Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Classical Sitting Position - Is it better?


The Classical Sitting Position(on the left) 

as it is known is really the result of hundreds of years of guitar evolution. When sitting in this position it really is the ideal way to play guitar. If you notice in the pic the shoulders are basically even, my back and neck are straight and the guitar is positioned perfectly so both hands can execute their roles. 

The 'Popular' sitting position (on the right)

This means for a right handed guitarist your guitar would be on your right leg. Here are the 4 arrows explained.


  1. The right shoulder is elevated which can cause neck problems
  2. The left shoulder is lower then the right which means the spine is twisted
  3. Because of the positioning the left wrist is bent which can cause carpal tunnel
  4. The right arm is pressing down on the guitar often cutting into the nerve which can cut off circulation to the right hand


The severity of problems depends on how much you play guitar but better to be safe than sorry. Everyone is free to choose what suits their personal choice but just for the record many of the elite rock players are now turning to the classical position simply because the difficulty of what they play demands it. A good example is John Petrucci of Dream Theater and G3. Check his video ROCK DISCIPLINE and notice how he sits.


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