Sunday, April 12, 2009

Online Classical Guitar Lessons: How to Hold the Guitar

Let's start by reviewing the traditional way of holding the classical guitar. Then we'll look at some of the other ways classical guitarists hold their instruments, such as using special cushions, frames, straps, and other supporting devices, as well as borrowing a few lessons from the flamenco guitarists.

First, let's have a look at the most famous guitarist of the 20th century, Andres Segovia:



The key points are that the guitar rests on the left leg, and the left leg is raised a little by placing the left foot on a footstool. There are two main benefits of this posture:

1. It raises the guitar high enough to allow the left hand good access the full range of the finger board.

2. It frees the left hand from having to support the guitar, so the left hand and arm can move freely.

(There can be a few drawbacks to this posture, however, depending on your physique or physical condition. We'll get to these later.)
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11 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 9, 2009 at 5:11 AM

    Wow!
    Nice to know about the way of holding guitar before.
    MikeLorance

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nick AndrewJuly 17, 2009 at 12:27 AM

    This is what every guitarist should know first to be a guitarist.
    Nick Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousAugust 12, 2009 at 1:46 AM

    merci pour ces conseils
    from Bordeaux France

    classicalguitarscores.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. manojJanuary 22, 2010 at 2:48 AM

    very good position

    ReplyDelete
  5. Eric HendersonFebruary 21, 2010 at 1:13 PM

    This is one of the first things Andres Segovia taught me, I will be writing about it on a future blog post. Please see my blog where I write about my experiences with Maestro Segova.

    http://www.erichenderson.org/blog/news-info/articles/the-maestro-and-the-boy-by-eric-henderson/

    ReplyDelete
  6. Teach Yourself GuitarMarch 21, 2010 at 9:00 PM

    Holding the guitar in a comfortable position is very important. It also helps prevents any wrist injury.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Online Guitar LessonsMay 30, 2012 at 1:31 AM

    These are great tips you have shared about how to hold the guitar. Thanks for sharing. Online guitar lessons are a great way to learn how to play a guitar.

    ReplyDelete
  8. best online guitar lessonsAugust 8, 2012 at 4:01 PM

    The reason we hold stringed instruments the way we do is that the dominant hand is responding to the rhythm in motion, while the other hand stays relatively still in various positions. It's both physical and mental. The dominant hand can respond to the rhythm without too much thought, so we concentrate most on the other hand's position on the neck. But I see no reason you couldn't learn to play in right-hand position, if your right hand can handle rhythm while your brain is doing something else.

    ReplyDelete
  9. online guitar lessonsApril 20, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    It's great to see you chose Andres Segovia to use an example of how to properly hold the guitar. He is the true father of modern classic guitar.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownJuly 7, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    great lessons on how to hold the guitar thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousSeptember 3, 2018 at 6:47 AM

    Nice knowledge gaining article. This post is really the best on this valuable topic. music lessons london

    ReplyDelete

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