Learn And Master The Guitar: How To Hold Your Guitar

The first thing when you learn to play guitar is how to hold the guitar properly.  If you can hold it, you can play it!

It is very important that you are relaxed and comfortable.  There are many factors to holding the guitar correctly, especially you body shape and the type of guitar you are playing.  There is no ‘one size fits all’, it is a matter of experimenting with different positions until you feel comfortable.

Consider finding a couple different ways of holding the guitar. Try changing your body position as you are playing.  Doing this will spread the load over your body and make it easier for you to play for extended periods of time without getting tired or suffering muscle fatigue.

As you sit with the guitar think of the different joints involved, your shoulder, wrist and elbow. If you find you have tension in any of these joints just relax, wriggle a bit and move on.  As you get more advanced you will relax – it is just a matter of persisting through the initial hurdles.

With familiarity comes relaxation so don’t worry if things are not where you want them right now – it is a challenge for the beginner and comes with time and practice.