How to Hold a Guitar

One of the very first guitar lessons that beginners need to take is holding a guitar. Holding the guitar in the correct manner helps you to be comfortable while playing and also show a bit of style if you want to. However, the style of holding the instrument differs from what type of guitar you are using and the music you are playing. Some guitarists have even come up with their own unique style of holding and playing this musical instrument.

Holding a Guitar Properly

Holding the guitar depends on whether it is an acoustic or an electric guitar. In case of holding an acoustic guitar with a belt, you typically need to place it against your stomach for better comfort. This is a standard position though. You can even place it a bit lower from the stomach level, considering the strumming hand's comfort over the big guitar body. Place the instrument in a way that will allow you to take the strumming hand over the body easily to the strings. This will help you to see the fretboard clearly and hold chords.

If you are sitting, you can keep the guitar on your lap for maximum comfort and play. If it is an electric guitar that you are playing, it is generally to be placed a little lower than the stomach level. However, you can choose the placement position either lower or above the stomach, as per your preference or music style. For example, jazz guitarists prefer to hang their instruments a bit above the stomach level, so as to allow them to view the fretboard clearly while playing and changing complicated jazz chords.

The Guitar Neck
Holding guitar neck again depends on how the body of the instrument has been placed. Here, you need to modify holding the guitar neck as per your comfort. Remember that higher the guitar is placed against the body, better is the fretboard control. In rhythmic strumming, you can hold the neck for playing open chords by placing the thumb's top at the back of the neck, with the remaining fingers on the fretboard.

This technique can also be used to play leads throughout the fretboard. Nevertheless, some guitarists might prefer placing the whole part of the thumb on the back of the neck and then playing individual notes for leads, especially when they go to higher frets. The thumb touching the back of the neck should be slid as per chord and note positions on the fretboard.

The Guitar Pick
How you grip the guitar pick or plectrum in the fingers also has an impact on the tone produced. Be it while playing the rhythm or lead, the pick usually has to be held with the thumb and first finger. Also note that holding the pick and the strings should be in level. This will help the guitarist to produce a clear tone out of the strings. If the pick is gripped in a slanting manner while playing, the strings will produce a slippery kinda sound, and not a solid tone.

The way of holding picks also depends on the techniques you use. For example, in order to play 'pinch harmonics', you will have to hold the pick in a slanting manner, with much of the pick surface covered with the thumb and pointing finger. The pick is supposed to be gripped firmly. This is to prevent the possibilities of it falling off or accidentally sticking between the strings while strumming or playing lead. Below is an explanation on holding a bass guitar.

The Bass Guitar
A bass guitar normally has a longer neck and big body, and you need to have comfortable access to its fingerboard. It is suggested that the bass guitar is held a little above stomach level, which will help you to have a good playing range on thicker strings. This style is for normal bass playing though. Rock and metal guitarists normally place their guitars much lower at thigh level, with the fingerboard held up at an appropriate range. When it comes to holding a bass guitar, you particularly need to have a firm hold on the neck, as this would easily allow you to press thick strings onto the fingerboard.

Whatever style and position you choose, simply make sure that you have sufficient access and range to the fingerboard and are comfortable playing. A good guitar lesson is to practice playing strumming and lead in all possible guitar holding positions.