5 Things to Do to Avoid Guitar Injury
One day I went to visit a friend of mine that owns a music store; a rather well established one for that matter.
As we were standing in front of his new, top of the line guitar amplifier; a customer walked in yielding a guitar to one of the sales clerks.
The sales clerk beaconed to my friend, as he wanted to have a word with him.
My friend came back laughing.
I asked him why he was laughing.
He said, "The lady that you saw with a guitar a few minutes ago, just returned it.
" I asked him why she had done so and he told me that she had developed back pains ever since she started playing the instrument.
Funny as it maybe, I knew exactly what she was talking about.
From a professional stand point, I know that if you don't handle your guitar correctly, there might be some serious repercussions.
After reading this, you will surely not be returning you guitar back to the music store.
So you have your guitar, and you definitely don't want to end up like the lady in my friend's music store; what do you do? Simple, you make sure you know the correct posture and guitar handling principles; which by the way, you will know in a moment.
Firstly, find yourself an armless chair and take a seat (be sure to be very comfortable).
Rest your back against the back of the chair in a firm comfortable manner.
Please don't slouch; slouching will make you pick up bad habits from the start.
Now pick up your guitar making sure that the neck runs parallel to the floor/ground; this means that it should not be pointing up or down, diagonally, backwards, front and so on.
It should only be parallel (horizontal) to the floor.
The body has to be in contact with your chest/stomach.
Please, the strings (sound hole for an acoustic) have to be facing out.
The thickest string has to be the closest to your chin; while the smallest string has to be the closest to the floor/ground.
To put this into perspective, if you are right handed, the headstock has to be pointing to your left (if you are left handed you have to get yourself a left-handed guitar).
If it is not pointing to your left, turn it so that it does.
Now you have the direction correct, it is time to place the instrument in the right place.
When playing it, the body will rest on one leg and NOT both.
This leg is the one that is the furthest away from the headstock.
In other words, a right-handed person will rest the instrument on the right leg and a left-handed person will place it the left leg.
NOTE: The above method is for non-classical playing).
Next, your fretting hand (left hand for right-handed players and right hand for left-handed players), has to be placed correctly.
The thumb has to be on the opposite side of the neck as the other four fingers.
The four fingers have to be curled up above the string, while the thumb (on opposite side of the neck), has to be placed approximately mid-way of the four other fingers.
As we were standing in front of his new, top of the line guitar amplifier; a customer walked in yielding a guitar to one of the sales clerks.
The sales clerk beaconed to my friend, as he wanted to have a word with him.
My friend came back laughing.
I asked him why he was laughing.
He said, "The lady that you saw with a guitar a few minutes ago, just returned it.
" I asked him why she had done so and he told me that she had developed back pains ever since she started playing the instrument.
Funny as it maybe, I knew exactly what she was talking about.
From a professional stand point, I know that if you don't handle your guitar correctly, there might be some serious repercussions.
After reading this, you will surely not be returning you guitar back to the music store.
So you have your guitar, and you definitely don't want to end up like the lady in my friend's music store; what do you do? Simple, you make sure you know the correct posture and guitar handling principles; which by the way, you will know in a moment.
Firstly, find yourself an armless chair and take a seat (be sure to be very comfortable).
Rest your back against the back of the chair in a firm comfortable manner.
Please don't slouch; slouching will make you pick up bad habits from the start.
Now pick up your guitar making sure that the neck runs parallel to the floor/ground; this means that it should not be pointing up or down, diagonally, backwards, front and so on.
It should only be parallel (horizontal) to the floor.
The body has to be in contact with your chest/stomach.
Please, the strings (sound hole for an acoustic) have to be facing out.
The thickest string has to be the closest to your chin; while the smallest string has to be the closest to the floor/ground.
To put this into perspective, if you are right handed, the headstock has to be pointing to your left (if you are left handed you have to get yourself a left-handed guitar).
If it is not pointing to your left, turn it so that it does.
Now you have the direction correct, it is time to place the instrument in the right place.
When playing it, the body will rest on one leg and NOT both.
This leg is the one that is the furthest away from the headstock.
In other words, a right-handed person will rest the instrument on the right leg and a left-handed person will place it the left leg.
NOTE: The above method is for non-classical playing).
Next, your fretting hand (left hand for right-handed players and right hand for left-handed players), has to be placed correctly.
The thumb has to be on the opposite side of the neck as the other four fingers.
The four fingers have to be curled up above the string, while the thumb (on opposite side of the neck), has to be placed approximately mid-way of the four other fingers.
