question to guitarists - it really hard for me to play while standing

[aviel]

i don't know why, i've always had thie problem.
i play pretty fine while sitting down, but when standing up, even with the guitar quite high (a bit above belt line), i find really hard to to bendings on higher frets, or alternated picking and jumping strings. all my hands angles are really changing, the left hand reach the lower frets with a strange angle, and the picking hand, its just missing many time the strings while skeeping.

its like you have to develop a different new skill to play standing? a different technique? any tips for how to get used to it?

 

[mva801]

PRACTICE HOW YOU'LL PLAY. If you learn everything sitting down, OF COURSE it's going to be different. If you're just a bedroom guitarist, then whatever. But if you play shows, why the hell are you practicing while sitting down in the first place?

I did the same thing when I started FWIW. First time I jammed with some dudes I realized I needed to re-learn how to get around the fretboard while standing up. Just start standing while you practice. It'll get better.

 

[jipchen]

Yeah it's really only a matter of practice and routine. And if you strap the guitar a little higher than you would like to have it on stage it's easier to practice in the beginning.. just remember to slowly lower it again if you aren't comfortable at all with a relatively "high" guitar. Don't do it the day before the gig / band practice.

 

[BrettT]

For me, putting the butt of the guitar body between my legs when sitting (classical style) helped because it closely resembles the guitar's position when standing.

 

[StefTD]

For me, putting the butt of the guitar body between my legs when sitting (classical style) helped because it closely resembles the guitar's position when standing.

yep-that's right!

I have a hard time playing fast death metal kind of stuff with my left hand while standing-but that's due to my fucked up
arm-crushed my elbow pretty bad a few years ago, but besides that it's not that hard as long as you play while standing
from time to time-my right hand is actually almost pro standing

For example, if you play guitar at home for 30-40 minutes everyday, play at least half of the time while standing with
the guitar strapped pretty high, after a few days or weeks, lower it a bit, do this until you have it at the perfect heigth
and than play longer while standing until you get to the point that playing a show isn't a problem at all.

 

[Coerti0n]

Fuck convention and sit down at shows. If it's the best way to play and present your music then do what it takes. It worked for Robert Fripp. If you want to follow fashion then you may as well get a side cut and chug open 0 whilst crabbing.

 

[kev]

For me, putting the butt of the guitar body between my legs when sitting (classical style) helped because it closely resembles the guitar's position when standing.

+ ∞

 

[StefTD]

Fuck convention and sit down at shows. If it's the best way to play and present your music then do what it takes. It worked for Robert Fripp. If you want to follow fashion then you may as well get a side cut and chug open 0 whilst crabbing.

come on-I guess it's about playing in a metal band live, sure it's ok for Robert Fripp, but that's something
different, classical guys always sit, lots of jazz guitarist sit while playing, but would you like to watch
Metallica playing while they're sitting-or Slayer?

I would rather watch a band that's 10% less tight live with a good show-where you see and feel the energy
than a band that's just standing still or sitting-I am just going to listen to the cd instead, sound quality is
better for sure then.

edit: I don't want to sound like a trve metal guy here or whatever, I am the short haired singer guy who always
gets the "you have short hair, you're so not metal" and stuff and if you're able to play a great and convincing
show while sitting, fine, but this will be really, really hard for a metal band.

 

[MetalWorks]

You could start by sitting down with the strap on your guitar, tighten the strap to where it is while you are sitting and when you stand the guitar will be in the same position.

At that point either dont care what people think about how high your strap is or lower it enough that you are comfortable with and adjust to it.

There are plenty of shredding guitarists with a higher strap.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I always have my strap as high as it can go. Even then it sometimes feels like it could stand to go a bit higher. I think I have a weird or tall upper torso....so when I sit to play, I have to sort of hunch over the guitar to be in the right comfort zone. I can play much tighter sitting, no doubt. But usually when I'm sitting, it's at home and I'm recording demo material for 5-6 hours on end so I get in the zone more than being at practice for 2-3 hours.

 

[aviel]

the hardest part for me is the left hand, the joint between my arm and the hand, speciallt of lower strings, it look like its gonna break a part when i do it.. for example, playing a full barre style F chord on first fret.

 

[Nimvi]

would you like to watch
Metallica playing while they're sitting-or Slayer?

Absolutely!

And it would sound a bit like this:

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Just man up and practice

 

[xTomx]

PRACTICE HOW YOU'LL PLAY.

Backed. When I practice I throw myself around and pretend I'm the 5th member of Converge.

 

[mva801]

^^^ This guy gets it.

 

[aviel]

the hardest part for me is the left hand, the joint between my arm and the hand, speciallt of lower strings, it look like its gonna break a part when i do it.. for example, playing a full barre style F chord on first fret.

 

[ArthurD]

Put your guitar up
like this:

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Do we really have to start posting videos of all the amazing metal guitarists through the ages that can shred their nuts off with the guitar at or below waist-height? You know, like every one of them? Wearing your guitar at Beatles height looks hilariously dorky IMO, but at least it's better than sitting down! Still...

You're playing metal for chrissakes It's supposed to be high-energy, the suggestion of sitting down to play live is just beyond hilarious

 

[blackbull]

Some even have it way below their.. cock too lol. How they can play tight like that is a mystery to me

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Yeah, that's way too low for my own comfort, but the point is it can totally be done