comfortable with your preferred seated posture and angle without a strap , and to capture a photo or video of your fretting hand and forearm as you play in that seated position . Then , attach your guitar strap , stand up , and try to imitate that hand and forearm angle , capturing a photo or video of you standing , adjusting the strap until your fretting hand and forearm look and feel similar to when you were seated .
OTHER PRO TIPS I like to practice through my songs in the posture I plan to perform or lead worship in . Although I don ’ t typically sit when I lead worship , I do perform some guitar ballads in a seated position .
I also like to minimize variables , so as I stand , I often practice while wearing the same shoes I ’ ll be wearing onstage when I ’ m in front of a group of people . This is because I sometimes use pedals , and I want the feel to be familiar with the least amount of new sensations . Practicing in my socks can be more relaxed or cozy , but unless I ’ m going to be onstage in my socks , it ’ s worth putting on shoes .
As for clothing , I try to avoid wearing vests with buttons that can click loudly against the back of my amplified guitar . When I wear a jacket or a suit , I prefer to sit without a strap , especially because a jacket tends to restrict my movement , and I ’ ve even experienced some wear in the collar because of the friction from my guitar strap .
It ’ s also very common for me to practice with a music stand or tablet . In this case , I recommend having as neutral of a posture as possible , keeping the stand high enough to avoid a downward tilt of the head , which is not good for our spines .
And of course , with standing posture , if I only need to reference the stand or tablet occasionally , I may have it low and off to the side . The only thing I don ’ t recommend – and I ’ ve seen this a lot – is to have a music stand
so high during worship that it actually creates a visual barrier so that people have a harder time seeing the worship leader . Ideally , having no music stand or tablet at all is the best scenario , but that of course , necessitates memorization .
Now , it could be argued that I ’ m getting a little too obsessed with details here , but think about it . If we ’ re going to invest hundreds or even thousands of hours playing our guitars , it makes sense to have a solid posture and stance that not only avoids discomfort , but allows for optimal play , and therefore longevity .
I hope this has been helpful . Now go … stand up , sit down , play , play , play !
© GuitarSuccess4U . All rights reserved . David Harsh David is a nationally touring worship leader , songwriter and performing artist . He is passionate about equipping guitarists to discover their potential . Learn more and join at www . GuitarSuccess4U . com .