences between various species used for backs. But I look at tap tuning as something else altogether. Agreed. Was just trying to be funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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