sjaguar13 Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 I'm not used to playing standing up. It hurts my left hand. What should I do, make the strap shorter, move my thumb to the bottom of the fingerboard instead of behind the neck, or just keep playing and eventually I'll get used to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckguitarist Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 this used to happen to me, i made my strap shorter to start, then gradually made it longer and longer as i got more used to playing standing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 yeah,what aaron said.i only play standing up.put the guitar where the center is about evenwith your beltline.i point the headstock up too.the object is to keep the tendons straight so they will work properly. imo the only reason to put it low is to try and look good.remembr.hetfeld doesn't play fast lead so that is why he slings it low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy McFeely Posted December 4, 2003 Report Share Posted December 4, 2003 it's cool to have your guitar up higher these days. look at petrucci, vai, well anyone who plays the **** out of their guitar. i like my guitar at my beltline like wes said. you don't want to get carple-tunnel, man that sounds shitty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IWishICouldShred Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 I started out practicing standing up, so I have my strap all the way out as long as it can go now because I'm used to it. (It's not that low though because it's an Explorer so it hangs higher.) I record sitting down but I can play my solos just as well live with the guitar that low, which is crotch-level, for lack of a better explanation. So its basically a matter of practice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 my guitar is almost high enough that i still use the strap when i sit down, so i don't really notice a difference i don't see the point of playing a guitar that's laying on the ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pushead Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Your arm hurts when you play standing up? Don't play standing up! Duh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 This advice wierds some people out, but it works for all my students. The reason you and most other guys have the problems when you stand up is that you learn and develop your muscles from one angle while sitting and then try to get them to perform the same way at a completely different angle standing. The solution is easy, but may feel weird at first. Learn to sit and play classically. If you don't know what I mean (no insult intended) have the guitar sit between your legs like a classical guitarist does. This will be the equivelant of your standing position if you keep descent posture. While your sitting. put on your strap and adjust it so it's snug. When you stand it will now hang in almost the exact same position as how you sit. No re-adjustment or sudden shock to the wrist. Believe me, you'll save yourself alot of grief and physical pain. I hope that helps you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezerboy Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 just take a pointer from tom morrello (RATM) and the curly haired one from the strokes (*** is his name?) wear the guitar on your nipples..you can play fast as you like like that but you do look like you're stuck in the forties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renablistic Posted December 12, 2003 Report Share Posted December 12, 2003 i play bas super-super low cause i don't do chords or solos on it, so it doesn't bother my tendons to play low, but the guitar, i play at a cool (not so in the "punk" world) slighly higher or at waist level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMAR Posted December 12, 2003 Report Share Posted December 12, 2003 I had the same problem. In the end, one day I adjusted my strap by 1 "notch" and everything was perfect. Until then I had just about given up playing standing up. Go against your instinct and shorten your strap to the max. Then gradually lengthen it until you hit the point where you can't play without pain. Shorten it back one notch and you are on your way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar_master Posted December 20, 2003 Report Share Posted December 20, 2003 One of the worst things i see, is local bands around where I live, with guitarists with their guitar so low, they have to bend over, just so that they can hit the strings with their pick. My advice for playing standing up, is defy what you think looks cool, which sounds a lot like what others on here are saying. I used to not be able to solo standing up, but i fooled around with my strap for a while, and I'm almost nipple riding it, and can play just as well as when i sit down. It may not look "cool" to others, but functionality before fashion I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 some people make it look even cooler with the guitar high up anyway more freedom of movement allows for better stage performance.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeB Posted December 22, 2003 Report Share Posted December 22, 2003 i used to play very very low, i had my strap full out, and string on the end to lower it!! i made a thing which i called the hetfieldizer, which just put the guitar soo low i could hit my knees with it!! i learnt from my mistake, now its very, very high up!!! sooo much better for playing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Litchfield Custom Gutars Posted December 26, 2003 Report Share Posted December 26, 2003 I play better standing up than sitting down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluespresence Posted December 27, 2003 Report Share Posted December 27, 2003 I play with my guitar half way between my hip and knees! Oh, yeah, I play bass, it supposed to be down there! I actually had the same problem when I tried to play sitting down. I cahnged my posture a little (someone mentioned that above) and my problems went away. My soreness problem.....I still have lots of other problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted December 27, 2003 Report Share Posted December 27, 2003 hmmm I never noticed the transition, but that might have been because i stared off playing classical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syxxstring Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 i play bas super-super low cause i don't do chords or solos on it, so it doesn't bother my tendons to play low, but the guitar, i play at a cool (not so in the "punk" world) slighly higher or at waist level. no chords no solos what exactly do you play then just open strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanKirk Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 If it's your hand that's hurting then, like everyone else says, try raising your strap. I found my hand started hurting when standing when I played my thin-necked strat. I've since installed a custom made neck that is MUCH fatter and my hand fatigue is WAY less. IMO, neck size matters as much as strap adjustment. (If you have the dough to swap the neck) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 i play bas super-super low cause i don't do chords or solos on it, so it doesn't bother my tendons to play low, but the guitar, i play at a cool (not so in the "punk" world) slighly higher or at waist level. no chords no solos what exactly do you play then just open strings? thats when hes playing bass, as in 'bass guitar' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FajiiNako Posted January 25, 2004 Report Share Posted January 25, 2004 Well if it hurts playing with it standing up, then you should do it sitting down... if ya know what i mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Page_Master Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 this might be changing the topic a bit. i can play standing up and sitting down fine. the centre of my guitar sits on my belly. but anyway, i get hand fatigue as well. my hands aren't even that big. my handspan is only 21 cm. i get hand fatigue when i play electric guitar standing or sitting. that's because i do need a fatter neck. however, my hand fatigue was very low when i played classical guitar. i love fat wide necks. i think because i started on them, the transition between electric and classical is still talking place. i have only been playing electric for 1 year now and classical 4 years before that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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